About the time when I started to be engaged in Janet 's career, Jackson 5 contract with Motown has expired. I had to decide, whether we will resign it or sign with another label. By that time Jackson 5 were already very famous, therefore I demanded more privileges. Among other things, boys had to have an opportunity to write on each following album at least 2-3 of their own songs, and produce the albums by themselves. We have recorded hundreds of songs which have been composed by others, and it seemed to me, when I demand, that to boys would be allowed to create songs by themselves - I do not demand too much. Many years we patiently waited for this opportunity, and nobody was courageous to tell to me, that the group has not deserved it.

   Because at home there was a professional recording studio in our disposal, my sons, certainly, already wrote their own songs (and I from the very beginning have shown them all the subtleties of this process). But Motown has demanded, that my boys have prolonged the contract with the company as artists and as exclusive songwriters. If I had accepted these requirements, Motown would purchase the rights on the lyrics of my sons, and I did not want it. Not after my children have sold millions of records, having from it a very small percentage. Motown had pocketed the most of the incomes from all our albums, and now children at last had to reap the fruits of their work.

   Motown anyway has not gone for it, only has suggested me 70 or 80 thousand dollars for the rights on songs, after the long negotiations I have rejected prolongation of the contract and was started up on searches of a bigger label where my sons could compose, write and produce their own material.

   About 10 years later I was told, that nobody has informed Berry Gordy about my negotiations with Motown. The person who has rejected my ostensibly excessive requirements, eventually has been fired.

   Berry has been strongly disappointed, having lost Jackson 5, but on Epic Records boys had an opportunity, to use their copyrights for a lot of years. I did not want, them to end, as many other people in the musical industry, sold millions of records and in a result did not have even a roof above their head.

   After rigid negotiations with president of Epic and people from A&R, a contract which I not only satisfied with but also was proud of has appeared. Epic suggested essentially more money and the rights, than Motown ever were going to give the group. I have allowed Jackie, Tito, Michael, Marlon and Randy, to sign it and have then sent contract to Jermaine which just was on fishing with the singer Berry White. I generally assumed, that first of all Jermaine will talk to me about the contract, in fact I am not just the manager of group, but also his father. But my son immediately has gone with the new contract to Berry, and has persuaded him to continue to work on Motown instead of signing with Epic. I have been destroyed. Those Jackson 5, the way I have created them, did not exist anymore.

   Fortunately, Randy already belonged to the group so it still had 5 members. I have just in case explained to people on Epic, that Jermaine has to keep an opportunity to join us at any time if he will want. They have agreed to it.

   Apparently, president of Motown has promised something to Jermaine - they were going to make a lot for him.

   I understood, why Jermaine have made this decision. He has been married on Hazel, the wonderful daughter of Berry Gordy. And he liked Hazel and their children. It was uneasy for him to resolve this conflict, but he has solved it for the benefit of Motown, and his brothers went to Epic which then belonged to CBS. After that a precipice (in the professional plan) immediately has formed between Jacksons as a group and Jermaine's career as a solo artist on the other label.

   If before me have asked, whether sometime Michael and Jermaine will separate, I would answer a complete "No" - them both were very close. They sang many years together, I could not even dream could, that something can separate them.

   Michael could not hide, how he is afflicted with Jermaine's decision. They sang many songs in duet at the concerts, now Michael had to study as fast as possible to perform them alone. I silently suffered together with him. For me it was torture to see the brothers on a stage without Jermaine. His parts were taken by Marlon, and he very much tried to fill in the formed emptiness.

   In this situation there were also positive moments. I was impressed, how Marlon has grown by this time as a performer. I never told him that I am proud of him, because I rarely express my feelings. Randy too was a magnificent musician, and Jacksons have remained the same strong group, as always. Anyway, fans have remained true to us.

   I was pleased, observing Marlon's and Randy's development, but my pleasure has gone on recession when I have found out, that we have lost the process. The court has recognized for Motown the rights on the name "Jackson 5 ". All of us have been upset with that we cannot use this name anymore. Motown has got these rights already for a long time. I then have trusted in the lawyer, but he turned out a bad adviser.

   I remember a similar story that has taken place recently. Remember, how everybody laughed at Prince because they did not understand why he has suddenly named himself "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince". I know, that the name can change but the essence remains.

   One of the women that performed together with Prince, told, that he, probably, settled the same conflict with his label, as us in due time with Motown. He could change the record company at any time, but could not take away the name with him because the rights on it belonged to the company. I realize, why he wrote the word "slave" on the cheek, it simply was his way to protest. Generally Prince has settled this dispute rather quickly. We had to wait much longer before we again could be called our name. Just now, through 20 with superfluous years, we again have the right to be called " Jackson 5 " though we were called that way before Motown.

   Certainly, we have written many records on Epic under the name The Jacksons, but it was necessary to make an all new with the public to promote the new name. We have probably lost some fans due to this. But we have not lost courage.

