THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605240088
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE VANHECKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 103 lines
AN ALL-MALE vocal group of next-generation Jacksons. Sounds like a million-selling marketing dream come true.
But Taj, Taryll and T.J. Jackson want the world to know that 3T is for real.
``A lot of people thought that all of a sudden the Jackson family got together and said, `You know, we need another Jackson group,' and they grabbed three family members and thrust them into the industry,'' Taj Jackson said last week from Southern California.
Not so. Actually, 3T has been more than 10 years in the making, almost 20 if you count the brothers' boyhood imitations of their famous father and uncles.
This Jackson three - the progeny of Tito Jackson, a founding fifth of the legendary Jackson 5, and the nephews of Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop - proved they're no gimmick with last year's album, ``Brotherhood.''
The impressive debut, executive produced by Uncle Michael and released on his MJJ label, is loaded with lush, string-polished pop and R&B, smooth-'n'-sensitive vocals and breathy harmonies pleasingly reminiscent of those other Jacksons.
Taj and Taryll, who attend Loyola Marymount College, and T.J, who graduates from high school next month, got some extra-special help on the album; the co-producers include the likes of Madonna, Mary J. Blige and Ace of Base.
Uncle Michael also lent a hand, joining his nephews on ``Why,'' the album's second single, originally written by Babyface for Michael's ``HIStory'' disc.
``We're really close to our uncle and he always plays us some of the songs on his albums beforehand,'' said Taj. ``We were hanging out with him and he said, `Tell me what you think about this song.' He played `Why' and we were like, `That's a great song!' He could tell by the way we were looking that we really loved it.
``A couple days later he said, `Do you guys want it on your album?' We said, `Yeah!' He goes, `There's one thing, though, I want to be on it too.' So we made it a duet with him.''
Michael Jackson has been involved with 3T's musicmaking from the very start.
``Ever since we were little, he would always take us aside and play us great songs from the past,'' Taj said. ``That's what his main gift to us was: He'd make us appreciate great music, from the Beatles to all the old Motown - Four Tops, Supremes, Temptations - to Doobie Brothers to Billy Joel to Elton John to Sly and the Family Stone to Bread.
``And he talked to us about melody and how important it is, and what makes one song better than the other. That was like our music lessons over a span of about 10 to 12 years.''
The group has evolved slowly. A decade ago, Taj and his brothers put together their first serious demo tape - ``This was when our voices were really high; T.J. was singing as high as Michael was at that age, 8 or 9'' - and, not surprisingly, entertained offers from almost every major label.
They eventually signed with Epic about five years ago, then landed the MJJ deal after writing material for the TV miniseries ``The Jacksons: An American Dream'' and the ``Free Willy'' film soundtrack. MJJ is distributed by 550 Music/Sony.
``Brotherhood'' is dedicated to the young Jacksons' late mother, Delores, who fondly called her kids ``the 3 Ts.''
In 1994, divorced from Tito after 21 years of marriage, she was found drowned in her boyfriend's pool. At first ruled an accident, the case was reopened when suspicious injuries to the body were discovered, possibly indicating foul play. Civil and criminal litigation is pending.
``There's a certain gratification to know that my mom heard the majority of the songs on the album,'' Taj said. ``She picked a lot of songs on the album - `Give Me All Your Lovin,' ' `Memories' - and those songs, even though they might not have been the company's favorites, they were sentimental to us because they were our mom's favorites.''
Surprisingly, music was not the young Jacksons' first love; the boys originally wanted to become baseball players. But as they grew up and attended the family's concerts, they eventually began to mimic their performing relatives.
``I saw how much enjoyment the fans were getting and my dad was getting from playing music and it was like, `I want to do this,' '' Taj recalled. ``But it wasn't as natural a process as everyone thinks it was - `Oh, let's just take up music, sing and record an album.'
``We had to study with each other, practice every day. We had to work on harmony. It was a process, a lot of hard work.''
But Taj, Taryll and T.J. always had the support of their parents, Taj said.
``My dad mainly wanted us to be aware of how hard it was, how much of a business it is; that it's not all as glamorous as it seems,'' he said. ``There's a lot of hard work and even backstabbing. It's an industry where people are making money and there are a lot of people that you can't trust that will do things or say things or try to take your brothers away from you.
``My mom just made us aware that whatever we wanted to do, she'd be behind us; whether it was music, whether we wanted to be a doctor or a farmer, that she would support us. And she always did.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
The vocal group 3T could be the Jackson 5 of the 1990s. They're the
sons of Tito Jackson and nephews of Michael Jackson.
Graphic
IF YOU GO
Who: Max A Million and 3T
When: 8 tonight at Club Rogue's, 616 Virginia Beach Blvd.,
Virginia Beach
Tickets: $6
Information: 422-3344
KEYWORDS: PROFILE BIOGRAPHY POP MUSIC by CNB