<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification . Please help by adding reliable sources . Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful . (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> The five Jackson brothers' interest in music began in Gary, Indiana, a part of the Chicago metropolitan area, bolstered by their father, Joe Jackson . In 1962, Joe caught Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke . Upon fixing the string, threatening punishment, Tito's father had him play and was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar . Along with their father, Tito, Jermaine and Jackie formed their own group, named "the Jackson Brothers," with a five - year - old Michael playing congas and childhood buddies Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite playing keyboards and drums, respectively . Marlon, then seven years old, eventually joined, playing the tambourine . In August 1965, before a show at Gary's Tiny Tots Jamboree held on Michael's seventh birthday, Evelyn LaHaie suggested the group rename themselves "the Jackson Five Singing Group", later shortened simply to "the Jackson Five". </P> <P> In 1965, the group won a talent show at Gary's Theodore Roosevelt High School, where Jermaine performed several Motown numbers, including the Temptations' "My Girl" and Michael performed Robert Parker's "Barefootin"', winning the talent show instantly . Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer eventually replaced Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones . After several more talent show wins, Joe Jackson booked his sons to perform at several respected music venues of the chitlin' circuit, including Chicago's Regal Theater and Harlem's Apollo Theater, winning the talent competitions on both shows in 1967 . After they won the Apollo contest on August 13, 1967, singer Gladys Knight sent a tape of the boys' demo to Motown Records, hoping to get them to sign, only to have their tape rejected and sent back to Gary . In November 1967, Joe Jackson signed the group's first contract with Gordon Keith, an owner and producer of Steeltown Records, and the Jackson Five recorded and released two singles, "Big Boy" which was sung by Michael and "We Don't Have to Be Over 21". During early 1968, the group also performed at strip clubs on Joe's behest to earn extra income . </P> <P> While performing a week - long run of shows at the Regal Theater as the opening act for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, an impressed Taylor sent the Jacksons to Detroit to help with their Motown audition, which was set for July 23 at Motown's headquarters on Woodward Avenue . Following the taped audition, which was sent to CEO Berry Gordy's office in Hollywood, Gordy originally turned them down again, since he had Stevie Wonder in his spotlight, but later changed his mind, and had requested the group to be signed, with final negotiations completed by early 1969, leading to the group to be signed on March 11 . Following initial recordings at Detroit's Hitsville USA studio, Berry Gordy sent the Jacksons to Hollywood in July, hiring Suzanne de Passe to become a mentor of the brothers . </P>

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