Joe Jackson has died at the age of 89.

The patriarch of one of modern music's most famous families passed away in a Las Vegas hospital after a long battle with cancer. His son Jermaine revealed recently that they had not been able to see him as details of his whereabouts had been kept from them, but succeeded earlier this month.

Jackson was instrumental in the success of The Jackson 5 in the 1960s and 1970s, but also had a reputation for being tyrannical in his pursuit of fame and fortune for his sons' musical careers. Stories of beatings and forced rehearsals after school emerged in the 1980s, and indeed, he told Oprah in recent years that he did not regret beating his children with a strap, saying “It kept them out of jail and kept them right.”

Nevertheless, fans, family and celebrities have been paying tribute to him on social media, some of which you can see below.

 


>