Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on 25 August 1958. The son of Joseph and Katherine Jackson he was the seventh of their nine children. At the age of five he impressed his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon when performing at a Christmas recital and was asked to join their band The Jackson Brothers as a backing singer. They soon became known as The Jackson 5 and Michael had taken over lead vocal duties. By 1968 they'd been signed to the influential Motown record label.