Tito Jackson, blues guitarist best known as one of the founding members of the Jackson 5, has passed away suddenly at the age of 70.

He reportedly suffered a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. The news broke late Sunday night and was later confirmed by Tito’s sons Taj, Taryll, and TJ in a statement released on social media:

“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being. Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as “Coach Tito” or some know him as “Poppa T.” Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be “Tito Time” for us.”

Born Toriano Adaryll  “Tito” Jackson on October 15, 1953 in Gary, Indiana, he was the third of ten children born to Katherine and Joseph “Joe” Jackson. Having developed an interest in guitar, at age 10, Tito was caught playing his father Joe’s guitar after he broke a string. Impressed with Tito’s guitar-playing skills, Joe bought Tito his own guitar and started the musical group The Jackson Brothers with Tito alongside his brothers Jackie and Jermaine. That group would later become the Jackson 5 once younger brothers Marlon and Michael joined in 1964. The Jackson 5 got their big break in 1968 after signing with Motown Records where they released four consecutive number-one singles including “ABC,””I Want You,” “I’ll Be There,” and “The Love You Save.” Tito’s defiant guitar playing became a catalyst for a legacy that is considered one of music’s greatest discoveries with The Jackson 5.

The Jackson 5 would go on to release 16 studio albums and sell over 150 million albums worldwide before disbanding in 1989. The brothers launched their own solo careers including Tito, who launched a blues career in 2003 and released two solo albums. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Most people may remember Tito due to his family’s musical legacy, but he was a prolific blues guitarist in his own right having performed alongside acts such as B.B. King, Angelo Earl, Big Daddy Kane, Eddie Levert, George Benson, Stevie Wonder and more. He even formed the R&B/Pop boy band 3T with his sons and managed their careers during the 1990s.

When asked what song he would like played at his funeral in an interview, Tito cited his most recent single “Love One Another” as his song of choice. “I’m all about sharing the love and we have natural love for each other. If we saw somebody in distress and they needed our help, I would say at least 90 per cent of humans around the world would offer that out of natural love. Of course, you’re going to love your wife, your kids, and your friends, but expand that to the world.”

At the time of his passing, Tito Jackson was one month shy from his 71st Birthday on October 15. He leaves behind three sons, Taj, Taryll and TJ, nine grandchildren, as well as his mother Katherine, his eight siblings and countless nieces and nephews. No funeral arrangements have been announced at this time.