Jermaine and Tito were already adult enough to play baseball. Jackie which was more senior than them, scored uncountable home runs - he was an incredibly talented sportsman. I was so proud of him. And the both juniors caught all the balls that he threw. These three were the best players in the team. Approximately at that time I also have learned, that not only Rebbie, but also our sons are able to sing and dance well.

   Soon Katherine has given birth to one more girl. She weighed more than 12 pounds, our biggest new-born. Her hair cast red, and the face looked somehow Asian. Probably, the blood of our American Indian ancestors has showed up. Anyway, we have named her LaToya because it sounded a little on the East way. As a baby she did not demand special care, as well as Rebbie. She was the quiet child, slept a lot and shouted only if she wanted to eat. Unfortunately, I could not devote to her as much time as I wanted, because I was working day and night.

   LaToya was a shy girl. The older she became, the shyer she had become. She willingly was with Katherine - constantly clung to a mother's skirt. Though she also played with the brothers and sisters, she disappeared, as soon as some stranger came to visit us.

   Our family in the meantime totalled already 7 people and when Katherine again was going to give birth in hospital, I have again decided to go for work instead of accompanying with her. And that's how I have missed the birth of our only twins.

   Since my father had a twin sister, the same as Katherine's mother; Martha, it is no wonder, that Katherine too has become pregnant at once with two, but I nevertheless have been concerned, when there has come the time of labour: Marlon David was born the first, and everything seemed normal, but Brandon has turned over in the belly and has got stuck in the birth ways. Katherine was too exhausted and tried to protest, when the doctor pulled out his nipper. Marlon was strong, he loudly shouted, and Brandon only silently sobbed, when was born at last . Already after a pair of hours he has died. I was deeply afflicted with his death, I even today do not like to speak about it.

   But I was grateful, that Marlon have stayed alive. He was not the same as our other children and when he was little, frequently had played alone. With the time he has opened up and was happy to see, how good he and his brothers and sisters understand each other.

   Then Michael Joseph has come to world. The name "Michael" was chosen by Katherine, and we named him Joseph in my honour. His long thin hands always reminded my father to Katherine. When Michael was small, he slept a lot, but as soon as he woke up, he shouted so loud, that it was audible in all the quarter. Already then it was clear, that at he had a strong voice!

   Michael constantly did something stupid. You couldn't take your eyes off of him for a second; he disappeared and then was found under the table or a bed. We have been busy up to here, looking after him.

   Rebbie became to be our nanny and took care of the younger brothers. In the afternoon she went to school, and was engaged with the kids, when Kate who got a part-time job in a department store, left for work in the evening.

   Rebbie made food and did the laundry. If we wouldn't have her we probably wouldn't cope with everything. She looked after children and covered rears to me and Katherine so we could earn money.

   When Michael has grown up, it turned out, that he did not like sport as much as his brothers. Most of all he liked to go to a zoo, he simply squealed of joy, observing the animals. Also he liked to watch different shows on TV, and then repeated what artists did. Already in 5 years he arranged small representations. His face shined for pleasure when neighbour's children watched his solo performances in our garden and gave him ovations.

   I have kind of early noticed, that Michael can become a good artist if they'll work on him as needed. Generally he was a good boy and did not cause any problems.

   We sang a lot in our house, mostly the popular then songs in blues style, such as " Mustang Sally ". Katherine and I liked to sing with children, she also played on the piano and sometimes on a clarinet. I too could play some songs on my guitar, and each free minute we put on the R&B vinyl of such singers as Little Richard, Chi-lites, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Fats Domino, Joe Tex, Big Maybell, The Impressions and Major Lance.

   To place so many children in the house where there were only 2 bedrooms, was uneasy. Despite of it, Kate managed to keep the house clean and in order. She was very much organized and has placed everything so she'd have enough places. In the morning she was tiding up, and about the midday already started to prepare everything for a supper. Her firm chicken dishes were on the kitchen -range the whole day and when I came from work in the evening, meat was such fragrant and gentle, that it fell off the bones. We could not afford ourselves to go somewhere to a restaurant , but we were together and it was the most important.

   In 1962 we have our rehearsals have from a Jackie, Tito and Jermaine. Once, when I was at work, Tito have pulled out my guitar from the case and played on it all day. In the evening an irreparable thing happened .

   " Daddy....... I... uum...well..... I have torn a string, but I have already pulled a new one ", Tito have admitted to me.

   " What did you do? ", I calmly asked him.

   Tito has looked at me mistrustfully. He thought, that I now will become angry.

   " Well then show me, what you can ", I have said. I hardly could hide the pleasure. And he really could play. He has learnt the blues songs which I always played on the guitar. the same as me he played by ear. I have not shown Tito right away how much I am proud of him, but in couple of days I have come home and have brought him a gift: a new red guitar! I have bought it for the salary from my second job at the factory of canned food "American Foundries" because I have considered, that such talent needs to be supported.

   Then, our life wasn't easy and I could not buy a guitar to all of my boys, that's why I showed the chords and other techniques on my instrument. I secretly hoped that once they will have their own band and they will make music.

   All my boys were talented in many areas. Jackie could become the first class sportsman, and Tito had skills to repair anything you like. When he still was a boy he could disassemble our kitchen clock and assemble it again. He knew how to address with mechanisms. Changed oil in my car, established new headlights, anything you wanted. But Tito loved music most off all, therefore I have decided to help him to develop his musical talent. Marlon and Michael in the beginning were too little for the rehearsals (and Randy was not even born yet). But I watched that they look, how we rehearse, they had to know, what we are talking about so they could participate later.

   I was engaged with my sons for 3 hours per day, accompanied them on a guitar, showed, how they have to stand on stage, and encouraged them, to think out turns and other movements.

