1974 – The Jackson 5 perform in Chicago, at Illinois Mill Run Theater (7 shows)


Jackson 5 perform at the Mill Run

1975 – The Jackson 5 announced that they were leaving Motown for Epic. They changed their name to the Jacksons since Motown owned the name the Jackson 5.
The Jackson family, minus Jermaine, held a press conference at the Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room on June 30, 1975, to announce their new contract with Epic.
Jermaine’s position in the group was still in question, though they were hoping he would ultimately side with them.

Earlier that week, Motown’s lawyers informed them that they held the copyright to the name “Jackson 5″, and threatened to sue if that name was used at all. The group soon decided to use the name “The Jacksons”.

With nine months left to go in their Motown contract, Joseph refused to let the group record more material for the label, prompting Motown to file a lawsuit against them. The Jacksons counter-sued the label for the right to leave the label.
A week after the press conference, at the group’s next live date (at Westbury Music Fair in Long Island, July 6th), Jermaine performed with the group in the first of two performances

However, during the break, he received a phone call from Berry Gordy, who told him to leave the group there and then, which he did. The group went on without him, but the family was deeply hurt by Jermaine’s decision, especially Joseph, who had always resented Gordy’s patriarchal relationship with his sons.

Jermaine remained at Motown as a solo artist he was released from his contract upon request in August 1983, in time for him to rejoin his brothers for their Victory album and tour. Little brother Randy, performing as a non-official member since 1972, stepped in to become the fifth official Jackson, while Marlon took over Jermaine’s existing lead vocal spots in their older songs.

1992 – Michael Jackson performs his Dangerous World Tour at Rotterdam [The Netherlands] Feyenoord Stadium.

2005 – Michael, Grace & the kids leave Paris and go to Manama, the capital of Barhain as guests to Prince Abdullah (a friend of Jermaine).

It is made public on June 30, that Michael Jackson began a vacation at a prince’s palace in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, his first trip overseas since being acquitted of child molestation charges, an official close to the royal circle said Thursday.

Jackson and his three children arrived on a private plane from Europe on Wednesday night for an indefinite stay, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because private visits involving the royal family are not authorized to be announced.

2008 – A new Akon & Michael Jackson collaboration called “Hold My Hand” leaked to YouTube and various other internet sites, but was removed within 36 hours.
The song features both Akon and Michael Jackson on lead vocals, with Michael singing the first verse of the song, backing vocals and ad-libs.
Akon’s representative at the time of the leak stated that Akon’s forthcoming album had not been completed, and as such there was no word whether or not “Hold My Hand” would make Akon’s album.

In an interview in July, Akon stated that “Hold My Hand” would actually be Michael Jackson’s first single. The writer of the song, Claude Kelly, was interviewed by Billboard in July and said that “Hold My Hand” was due to appear on both Akon and Michael’s new albums.