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David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesBelieve it or not, Tito Jackson has never released a solo project, until now.
Earlier this month, the Jackson 5 founding member’s new single “Get It Baby” entered the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks and Adult R&B charts. With that feat, he completes the family set — all nine Jackson siblings now have had solo hits on the Billboard charts.
The Gary, Indiana, native is elated about the success, and had something to prove in the process.
“This is my official debut and I don’t want to call out any names but a very known figure used a comment about me they said and it threw me under the bus, I felt,” Jackson reveals to ABC Radio. “And I said, you know what, I gotta do this to kind of shut this kind of language up. Their initials is CB…a basketball team with Dwyane Wade and a bunch of Tito Jacksons.”
He’s referring to former NBA superstar turned brazen sports analyst Charles Barkley, who famously made remarks in 2010 about Jackson’s talent in reference to the Miami Heat team.
Success is the best revenge. And Jackson, 62, has no hard feelings.
“Well, you know I love this person and I’m not saying it’s cold or hot or whatever but I just had to do what I need to do to put a lid on that.”
The singer – who performed blues music for 10 years – had some initial reservations about the song when he first heard it, though.
“They played the song for me and I heard the groove in it but I felt like it was a little not for me. And I listened to it again and said, ‘Dang, I could do this song, this song is great…I like it, people seem to like it, everybody wants to dance to it. I’m happy.”
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