(CNN) -- There's a photo of the Jackson family on the cover of the September 24, 1971, issue of Life magazine. In it, Joseph and Katherine Jackson stand at the foot of a set of stairs, their star children -- known as the Jackson 5 -- arrayed behind them. The Jackson brothers, here in the 1970s, were driven to be great by their father, Joseph. They appear to be the all-American clan, gold records arranged behind them, the boys loose and smiling, the parents more awkward and serious in their demeanor. Over the years, that façade crumbled. The brothers bickered; some made accusations of abuse. But the group remained tight-knit through crises, including Thursday's tragedy, when Michael Jackson collapsed at his house and later died at UCLA Medical Center.
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Jackson family has been in spotlight along with Michael
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Father Joseph was a sometimes rough taskmaster
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Siblings have been in news for relationships, intrafamily bickering
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But group closes ranks when member is in trouble, as happened with Michael
Joseph Jackson disputed the word "beat," but didn't question @placeholder's account.