Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, and member of the Jackson family. He was a member of The Jackson Five, a singing group composed of four of his brothers and him, from 1962 to 1975, where he was the second lead vocalist (after brother Michael) and played bass guitar. He sang the lead on some of their songs and had featured vocals on many others, including many of their biggest hits such as "I\'ll Be There" and "I Want You Back". When the group left the Motown label and reformed as "The Jacksons", Jermaine stayed with Motown, due to loyalty to Motown founder Berry Gordy, whose daughter he had married, and was replaced in the group by youngest brother Randy. He rejoined the group in 1983, and has remained with them since, through various breakups and reunions.\n', '

Jermaine also had a solo career concurrent with his brother Michael\'s, and had a number of top-30 hits throughout the 1970s and \'80s. He also produced and recorded duets with American singer Whitney Houston in her early years as a recording artist, and was a producer for the band Switch.\n', '

Jackson was born December 11, 1954, in Gary, Indiana, after his brother Tito Jackson. He is the fourth child born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His siblings are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and Janet. His father Joseph had musical aspirations, playing guitar with his brother’s band, The Falcons, and Katherine was a passionate pianist and singer, but their large family and lack of money ended their dreams with Katherine becoming a housewife, and Joseph, a steel worker at nearby Inland Steel Company in East Chicago, Indiana, (his parents lived there before they moved to Gary in 1950). While his father worked long hours as a crane operator, Jermaine and his brothers, Tito and Jackie, secretly practiced their own songs using their father\'s guitar. Jermaine became the original lead singer of the Jackson Brothers—an earlier incarnation of The Jackson Five until 1966, when younger brother Michael began singing lead. Jermaine would continue to provide some leads over the years. Jermaine graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California in 1973.\n', '

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