La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family

CHAPTER TWO: A NEW LIFE IN CALIFORNIA (Part III)

Not surprisingly, my brothers dated very little until their late teens. At eighteen Jackie actually had a girlfriend, but he was allowed to see her only in our home. For one hour. Come eight o'clock, Joseph rudely ordered her to go home. My father was unhappy with several of the girls Jackie dated, and with Tito's girlfriend. He didn't like one because she wasn't black and assumed all the rest were only after his sons' money.

Joseph's suspicions weren't limited to gold-digging girlfriends. He and Mother distrusted all outsiders-to a certain extent, with good reason. The tragic downfall of many young entertainers is the greedy shortsightedness of the people directing their careers. I know of one instance where a popular teen group's manager introduced them to drugs because it made them easier to control. Others are deprived of proper guidance and education, so they lag far behind kids their age. The manager of one teen act we invited to dinner called ahead and requested we serve only finger food, like hot dogs and hamburgers, to spare his clients embarrassment. It seems they'd never learned how to use silverware! I hate to think what awaits these kids when their careers are over. Seeing things like this later made us appreciate the positive aspects of our parents' and Motown's protection during those crucial formative years.

Unlike many less fortunate kids in show business, the Jackson 5 always had the best education possible. Tutor Rose Fine accompanied them on the road, to television rehearsals and tapings, and anywhere their work took them. Later, in the mid-seventies, when Randy, Janet, and I joined the live act, she instructed us as well, preparing individual lessons, since we were all in different grades.

Every morning after breakfast we'd meet in her hotel room. A real Jewish Mother, Mrs. Fine always asked whether or not we'd eaten. Some of the brothers, usually Jermaine and Randy, took immediate advantage of this golden opportunity to avoid schoolwork. "Mrs. Fine," one of them would say coyly, "I didn't eat breakfast yet. Can I order something from room service?"

"Of course, dear," she always replied, while the rest of us rolled our eyes. Mrs. Fine couldn't imagine forcing a child to study on an empty stomach. As we worked on our lessons, she walked around the table, peering over our shoulders, offering suggestions and answering questions. She became such a second mom to all of us that every Mother's Day Michael makes sure someone from the family has sent Mrs. Fine flowers.

In just one year, the Jackson 5 had released four albums, three of which sold over one million copies each, appeared on dozens of television shows, and had become the new decade's preeminent black stars. The guys had exceeded their, and Joseph's, wildest dreams, with no end in sight. Soon after their fifth single, "Mama's Pearl," went to Number Two in early 1971, our family moved to Beverly Hills.

Frank Sinatra lived nearby, as did Michael's ultimate idol, Fred Astaire, to whom he'd later dedicate Moonwalk. One day we learned that the legendary dancer, then about seventy-two, wanted to meet Michael. My brother was speechless. "I see you jogging around the neighborhood all the time," Mr. Astaire told him. Michael floated back home. It took a while to adjust to having stars for next-door neighbors, but soon it seemed perfectly normal.

For me, meeting Diana Ross was like having an audience with a queen. I'd grown up watching the Supremes on television and thought she was the epitome of chic. The first time Diana visited our house, I couldn't get over how beautiful she was, but also how surprisingly small. Likewise, when Michael first met Smokey Robinson, all he could talk about afterward was Smokey's hands. "They were so soft, La Toya, I couldn't believe it," he marveled. We'd assumed all men's hands were calloused like our father's. It's funny how sometimes seemingly inconsequential details about people stick in your mind.

We loved the Beverly Hills house, which had a swimming pool and a large practice room for rehearsals. But the grounds were overrun by rattlesnakes that came down from the hills. One day a rattler snuck up on Michael by the pool. Fortunately, a visitor pushed my brother into the water just as it was about to strike, probably saving his life.