The Summers the Jackson Five called Winslow home...

This is from an article that was recently run in an online newspaper, my mother happened to come across it by chance. We were chuffed to see it, as she had been telling people in my hometown for years about how the Jackson family used to spend their summers there-- and they would always think she was lying (what a silly thing to lie about, really!)

Well, here's the proof...



The Summers The Jackson Five Called Winslow Home
July 8th, 2009

http://www.azjournal.com/news/126/ARTICLE/4096/2009-07-08.html


By Linda Kor
Every small town has its share of urban legends--the claim by someone who was told by someone else that a famous individual once came through town or, better yet, lived there.
That’s how it was in Winslow. Over the years a number of residents claimed that the famed Jackson Five of Gary, Ind., including Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, used to spend summers in the community. It was one of those urban legends that received a smile and a nod, but was never validated, until now.

With the recent passing of pop star legend Michael Jackson, Winslow resident Zach Thomas* felt it was time to prove something that he had known all along, because he had witnessed it first-hand.

Thomas approached Docia Blalock, director of the Roxanne Whipple Memorial Library in Winslow, for help. “From the research we conducted we learned that Samuel Jackson was a resident at 317 Snyder Ave. from at least 1966 through 1968,” stated Blalock, adding that the library staff researched old telephone books to verify residency. Samuel, the father of Joe Jackson and grandfather of Michael, lived across the street from the home Thomas grew up in on the corner of Snyder Avenue and Fourth Street.

While residing in Winslow, Samuel Jackson did what many grandparents did--he invited his grandchildren to stay with him during the summer months. In the summer of 1966, the Jackson siblings, had yet to gain national attention, though Michael’s incredible talent was on the verge of being discovered.

Thomas recalled that summer, playing ball against the five brothers at the old rodeo grounds ball field, across from Vargas Stadium.

“I remember one time we were having a good old time playing ball and their dad Joe came out there yellin’ at those boys to get home and practice their music,” recalled Thomas. “He was so mad and whooped on them the whole way home. That’s all he was about, just practice, practice, practice.”

When the Jackson boys (sister Janet was not yet born) played their music at their grandfather’s house, it brought the neighborhood to life.

“We always heard them practicing and people would come around from the neighborhood just to listen to them play. Michael was a good singer and he was a good dancer,” he stated.
According to Thomas, when the Jackson Five played at the Desert Scene Elks Lodge, people would throw spare change up on the stage for them. “It was common to do that back then for good performers; it was how they made their money for the night,” he noted.

The Thomas family knew the Jacksons well and the families spent a lot of time together.
“Once in awhile they would be allowed to go to the movies with us, but most of the time they were just practicing music,” recalled Thomas, who was closest to Tito Jackson, as they were the same age.

He recalled that the Jackson family had planned to go from Winslow on to Phoenix at the end of the summer of 1967, but received an opportunity to perform in a talent contest at the renowned Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem district.

“Someone, I think it was Diana Ross, had made arrangements for them to perform there so they headed back home,” recalled Thomas. The young singers known as the Jackson Five won the competition on Aug. 13, 1967, and that started them on the road to stardom.
The year after winning the show Thomas recalls the family traveled back through Winslow on their way to California.

“The family was riding in a van, and Tito came to the house and told me that they were on their way to California because they’d gotten a record deal,” recalled Thomas. “He was looking for his cousin to say goodbye, so we got in the van and drove around awhile, but we couldn’t find him, so they just headed out from there.”

Thomas’ mother [Lila] kept in contact with the Jackson family after they left for California and received a number of pieces of memorabilia as the Jacksons became famous.

With the knowledge that the Jackson clan did in fact spend their summers in the city of Winslow before fame crossed their path, it would appear that the community has one less urban legend to ponder and one more musical connection to add to its history.


-Advertisement courtesy of the Roxanne Whipple Memorial Library- This advertisement in the Winslow Reminder dated Thursday, Aug. 18, 1966, announced a performance by the Jackson Five at the Desert Scene Elks Lodge in Winslow for a ticket price of $1.25 per person, about $8.21 at today’s prices. The lodge was also known as the Arcadia Hall, and is located in the 100 block of East First Street in Winslow.

* Zach Thomas was my neighbour growing up, he lived across the street from us.