Nearly half a century ago, in 1969, a quintet of brothers known as The Jackson 5 found instant success on the strength of their debut single, “I Want You Back.” In the span of just weeks, the song became a No. 1 hit and introduced the world to Michael Jackson, the precocious child prodigy that would later become one of the world’s biggest superstars.

As the hits racked up and their popularity grew, the Jackson 5 developed a schtick: Tito at stage left, Marlon and Jackie in the middle and Jermaine at stage right. And at center stage stood Michael, the youngest of the bunch. While the brothers harmonized, executed precision choreography and regaled millions with style, few fans realized that the road to stardom wasn’t paved by Motown’s Berry Gordy Jr. alone, but by a former musician-turned-steel worker…..their father, Joseph. Without his focus or drive, The Jacksons may have never become one of music’s most prolific pantheons and Michael might have never become a cultural icon. So maybe it was fitting that earlier this week, the Jackson patriarch passed away at the age of 89, nine years and two days later than his world-renowned 50-year-old son did. In the end, the most profound of ironies occurred—–they created fame and fortune for one another, simultaneously attaining their ultimate dreams.

For a generation accustomed to social media and reality TV turning random people into the ‘rich and famous,’ the events that transformed a working-class Midwestern family into musical legends may seem too serendipitous to believe: a young couple barely out of their teens met, married and imbued their nine children with enough finesse to entertain the world. Just years into the Civil Rights Era, The Jacksons would become a template for many of today’s performers and symbolized possibilities for those still navigating what it meant to be Black.

Like other celebrities, The Jacksons have certainly lived the highs and lows of fame: Joseph’s unyielding ambition and often-abusive tendencies as both a father and manager resulted in children who respected, yet feared him. The patriarch’s power struggles with Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., his marital infidelities and open derision of Michael’s features kept their relationship both distant and combative. In fact, being publicly praised and privately shamed likely fueled the mixed messages and insecurities that drove the chocolate-dipped heartthrob to re-design, and nearly destroy, his face.

Everyone has quirks and idiosyncrasies, but imagine experiencing them all being scrutinized under the glare of a spotlight, all while making business deals, managing philanthropic causes, enduring constant character assassinations, attempting relationships and amplified family strife? Could any of his critics have sold out concerts, channeled the Motherland with inimitable dance moves and enraptured fans with song? That’s what fans remember: Michael Jackson’s ingenuity, his kindness, and the soulful grooves that moved and soothed us. Katherine Esther Jackson, along with her now-late husband, Joseph Walter Jackson, brought their dreams of entertaining to fruition by recognizing, then nurturing, each of their children’s gifts.

“I had a dream for them,” the patriarch was quoted as saying in J. Randy Taraborelli’s definitive Michael Jackson biography, Michael Jackson: The Magic & The Madness. “I envisioned these kids making audiences happy by sharing their talent….I just wanted them to make something of themselves.” Even with their rocky relationship, Michael ultimately praised Joe in his own 1988 memoir, Moonwalk: “My father did always protect us….He might have made a few mistakes along the way, but he always thought he was doing what was right.”

Joseph and Michael Jackson had more in common than they knew: maybe that’s where their clashes came from. But what this lifelong fan will focus on is how both men enriched my life, and millions of others, with what they left behind. “You want what you create to live,” Michael told Ebony in 2007, and yes, he fulfilled that goal. Ultimately, because his mother and late father knew that he could.