Tito Jackson told his best friend that he “couldn’t breathe” and “didn’t feel good” shortly before he was taken to a New Mexico hospital where he later died of a heart attack.
Terry Harvey Maltbia, Jackson’s business partner and best friend, told DailyMail.com exclusively that he and the singer were in Gallup, New Mexico, and stopped for some food before heading back to Jackson’s ranch in Oklahoma.
Maltbia, Jackson and another friend, Ronald Balfour, were on a road trip from Oaklahoma to California, where the trio picked up Jackson’s vintage car from his house.
They reached New Mexico around 6 p.m. on Sunday and stopped near the American Heritage Plaza shopping center in Gallup for something to eat before beginning the long drive back to Oklahoma.
“We were eating turkey and chicken, laughing and talking,” Maltbia said Monday. “We were just closing the top of the convertible because it had started to rain. Then Tito came back through the passenger window and said, ‘My chest hurts. Can you help Ronnie get the top ready?'”
Tito Jackson (left) picked up the singer’s vintage cars from California with his friends Ronald Balfour (center) and Terry Harvey Maltbia and was on his way back to Oklahoma when Jackson suffered a heart attack
The trio was supposed to be back in town before Jackson flew to Atlanta for another event. One of Jackson’s signature hats lies on the dashboard
“He said, ‘I have a bad feeling in my chest.’ He wiped his face, took off his shirt and it was as if someone had poured a bucket of water on him.”
Maltbia said he called nearby officers and Jackson was taken to a local hospital.
As Jackson was being wheeled into the emergency room, he asked his friends to search his pocket for his insurance card.
Moments later, Jackson’s condition worsened.
“I thought everything would be fine since we took him to the hospital and he was still talking,” said a shocked Maltbia.
“He had a scheduled appearance at the Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta on Tuesday, but we thought we would miss him and might have to stay overnight.
“And then a woman came back out and said, ‘He’s not well.’ I said to her, ‘What do you mean? He’s not well because he can’t get up? What do you mean? I just spoke to him!'”
“They took me back there and I looked at him,” Maltbia said with a sigh. “He was treated by about seven doctors and it got really bad. I called his brother Marlon and that’s when he died.”
The Jacksons had just returned from a concert in Munich, just four days before Tito’s sudden death.
Interior view of Tito Jackson’s ranch in Claremore, Oklahoma, where the musician moved earlier this year
Jackson’s remains are under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
An autopsy has yet to be performed while the medical examiner waits for Jackson’s remains to be transported to Albuquerque for an examination, coroner’s office spokesman Chris Ramirez told DailyMail.com on Monday.
Steve Manning, a friend of the Jackson family and former manager, also confirmed that the 70-year-old died of a heart attack.
Maltbia said that amid their grief, he and Balfour decided to drive to their final destination in memory of their beloved friend.
The couple made it to Oklahoma and unloaded the vintage cars on Monday afternoon at Jackson’s sprawling ranch in Claremore, where the singer moved earlier this year.
Friends said Jackson decided to move to the small town of about 20,000 people to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Howard Pollack, Jackson’s friend and business partner, said that although Jackson has only lived in the community for a short time, he has plans to bring a music festival and other entertainment events to the area.
Friend and business partner Howard Pollack (right) said Tito Jackson quickly opened his heart and door to the community
Jackson, Pollack and Maltbia had plans to bring a major music festival to the area next year, called Tunes & Spoons. Jackson even hosted an event at his ranch to announce the idea.
Pollack and Maltbia, who own an entertainment management company, worked with Jackson to bring a restaurant to the Tulsa area. A few weeks ago, they also announced plans to host a “Tunes & Spoons” event next year that would include a music festival and a chili cooking contest.
According to local newspaper Tulsa World, the city hoped to attract around 40,000 people to the three-day festival.
Jackson enjoyed and enjoyed country life while finding a way to share his passion for music with his neighbors, his friends said.
“He brought new energy to the community,” Pollack told DailyMail.com. “He wanted to bring some music to the area and that’s how we came up with the idea for the festival. He was very involved because his family had roots here too.”
Jackson told Tulsa World that he was interested in settling in rural Oklahoma because his uncle, Samuel Jackson, ran a funeral home in Tulsa in 1917.
Tito toured the world as part of the legendary Jackson 5, led by his younger brother Michael and his brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson.
Jackson said his uncle’s business burned down during the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, but the funeral home was rebuilt.
The musician was recently in Munich, Germany, ahead of a performance by the current line-up of the Jacksons, which includes brothers Jackie and Marlon Jackson.
Just four days before his death, Jackson shared a photo of himself and his brothers visiting a memorial in Munich dedicated to their younger brother and King of Pop Michael.
In the heartfelt caption, Tito wrote: “We are deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but our shared heritage. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”
Pollack said Jackson is working on new music and has even set up a studio on his ranch in Claremore.
Tito Jackson’s sprawling ranch was located near a lake where the singer enjoyed spending hours fishing
Outside of music, Jackson enjoyed fishing in the lake near his property.
His friends said Jackson found “the peace he was looking for” in the small town.
“I always wanted to get away from the West Coast and experience living somewhere with new people and a new culture,” Jackson told Tulsa World.
Jackson leaves behind his three sons Taj, 41, Taryll, 39, and TJ, 46 – who were in the band 3T – and nine grandchildren.
