Although Michael Jackson, who began his solo career in 1972, only grew more famous after his time in the Jackson Five, the group never saw another number one hit during its career. The group disbanded in 1989, reforming briefly in 2001. In 2012, the group reunited with Jackie, Marlon, Tito and Jermaine as the members.

In 2019, the reunited Jackson Five celebrated fifty years together with a world tour. It hardly matters that 1964 was more than fifty years ago. The band’s spirit lives on, and the remaining members still know how to put on a show. They have always been influential to other musicians.

That a teenage boy from Australia would know the song, and that the judges on a singing show would know it and take joy in hearing it, just shows how wide ranging that influence has been. And while it would be impossible to replicate the 1970 sound of the Jackson Five, Richards puts his own stamp on it and the results are glorious.

Just watching the performance, one can see the emotion in Richards’s face. He really wants to reassure the object of his love that he will be present for them always. Boy George was the first judge to put his hand on the buzzer, overjoyed at the chance to work with such a talent.

Watch the video in the next page…