Our moving to California was delayed. As well as the majority of artists which were beginners in this business, we at first lived in cheap motels. Has passed many years before we could afford a hotel like Ritz. Earlier the Motown artists had to pay for everything by themselves. First Berry has put us in "Tropicana", then we have moved to "Hollywood motel " which too was not anything special.

   But I had a Dream, therefore me and the guys have concentrated on work. At first Katherine had to stay in Gary she had to take care of the rest of the children. For the first time in our marriage we lived separately, and it was very hard for me. It was uneasy to all of us to leave our family, I most of all missed the night conversations with my wife, but I have decided to become successful together with my sons, therefore have reconciled with the inevitable.

   The first sound recording studio in Los Angeles where we worked, was called Crystal Sound Studio. Usually, during these infinite sessions of recording there were present only 8 people: producer Bobby Taylor, ours technician Andy, he with his red head of hair and red cheeks looked like such a simple guy, the 5 of my sons and me. Without resting, we worked on the first album of the group.

   When many years later there were a series about our family on ABC channel, there was a very strange scene with Berry: he explained Michael how he had to sing "I'll be there", a song from this album. For real it never happened. Berry has charged that to Hal Davis which was with us in the studio and became the producer of these songs. Michael precisely knew, how he has to sing, and he remembered the lyrics. Besides there in fact was I, and I was engaged in all of it. Berry from the very beginning has understood, that no little thing will escape from me, and never appeared during the recordings.

   These first sit-round gatherings in the studio are the dearest memories for me. My dream came true, and we received huge pleasure, working on Crystal Sound. It is audible on the album too. Michael constantly rushed there and here or played somewhere in a corner and when there came his turn, we had to look for him, and he, with giggling, was hidden in his favourite shelter under the board. He was a happy child. He was still so small, that he could not reach the microphone even if a microphone was lowered to the lowest position. For helping that, I have brought a box from someplace, and have put it in front of the microphone, and Michael sang his parts standing on it. Never before such a little boy has sang in this studio. So boy would not desert school, we have employed for them a teacher. He accompanied with us also on tours.

   30 years later I have again visited Andy in Crystal Sound. All the walls have been covered Jacksons' photos. Nobody was authorized to hang up something else - all he area was reserved only for the Jacksons.

   Andy was very glad to see me. " Joe where have you disappeared all this time? ", he shouted and started crying.

   He asked me of my boys and has told me, that he misses them, and would like to see them once again and talk to them. And I didn’t even know what good impression we left him. In California everything happened so quickly, therefore it was difficult to keep in touch with everyone with whom you got acquainted. I needed 30 years to understand, what true friend Andy was.

   Sometime later I at finally could transport the other family members. It means, all except for Rebbie. She got married in the meantime, and immediately has moved with the husband to Kentucky. I considered, that she in her 18 years was still too young for marriage, and I was against, but I of course was present, on the wedding eventually I was her father.

   Anyway, Katherine and other children have left to California, and I and the boys could not wait, till she finally arrives. I together with our driver have gone to the airport to meet Katherine, Janet, Randy and Latoya and take them to the house on the Hollywood hills which was rented for us by Berry.

   Can you image how shocked Katherine was when the door was opened by an awfully thin young woman in a short motley dress with thin shoulder-straps. I had to warn her, that she will meet Diana Ross. Later my wife has told to me, that she has felt a complete idiot when suddenly appeared face to face with Diana which with her long false eyelashes and nacreous lipstick looked as the girl from a striptease - bar. Katherine was not dressed so great; eventually she has done a long way with small children, and here she faces our new house opposite to the largest star of Motown. She nevertheless has not shown her embarrassment and has allowed Diana to show her around the house.

   Soon after arrival in California Katherine has found a shop in the city where it was possible to buy cheaply some fabrics, and has again begun to sew suits for the group. I was deeply exasperated, when years later I saw a scene in a series where Suzanne De Passe chooses clothes for my sons in a shop. It never happened, though Motown probably wanted to present everything like that. Mother of my children always cared of that they have always been decently dressed, and this moment they have simply bypassed.

   In general Suzanne's role in career of my sons in this series has been strongly exaggerated, but in fact she only coincidentally was a co-producer. There are scenes where Suzanne rehearses each step with our sons. But I and Katherine have devoted to this many hours still in Gary. Besides as I already said, I have paid Michael's attention to the well-known step dancers, and Michael excellently owned all these movements, long before we have got acquainted with Suzanne.

   It could be very pretty romantic story about how the young woman taught the boys to dance, but anyone who saw at least one performance of my sons before they came to Motown, knows, that they already knew everything.

   But we have to return to our story. After we have recorded our first album, we lived in the house on hills, on Queens Road in Hollywood. I will never forget one of the hot days in 1968. It was already November, but summer, extraordinary hot and dry still proceeded. I was in the house, and Michael played near the pool. Suddenly he has cried and as a lightning has rushed to the house. With eyes widely opened of fear, choking from run, he has promptly rushed to me. " What happened? ", I ask him.

   " There is a huge snake near the pool! ", Michael begun to chatter.

