According to New Mexico police, Tito Jackson suffered a medical emergency while driving on Sunday before he died.
Police told the Daily Mail on Monday that a passerby noticed Jackson in need of medical attention shortly after 6 p.m. as he traveled from New Mexico to Oklahoma, where he had recently moved.
The driver flagged down police near the American Heritage Plaza shopping center, where Jackson had apparently stopped.
The founding member of the Jackson 5 was taken to the hospital by ambulance. However, his death was confirmed hours later.
The “ABC” singer turned 70.
Steve Manning, Jackson’s former manager, claimed the musician suffered a heart attack while traveling through the state.
However, an autopsy has yet to be performed and the official cause of death is not yet known. A formal investigation is still ongoing.
Jackson’s sons – Taj, 51, Taryll, 49, and TJ, 46 – announced their father’s death Monday morning in a joint statement shared on their band 3T’s Instagram account.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, who is no longer with us,” they wrote. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken.”
The brothers described their father as an “incredible man” who cared deeply about other people and “their well-being.”
“Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson of the legendary Jackson 5, others may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or still others as ‘Poppa T,'” they continued. “Nevertheless, he will be terribly missed.”
The trio concluded their post by asking their fans to honor their father by guiding him with love – just like he always did.
Tito rose to fame as a teenager along with his brothers – Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson – when they took the world by storm with their Motown hits.
The group was led by her father Joe Jackson, who died in 2018 at the age of 89.
The legendary band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and nominated for three Grammys.
A few decades after the band broke up, Tito started his solo career and released “Tito Time” in 2016.
Although he continued to make music and perform until his death, the hitmaker recently left the bright lights of Hollywood behind.
In 2023, the singer told Tulsa World that he “found the peace he was looking for” after moving to Claremore, Oklahoma, a small town with a population of less than 20,000.
“I’ve always wanted to get away from the West Coast and experience living somewhere with new people and a new culture,” Tito told the outlet, according to the Daily Mail.
