The Jackson family are mourning the loss of Joe Jackson, the late father of singer Michael. According to TMZ, the talent manager passed away on Wednesday morning at 3:30am in Las Vegas. Joe, who was 89, was hospitalised in June with terminal cancer. His wife Katherine, who he was separated from, his children and grandchildren had been visiting him at his bedside.
Joe had been suffering poor health in recent years. In 2015, he had a stroke and three heart attacks; doctors implanted a pacemaker. The following year, he was again hospitalised after coming down with a high fever, but Joe managed to bounce back and was seen partying in Las Vegas not long after.
Stars gone too soon:
The American star will be remembered for managing his children and engineering the careers of The Jackson, followed by Michael and Janet Jackson as solo artists. His death comes just days after the family remembered Michael, whose death anniversary fell on 25 June. Michael's daughter Paris has previously opened up about losing her dad, whose hits included Beat It, Man in the Mirror and The Way You Make Me Feel.
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Speaking to Rolling Stone, Paris said: "They always say, 'Time heals.' But it really doesn't. You just get used to it. I live life with the mentality of 'OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me.' So going forward, anything bad that happens can't be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it."
Joe, pictured with his son Michael, has died aged 89
Paris also opened up about the questions she's received about being Michael's biological daughter. She said: "He is my father. He will always be my father. He never wasn't, and he never will not be. People that knew him really well say they see him in me, that it's almost scary… I consider myself black. [Michael] would look me in the eyes and he'd point his finger at me and he'd be like, 'You're black. Be proud of your roots.' And I'd be like, 'OK, he's my dad, why would he lie to me?' So I just believe what he told me. 'Cause, to my knowledge, he's never lied to me."