Michael Jackson: A Chicago Blues Connection

As the world is reeling with the shock of Michael Jackson's death, I'm thinking of the King of Pop's humble beginnings in Gary, Indiana, just east of Chicago.

Before the Jackson Five became a household name, the group and a very young MJ were gigging around black clubs in Gary and Chicago. I learned something about these days from Chicago blues-R&B artist Johnny Drummer.When I was interviewing Johnny for my book, Today's Chicago Blues, he told me this story:

For a time back in the 1960s, Johnny Drummer had an unusual opening act: a group of young brothers from Gary, Ind. called the Jackson Five. Drummer was headlining at the Club Paradise on the West Side. On Sunday afternoons, the club held a matinee featuring the Jackson Five. Michael Jackson was just a little boy at the time. Drummer remembers little kids running around as he was bringing in his gear, but he never paid much attention to the kids. “They would just play until we got there,” he says.

I'm thinking it might have been better in the long run if Michael Jackson had more time to run around like a little kid.