   Neighbours already more than once warned us, that rattlesnakes go down from hills in the populated areas because above they do not have enough water, but I did not assume, that they can approach so close to the house. I have told to our driver that he would take a gun and have shot down the snake. " I cannot shoot at a rattlesnake ", moaned Jack. "What if it bites me.

   I had to take the weapon myself and to start up on searches of the snake. It has just crept between bushes when I have gone down from the veranda. I have turned over all these thickets, until I found it, and have released the whole charge in it.

   After that incident I did not want to remain in this district anymore and have employed the broker so he would find us something else. We have found a very nice estate near to Los Angeles in Encino which was pleasant to me. It was away from the road and the entrance to it was very long, it was convenient, because that way it was difficult for fans to reach the entrance door immediately.

   The San Fernando Valley was quiet and a little rural, and Encino was far enough from full of dangers and problems of a megacity of Los Angeles. Here our children had an opportunity to attend good schools, and we could conduct a quiet lonely life.

   So I have bought this estate and we moved to Encino. While it was reconstructed according to our needs, we lived in the other house nearby. In May, 1971 we have driven in our new house.

   Shortly before that our neigbour with which we had good relations, has told to us that other neighbours collect signatures under the petition which will force us to move out again. They were afraid, that there has come the end of their quiet life, that our fans will disturb their rest. It seemed to us not too fair because some movie stars already lived there in the valley, but nobody complained on their fans. But these celebrities were of course white.

   Our neigbour has refused to sign this petition, and after a while all have got used to us. Nobody did not want expel us, and we could stay.

   I have decided to build a recording studio behind the house. Randy, our youngest, spent then almost all his free time in a garden and frequently stayed in his studio. Once we have found out, that he has independently written 3 excellent songs. He has written the lyrics, and has sang and played on all the instruments. It sounded really well, and we have decided, that Randy has fairly earned a place in Jackson 5.

   So Randy was the 6th in the group. We have kept the name Jackson 5 for a while, because we were already known under this name. Later we began to call simply The Jacksons.

   Randy's début on one of our concerts has passed with the big success. Public has reacted with a delight to his small dancing number, then he has returned back to the drums. He had natural and confident manner to be on stage and he perfectly entered the group. I have almost burst into tears, while observing him.

   I would like to tell a little about Marlon. I have very much early noticed, how persistently he trained. Michael too a lot of and persistently rehearsed, but he was talented more likely by nature. Marlon observed others and all time tried to become better than them. He has brought his skill of dance of perfection and became better than all my other sons, except Michael. He played the important role in the group, besides he was independent and he had his own ideas. As well as Tito, he is interested in a business side of the show business and always ready to listen to opinion of others.

   The more senior my boys became, the less I had to force them to master something new. They performed so frequently, that became very experienced performers.

   There has come time when I could think of the future of my daughters. If boys made such a success I quite could make a girl group from Rebbie, LaToya and Janet.

   I have resolutely got down to the business. We have picked for them some songs in the studio, and I started to teach them, how it is necessary to move on a stage. They have succeeded not bad, but it was not what I imagined myself. With girls it was more difficult to work for me, than with boys. Rebbie in fact was married, and soon she was full of efforts with 3 small children, LaToya and Janet constantly hung somewhere with their friends. Therefore I very seldom managed to collect the whole 3 of them on the rehearsal.

   I reproached them, said, that their group can become as famous as the brothers, but they only wrinkled their noses. So it was necessary to me to arrange their career in other way.

   I then received many offers for Jackson 5 from Las Vegas. And I had an idea - to take there all the children.

   I have engaged the most well-known producers for concerts in Las Vegas , and in 3 months prepared the children for these concerts. Motown certainly at once has found out about our plans and informed me, that they think that our shows are a mistake. Children ostensibly cannot be a success in Las Vegas. Motown also has stopped to render to us an advertising support.

   Their reaction only has more strongly convinced me that I have to create something special for these concerts . I wanted all of them to prove, that not only sons, but also all my children together can show a good show.

   Therefore we had to perform not only the newest Jackson 5 hits , but also step and ballads, classical melodies and national songs. I together with the producer have developed for Janet some numbers with songs of Mae West, she and Randy studied to sing a duet, among others songs Sonny and Cher's "The beat goes on" and "I got you babe". Motown management has sent me a letter where has scarified my plans, but I have not allowed them to stop myself.

   The first show has taken place on April, 9. Pride overflew my heart when they in their new suits, entered in MGM Grand Hotel. And when they came on stage, the hall has been filled to the end.

   Janet was only 7, and she was so pretty when she twisted the boa with feathers. She and Randy perfectly executed the duets. The others sang and danced - we had numbers for all tastes. Tickets have been sold out for weeks forward, and every evening ended with an ovation, the viewers applauded standing up. We have broken all records and have entered the history.

   Motown, certainly, has found out about our unbelievable success, and since this moment supported us with what it could.

   These shows were accepted so well, that we repeated them in August 1974, and after a small pause have again returned in MGM in November. In breaks between these performances also concerts Jackson 5 on a regular basis proceeded. Our family shows were same successful as the Jackson 5 tour because we offered a program for all ages, and besides have shown what can a family achieve when it keeps it together.