Some 15 years since the death of Michael Jackson, the huge sense of loss is still as clear as ever for his brother Tito.

He feels Michael’s presence whenever he walks out on stage. He sees Michael’s smile in the faces of his children. And he fights for Michael’s legacy, now more than ever. Today, as Tito returns to the UK, staying just a few miles from The O2 where Michael was due to play his fateful This Is It residency, he has a certain bone to pick.

He says: “The world was not kind to Michael at all. I don’t know why. I would always say if we didn’t have him, we sure would miss him. His death was such a major tragedy. The world definitely missed out on a lot of goodness from him, because he wasn’t just a musician or an artist, he was a loving person. He loved to give.”

Whether his death brought the Jacksons closer together or further apart is of much debate. They have been plagued in recent years by reports of family feuds, fuelled by court cases. The latest saga involves a battle between the estate’s executors and the Jacksons’ matriarch Katherine, 93, over who controls the finances.

It is clear that Tito for one, is tired of it all. He says: “I don’t have time to put it in my head. We know ourselves and we know each other. It just angers me. There are not too many people that I trust. Learning from this business… Well, there are a whole lot of wealthy people in showbusiness that are not artists, so you wonder how they got all their wealth.”

For Tito, it almost does not matter which side he inevitably chooses. A founding member of The Jackson 5, Tito still performs with The Jacksons today. And he has always kept a good relationship with Michael’s children Prince, 27, Paris, 26, and 22-year-old Blanket. He visits them whenever he flies to Los Angeles from his home in Oklahoma.

The 1977 line-up, from left, Jackie, Marlon, Randy, Tito and Michael Jackson ( Image: Redferns)
He says of them: “They’re still fairly young and haven’t figured it all out yet, but yes, he would be proud.” He will perform with three other family members in the UK tomorrow. Tito, his brothers Marlon and Jackie and his son Taryll, make up the current line-up of The Jacksons.

They perform many of the old hits such as Can You Feel It, I Want You Back and Shake Your Body. They will be headlining Rewind South in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, tomorrow night. Other names on the bill over the weekend include Billy Ocean, Gabrielle and Kim Wilde.

It is clear that despite turning 71 later this year, that is not going to keep Tito from throwing himself into the performance. He says: “We are going to play some good music, do some dancing and have a party!” Had he been alive today, Tito is sure Michael would have still been performing and racking up hits.

Michel died aged 50 in 2009 ( Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He tells us: “We always feel his presence on the stage. So that helps us a lot too. I can imagine Michael probably would have had three or four more hits by now, and they’d still be talking about him on the radio.” Instead, Michael died aged 50 on June 25, 2009, from an overdose of prescription drugs. Each year the family try to spend that sad anniversary together if they can.

“When that time of year comes around, you feel this presence and just try to enjoy all the moments that you remember that you had together,” reveals Tito. “Sometimes we like to have a performance on that day. Those are the days I really feel close to him, when we’re working and enjoying music, because that’s what we did together. Besides being brothers, that was our play time.”

Tito has no intention of hanging up his own mic any time soon, saying: “I plan to be like BB King play music until I die. Like Frank Sinatra or Sammy Davis Jr or Dean Martin. It’s fun, it’s peace of mind, it’s pleasure. I think, for an artist, music extends their lives.” Tito reveals that he will be releasing a new version of his single Love One Another in early 2025, this time featuring 3T the band made up of his three sons, Taryll, Taj and TJ.

Tito is very keen to emphasize the sense of love and positivity that flows through his music. And he has also always been present in anything created by any of the family. He says of music: “It doesn’t have to be the cursing and the profane language, the fighting and calling ladies names and things of that nature, it can be very positive.”

“The Jackson brothers and the Jackson family have used that as the source. I think the good stuff is better for the world, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.” It has obviously worked for audiences, as it is an incredible 60 years since The Jacksons, then The Jackson 5, were founded in Gary, Indiana.

They released their first single 57 years ago and went on to have 18 top 20 singles in the US and 13 top 40 singles in the UK. So what does Tito think of their legacy? “I know the Jackson Five had a certain style of music and image, and I’ve seen other groups come after us, and sort of mimic that,” he says.

“Having big records, especially for Michael and The Jackson Five and The Jacksons, says a lot. They are always remembered. I didn’t think I would still be hearing I Want You Back and ABC, I’ll Be There and Dancing Machine on all the radios today. This is years later and the music is still playing, and it’s still loved, so that says something about your craft.”

“That’s all you can wish for, to gather fans and have more people enjoy your music.” As for Michael, Tito is clear that he still holds the crown as King of Pop. He says: “His music is definitely immortal, and Mike will be around forever.”