A former Jackson Five drummer has been found stabbed to death at his home in Gary, Indiana. The body of Johnny Jackson, 54, was found late on Wednesday, according to the local coroner's office. It's not clear whether Jackson is actually related to the famous Jackson siblings; police believe he was a cousin but other sources report that there was no blood connection.
It appears that officers were called to Jackson's home by a neighbour who heard a disagreement between the ex-drummer and an unknown woman on the first floor of his apartment building, before discovering Jackson unresponsive with a stab wound to the chest. The police are now looking for a woman living at the same address.
Jackson replaced original Jackson Five drummer, Milford Hite around 1967. He grew up in the same area as the famous Jackson family, and became known as something of a drumming prodigy at an early age. Gordon Keith, The Jackson Five's first manager and owner of the now defunct Steeltown Records, recalls: "He was a show drummer. There were times that he would outshine Michael at their shows."