   Jermaine in the meantime made a solo career and he had some good hit. He in a result has left Motown and has signed the contract with Arista though I asked him to return to us. I was a little calmed by that president of Arista, Clive Davis, has told to us, that he would not have anything against that Jermaine will write some songs on Epic together with the group.

   All these years on Motown I made all of the decisions for my sons because they were still minor. Under the Californian law the majority of business decisions can be accepted independently only after 21 years. But when the law has been changed and the majority began to begin already in 18, some people had exited my children. Therefore the biggest problems at me have begun not when we were with Motown, but later when numerous lawyers, managers and other advisers have got influence on my children and told them things that contradicted each other.

   Unfortunately, many people tried to separate me with my children so they could get rich.

   On Epic all went well. After about 20 albums which we have written as Jackson 5, my sons at last had the right to be producers and to write their own songs. The beginning of this was put with 2 songs from an album " Goin` places", released in 1977.

   One of them, " Do what you wanna ", is written by Michael. In the beginning enter the wind-instruments and create a mood of this cheerful fast song, there's a story in it, that it is necessary to be strong, and first of all it is necessary to be oneself. It is that philosophy which I have transferred my children.

   Another song of their own - " Shake your body (down to the ground)" from the album "Destiny". It too became a hit.

   As always, I was engaged in the management of the group and accompanied with them on tours. In 1979 we have gone on tour to promote "Destiny". We performed in Madrid, Amsterdam and Geneva, then followed a 13 day tour in cities of England and Scotland. During the break we have taped a TV show in Switzerland. Then we were in Paris, and the tour has ended in capital of Kenya; Nairobi.

   In the beginning of May, 1979 we performed in many cities of America that at once was paid back: by May, 8 Epic has sold one million copies of "Destiny" . Despite this the album has received platinum, we continued to perform in a crazy tempo and gave one concert after another.

   In October we again were on tour in 80 cities, thus we gave concerts in England and Sweden. And at the end of a year The Jacksons received the NAACP award (National association for the advancement of coloured people) which they already once received 10 years ago: the best vocal group of the year. And the single written by my boys, "Shake your body", was sold in amount of 2 million copies. I live for the sake of such moments when my strategy and belief in my children justifies itself and all is executed how I hoped.

   While The Jacksons were on tour, Epic has released Michael's album "Off the wall", and our concerts advanced the sales of this album too. In December it has been sold 5 million records, and 2 more million abroad.

   In the beginning of 1980 there was an accident with Randy. After the long heat, a rain has begun, and the mix of water and oil has made the streets of Los Angeles slippery as ice. Randy's Mercedes got carried away and he jammed into a lamppost. Randy has clamped in the broken car and he was release by a special device. He had numerous crises and internal bleedings.

   In the middle of the night I and Katherine woke up from a phone call. I at once have notified other children, and in 10 minutes all have gathered in our house in Los Angeles. Katherine, Latoya, Michael and I at once have gone to the hospital.

   Shortly after we arrived there, we were informed, that the nurse has by mistake gave Randy a shot with a wrong medicine. His heart has stopped, but doctors managed to return him to life. I felt sick from thoughts that my youngest son, has nearly died. We were allowed to visit him for a while and what we saw has scared us. All the fingers have been broken and both legs down from hips were completely crushed. Doctors have explained to us, that the nerves are injured they will have to amputate the legs. Randy will never walk. We, with Katherine had fallen down crying. My wife could not stand the idea that our son will stay attached to the wheelchair for the rest of his life. She started to pray.

   But Randy did not believed doctors' words. He was protected from the diagnosis and has not given the permission to amputation. And he has achieved his goal. In 6 months in the wheelchair he got so recovered that he already could walk! You can imagine how happy we were!

   Soon he has insisted to going on stage together with brothers. It was his personal victory, and I was proud of with what persistence he achieved the recovery. In honour of this successful struggle The Jacksons have named the new album "Triumph". For this album my sons for the first time have written and produced all the songs.

   The popularity of this album was brought with a song "Heartbreak hotel", a delightful song, both in musical, and in lyrical meaning. On "Triumph" there is also one of my favourite songs, " Can you feel it " which too became platinum.

   With release of this album which became a triumph for me too, my biggest dream was achieved. At last my sons could write their own hits. Their future has been provided.

   In the summer 1981 The Jacksons have again gone on tour across the United States. We have visited 39 cities, the tour began in Memphis, Tennessee and has ended in Los Angeles. Epic has supported the tour by that it has released a live album. In July 1984 in the market the record "Victory" has appeared and became twice platinum, one more record in a musical history.

   My sons have earned much money after the conclusion of signing with Epic. Jackie, ?ito and Marlon used a part of the profit from the second album to construct their own recording studios. By then Jacksons have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.