Jackson 5 Stairsteps

Much was made of a rivalry between the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds in the early 1970s, but long before the Osmonds entered the pop music scene, the Jackson 5's biggest rivals were the Five Stairsteps, another musical act made up of pre-pubescent siblings. Made up of four brothers and a sister named Burke, the Stairsteps had a few years on the Jackson brothers -- the youngest member was a few months older than Jermaine (until their younger brother Randy Cubie joined the group -- more as a gimmick since he never really sang with them).

The Burke family was from the Chicago area, right next door to Gary, so the two groups played the same local venues, most notably the Regal Theater, where they were discovered by Curtis Mayfield. From 1967-72 they released over a dozen singles, first on Mayfield's Windy City label, including the gorgeous ballad "You Waited Too Long," and later on the Buddah label, but their only big hit was "Ooh Child" from 1970. [Note on the Soul Train clip how their performance appears to have been influenced by the Jackson 5's style.] By that time, they were no longer a group of cute kids and they looked and sounded more like an adult act, specifically the Fifth Dimension.

Some soul enthusiasts argue passionately that the Five Stairsteps were the more talented of the two groups, but they never got the breaks the Jackson 5 did. There's no question that they were a talented group, but they didn't have the Jackson 5's charisma. And they didn't have Michael.

Occasionally an old timer will recall seeing the Stairsteps and the Jackson 5 on the same billing at the Apollo. For a long time, I thought they were mixed up or engaging in wishful thinking. But I recently came across an article from June 1969 that promotes this very show as an upcoming event.



No word on what ever happened to the Lollipops.

Jackson 5 at the Apollo, May 24-30, 1968

Exactly 42 years ago today, the Jackson 5 were half-way through a one-week engagement at the famous Apollo Theater in New York City, as a supporting act for headliner Etta James. This was actually the Jackson 5's second appearance at the Apollo. They had first appeared as the victors in the famous Amateur Night at the Apollo a few months earlier in February. They proved so popular that they were invited back for a paying gig.

This ad and the accompanying brief article was taken from Harlem's newspaper, The Amsterdam News, May 18, 1968. They were such unknowns at that time that the article gives their name as the "Jive Five."

Mystery Photo

Here's a rare photo of the Jackson 5 that looks like it was taken in early 1968, based on their heights and the lengths of their afros. They're wearing matching stage costumes so this may have been taken backstage before or after a performance. And is that the edge of Joe Jackson to the left of Jackie?

The stage costumes themselves may offer the biggest clue. They are dashikis, unlike any other costumes I've ever seen the Jackson 5 wear, especially pre-Motown, when they were a bit more conservative and formal in their apparel. They are similar in style to the ones the actors wore in The Jacksons: An American Dream when they performed in Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. I wonder if perhaps this photo may have been taken at that time, as a remembrance of that historic performance? They performed there in February 1968, so the timing would be right. But unless someone comes forward with the inside scoop, I suppose we'll never know for sure.