ONE member of The Jacksons has already taken a quick peak at the North-East venue which the music legends will headline.

For guitarist Tito Jackson revealed that he and his brothers are looking forward to September's two day Hardwick Live in the grounds of Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield, County Durham.

“I drove past the venue the other day. I didn’t get the chance to visit but I could see it is a beautiful place and I am excited to return.

“We will perform all the big hits. The crowd can expect an energetic performance.”

Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson burst on to world stage in 1969 when they released the album Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5.

Singles 'I Want You Back' and 'Who’s Loving You' sold two million copies in six weeks, with the former reaching number one in the charts.

The brothers went onto sell more than 100 million records and have toured the world.

Michael Jackson later enjoyed phenomenal success as a solo artist, while sisters, Janet and Latoya, and Tito’s sons, who make up the boy band 3T, also found fame as musicians.

It is story ten-year-old Tito could never have imagined when his father, Joseph, first caught him playing a guitar in their three-bedroom home in Gary, Indiana.

“I decided I wanted to be a musician when I was about ten,” he said.

“I love blues music and I grew up listening to artists like BB King. Before that, I wanted to be a fireman.

“The fame came as a big shock. We were five young boys from a small town in America. We had done a little travelling around our area but to travel overseas was unheard of. It is amazing what we experienced at such a young age. It was an exciting time but it was intimidating too.”

Alongside music, family has always been at the centre of Tito’s life.

He has spoken openly of the hole left by Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 and how the heartbroken siblings and their families supported one another in the aftermath.

“It has always been this way,” said Tito, 60. “In the early days, having my brothers on stage beside me made it less daunting. We had each other.”

When The Northern Echo caught up with Tito, he had just recorded an interview with Jeremy Kyle, which airs on ITV at 2pm on Wednesday, June 11.

He was friendly, charismatic and just as happy to answer light-hearted questions, as questions about his career. Oh, and if anyone is interested, he has two favourite sandwiches, peanut butter and jam or cheese and ham.

Hardwick Live kicks off on Friday, September 12 with a musical line-up including Scouting for Girls and Simple Minds. The Jacksons headline on Saturday, September 13 with a line-up which includes Adam Ant, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell and Dodgy.

Adult tickets for Hardwick Live cost £72 for a weekend pass, £36 for a Friday pass and £49 for a Saturday pass.

To book, visit hardwicklive.co.uk/tickets or call 01740-620253.