Taj Jackson Reflects on Losing Dad Tito, Mom and Uncle Michael: ‘I Have 3 Angels Watching Over Me’

Tito Jackson ’s eldest son, Taj , is paying tribute to those he has lost following his dad’s death on Sunday, September 15 .

Taj, 51, shared an emotional post via Instagram early Tuesday, September 17, mourning his father as well as his late mom Delores “Dee Dee” Martes , who died in 1994, and his superstar uncle, Michael , who died in 2009.

“The truth is I am not okay, and I don’t know if I ever will be. My dad and I shared the same name, Tariano Adaryll Jackson, and people often called me his twin. He was the man I’ve looked up to my entire life — my father, my hero,” Taj captioned an old photo of Tito, Dee Dee and Michael.

“What I admire most about my dad wasn’t his musical talent, it was his genuine humbleness and humility. For all the legendary things he accomplished with his brothers, you’d never know it just by talking to him,” Taj continued. “Besides performing on stage, my dad loved to coach baseball, fish, and work on vintage cars. Everyone loved Tito, and in a way, it brings me comfort to know the world also shares in this sorrow and pain. It’s a reminder of how great a loss we’ve all suffered.”

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Reflecting on the losses of his mom and uncle, Taj wrote, “When my mom passed, I had to stay strong for my 2 younger brothers. When my uncle Michael died, I remained strong for my 3 cousins.
I don’t know how much emotional strength I have left.”

“This photo is now my constant reminder that I have three angels watching over me,” he concluded.

Taj is the eldest of Tito and Dee Dee’s three sons. Taj and his brothers, Taryll , 49, and TJ , 46, comprised the 1990s group 3T and collaborated with Michael on the song “Why.”

Tito died at the age of 70 on Sunday after police responded to a medical emergency near a mall in Gallup, New Mexico. “The individual was subsequently transported to a local hospital in Gallup, New Mexico, where he was pronounced dead,” the Gallup Police Department said in a statement Monday, September 16. “Following this, the hospital requested the presence of detectives and the Office of the Medical Investigator. The deceased has been identified as 70-year-old Toriano ‘Tito’ Jackson from Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

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Taj, Taryll and TJ shared news of their father’s death Monday via a joint Instagram post. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” the brothers wrote alongside a series of photos spanning their father’s life. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”

“Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us,” the trio continued. “Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you Pops.”