The father of legendary artist Michael Jackson, Joseph “Joe” Walter Jackson, was hospitalized on Sunday July 26 in Brazil. The 87-year-old woke up on the morning of his birthday feeling dizzy and blind. He was immediately rushed to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo.
Joe Jackson celebrated his 87th birthday in Brazil on Friday with a party, which he reportedly didn’t end up attending. He suffers from diabetes and is said to be in the intensive care unit. A statement from the hospital also revealed that Jackson had an irregular heartbeat. TMZ claims that tests are currently being run to decide whether to send him back to the U.S. for further treatment.
The former manager and father of 11 was the reason for his son’s catapult to fame when he began the Jackson 5. However, the truth about his abusive nature came out in the ‘80s. Michael Jackson, who passed away six years ago, openly spoke about his father’s abuse to Oprah Winfrey in 1993. He confessed that Joe would whip them and verbally abuse them. In spite of all this, Jackson claimed that his father’s discipline played a large role in his success. Michael Jackson even reportedly named a day in honor of his father—“Joseph Jackson Day”—at his Neverland Ranch.
Whatever the case, we hope that Jackson Sr. recovers soon.
Sources:
Hind, K., “Michael Jackson’s father Joe rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke,” Mirror web site, July 27, 2015; http://goo.gl/pFAZIa.
“Joe Jackson (manager)” Wikipedia web site; https://goo.gl/JwhSSR, last accessed July 27, 2015.
