Karl Peterson was born on October 15, 1953 (that makes him a Libra, girls) in the working class, Chicago suburb of Gary Indiana. Karl and his eight siblings grew up under the watchful eyes of his parents, Joseph and Katherine. Music was always an important element and cohesive force in the Jackson family home. Karl became an impressively deft guitar and bass player, while his brothers Michael and Jermaine blossomed into promising vocalists. Katherine and Joseph were very proud indeed. In 1965, when Karl was only 12 years old, he and his brothers, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and, of course, little Michael, won a local high school talent show with their tear-jerking performance of the Temptation's hit My Girl. Their father Joseph, aware of his sons' potential for success, (especially after a tip-off from his psychic daughter, Latoya) began booking shows at local clubs in Gary, Chicago, and Detroit. The boys' very fist gig was in a venue known simply as "Mr. Lucky's." Now known as The Jackson 5, their big break came in 1966 when they won another talent competition- this time at the Apollo theater in New York City. At this event, they were able to befriend Gladys Knight, of Gladys Knight and the Pimps, who promptly referred the hip quintet to the Motown record label. In 1967, they recorded their first song, a simple tune on which Karl played the guitar, called "Bad Boy". They then released even more songs. Over a ten month period, the boys blasted off with four consecutive number one hits: "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There". By this time, the boys were superstars. Their first number one song was more than just a hit- it was an "aural steamroller." The record sold over two million, oh yes, you read that right, two million copies. And to think that Karl was only sixteen years old! Karl, like Jermaine, Marlon, and Jackie, started to become visibly annoyed by all of the extra attention that Michael always seemed to get. Karl wished that the publi c and the press would realize that he was every bit as cute and cuddly as his ten year old brother, Michael. Karl began to grow very despondant. Nonetheless, The Jackson 5 marched onward. It began to become very apparent that Gary, Indiana was a pretty lame place to live and the entire Jackson family moved into a split level house in Hollywood, CA. As the band continued, pumping out more albums, and smash hit singles, Karl's jealousy of Michael's spotlight began to fade, and he began to grow jealous of his sister, Janet. For Janet was making her way into television history starring as Willis' (Todd Bridges) girlfriend Charlene on the CBS television program Diff'rent Strokes. How Karl would have loved to appear on that program. Especially as he had always harbored a secret crush on Dana Plato. Everything was going very well for the five young brothers from Indiana. By 1971, they even had their own Saturday morning cartoon. However, their luck began to change in the mid-1970's. By 1975, thier contract with Motown Records expired. They signed to Epic Records and were forced to change their name to The Jacksons. It was very sad. Their popularity was beginning to sizzle out, and Michael began persuing a solo career. It seemed like their best days were certainly behind them now. Karl was the only Jackson not to persue a solo career. Although he was no longer seriously involved in music, he still enjoyed wearing his gold, glitter jumpsuit from time to time. After the demise of his band, Karl began to seriously take up ice skating. His big break their came in 1978, when he recieved a telephone call from the Selection Committee of the US Ice Capades. It seemed as though he had been chosen to play the part of Quentin in the upcoming Faulkner revival, "The Sound and the Fury On Ice." Training was to take place at the public ice skating rink in scenic Upper Montclair , NJ. That Karl sure could ice skate. However, he was very unhappy with the lighting in his Ice Capades head shot. He realized that he wanted to do whatever it took to take his own head shot, with the proper lighting. He enrolled in a photography course at the Tisch School of the Arts, and soon, his passion became not guitar playing, not even ice skating, but the art of photography. He then went on to recieve his BFA from Tisch Photo, and is now the Technical Director of the department. And, while he realizes that photography is in fact his true calling, one does occassionally notice him whistling early Jackson 5 songs in the hallways.