3T: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY
Life's been pretty sweet so far for Taj, Taryll and T.J. Jackson of the R&B band 3T. After growing up in one of the most famous musical families of all tine-a family that includes pop superstars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson -they've recently started their own successful musical careers. "Life's been amazing," raves T.J., who just completed a concert tour of Europe with his brothers. You'd think that having such famous family members in the music business would help 3T's chances for success. But, as they tell BB, their family actually makes it a whole lot harder for them to hit the big time.
Ever since their debut album, Brotherhood, hit music stores in 1995, people have been putting a lot of pressure on 3T to live up to the superstar success of their relatives. "It's harder on us because we're Jackson," 23-year-old Taj admits. "there are a lot of people outside our family who put extra pressure on us by comparing us to our uncles and aunt." As Taryll explains, "Because of our last name, people expect certain things from us. They expect us to put together the type of show that Uncle Michael puts on, even though he's had years of experience."
Michael Jackson has spent decades sharpening his singing and performing skills, which is why Taj, Taryll, and T.J. think it's totally unfair for people to expect them- a comparatively brand-new band- to be just as polished and poised as their mega-successful uncle. "This is our first time in the music business," T.J. points out. "It's going to take time for us to get to Uncle Michael's level. i mean, it's not like people are comparing us to a mediocre entertainer. They're talking about one of the greatest entertainers in the world!"
As if these comparisons didn't make it tough enough for 3T to make their own mark in the music world, even tougher is when people are only interested in working with 3T to get to their famous family members. "Once, we asked if we could perform or present an award on this one award show, but they wouldn't let us," Taj says. "The award show people said, "Well, what is Michael going to do in return for that?' It's like everyone wants a favor from you because you're a Jackson."
Taj also tells us that a few music promoters have even demanded favors (such as a visit to Michael Jackson's California ranch) in return for playing a 3T song on the radio. "That's not what it should be about," Taj says emphatically. "It should be if they like your song, they play it. If they don't like it, they don't play it. That it. But with us, it's always, 'Okay, we like the song, but what can you do to persuade us to play it?' It's ridiculous."
In spite of all this, Taj, Taryll and T.J. say they're so totally grateful for their family that they wouldn't want to be in any other family in the world. "They inspire us," Taryll says of his family members. Taj ad, "Our family is always very encouraging. They've been the best teachers-I mean, Uncle Michael, Aunt Janet, they've been great. Whenever we have any questions, it's like we have someone who has been there before and knows all the answers. We are very fortunate.
Article courtesy of "BB" Magazine