   Each cent that I could save, I put in music education of the boys. It made angry my young and beautiful wife that I too could understand, in fact she never could afford anything personally to herself. But I wanted to do everything I could for the children, in fact I saw and felt, how gifted they were. The more we rehearsed, the better, they became and I knew, that all my diligence will be rewarded - my children can become famous. And I was right. In 3 years they performed in clubs, and by the end of 60, earned so much that I could quit work.

   We have accepted Michael to the group when he was a little less than 5. He was then such a little guy. First he played on banjo. He selflessly clapped on the drums and he was on seven heaven of joy.

   Once my mother saw our rehearsal in a drawing room and heard Michael's voice. Other boys tried to prevent him from singing, they thought, that he still too small. " Leave him alone, let him sing ", mother has told.

   The rests certainly would not like it, but mum has explained to them, that he has a beautiful voice, and I have decided to make him a singer, instead of to leaving him on a background to play banjo.

   Later I had an idea - so he would try to dance to my James Brown records. For hours I have worked with the kid on each movement, and have induced him to study step. He started to watch movies and shows with the best step dancers of my time, and most of all he liked the graceful style and smooth movements of Fred Astaire.

   He started to imitate him, and even today if you look closer, it is possible to see the step influence on his dancing style.

   The group in the meantime has consisted from my 5 senior sons, and we have named it "Jackson 5". The Temptations were at that time very famous, and we have studied some of their songs. At the same time I observed, what happens on the music stage, to keep abreast with what happens, and to tell my children, whose manager I now became, about all newest tendencies.

   Many musicians that performed than in Indiana, very talented by nature, but even the most talented child needs to be advanced. It is parent’s duty - to help children as it is possible to open their talent more; they have to spend time with children as much as possible.

   And I wanted, Jackson 5 to be the best, therefore I persistently worked with my children. Of course, they tried to shirk whenever possible, It also did not hide form them, that their school friends have time for games after school while we constantly had to rehearse. Also it was not pleasant to them, that they can be only in our garden, but Kate and I were not going to allow them walk the streets, especially after one of neighbour's children got struck with a knife near school. We looked after our boys and did not let them out from the house after approach of darkness. Besides that I had an opportunity to observe them and work with them better.

   Kate did everything she could to make it up to the children for that they are limited to be only in the house and the garden. Almost every evening we played together in scrabble or cards, and she always managed to transform such evening into an excellent family entertainment.

   The humour also played the big role in our life. All my children like to joke, they got it from me. There was always a lot of noise on Halloween when I put on a mask and frightened them. But everything ended with a loud laughter because my children, certainly, were not afraid of me really.

   Sometimes we suited a vacation to Wisconsin Dells. I had a trailer with a rag roof, and we arranged a camping near to American Indian reservation. We have fished, sang and communicated with living there Iroquois. Children liked it there so much that they didn't want to leave.

   We all remember that carefree time with pleasure when our house has been filled with laughter and music. Many neighbours envied our harmonious home life, there's nothing can be done about it.

   In the 90s on ABC channel, there was a mini-series about our family, in which everything was presented in the deformed way. Everything has been shown incorrectly. For example, Michael has never in his life, played in Gary with the mouse. My wife was afraid of mice and would not suffer them in the house. Besides everyone knows, that the mouse will never sit calmly in the kitchen if the child shines on it with a small flashlight. And that I have ostensibly killed it!

   Jermaine and Katherine all the time explained to the producers of a series, that I did not rush constantly with shouts in the house and that I did not behave as the raged monster, but people who wrote the script, wanted a villain, they adhered to the point of view, that it will raise quotas. Besides our life in Gary has actually consisted of heavy work, love and laughter. And it does not approach in the Hollywood concept - positively to represent black families; they prefer to use a cliché - black, inclined to violence.

   Actually we were a happy family, and it’s in a huge degree a merit of my wife. Katherine then saved everywhere where she could, she dreamed to attach one more room. We had by then so much children, that the house went to pieces.

   I had other plans. I wanted to buy to children new guitars, microphones and amplifiers. Katherine was against it. We desperately quarrelled, and it was very bad for me because I had a feeling, that she does not understand my promptings and does not want to support me. We never quarrelled before, but now she did not share my hopes for big success of Jackson 5.

   For a couple of weeks the atmosphere between us was intense, and then I had an idea. In the evening in bed I have asked Katherine if she'll agree to give the money that she saved for the repair at home, and to invest them in the future of children. For that I promised to buy her someday a greater house, maybe, even in California. Katherine has hesitated and has agreed, and at last I could buy the new equipment for the group. My treasured desire was, that my investments were paid back also I could constrain the promise given to Katherine. Fortunately, after our night conversation Katherine did not oppose any more to my plans, and supported me in everything.

   Earlier I had to rise in the five and a half in the morning to go to work. One day, it was raining all the night long, and it was so cold that the street on which I drove on to the steel factory on the Volkswagen, has completely froze over. Suddenly I was cut with other car and though I still could evade from it, I was carried away. I braked as much as I could, but trunks did not stay on the smooth asphalt, and I could not prevent, my Volkswagen from going to auto refuelling. With a loud crash it has stopped at one of columns. Impact was so strong, that I have hit the chin with a rudder and has for a short while lost consciousness. When I have come to the senses, and tried to concentrate without understanding anything, A caustic smell of gasoline has struck me in the nose. The motor of my car still worked. In a panic I have tried to open the door, but it have jammed, then I have crept back and have jumped out of the car.

   I was rescued in a last second, right after that there was an awful explosion, and there where there was a refuelling before, a fiery sphere rose up to the sky .

   It was the only time when I was late for work. My colleagues could not believe, that I have gone through such a failure. I was just lucky.