According to reports, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson accepted plaques bearing the city keys during a private party on Friday, June 15.

AceShowbiz - The Jackson 5 has been given the keys to the city of Detroit.

Brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson accepted plaques bearing the city keys during a private party on Friday, June 15, Billboard reports.

Detroit police chief James Craig, who presented the honours, said the Motown band were "truly Detroiters".

Marlon told Billboard that though it was the Motown record label, founded in Detroit in 1959, that made the Jackson 5 famous, the brothers already had a special relationship with the city before they signed to the iconic label.

"We used to come play the Fox Theatre amateur nights, trying to make a name for ourselves," he said. "So the Jackson 5 and Motown goes back many year... There's some synergy there with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons and Detroit".

A key was also awarded posthumously to the late Michael Jackson, who died in 2009.

City officials had been due to unveil Michael Jackson Avenue on Friday to coincide with the Detroit Music Weekend celebrations.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon had been under the impression the street sign would recognise the siblings as a group, however city rules do not allow ceremonial street designations for groups or organisations.

As a result, the renaming ceremony was cancelled.

The Jacksons' management told Billboard on Friday that the street naming would be revisited next year as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Jackson 5's first recordings for Motown, which will also include a world tour and other projects.

"I can understand hiccups and things of that nature," Marlon said. "It's all going to be rectified and done and we're going to celebrate it and come back and unveil the street and do a 50th year celebration here".

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