AceShowbiz -

Starting Friday, February 22, Jermaine Jackson is officialy Jermaine Jacksun after a Los Angeles judge signed off a petition of the late Michael Jackson's older brother to change his famous surname. He sought the name change for "artistic reasons" and said that his decision on changing his last name was "a personal choice" and "not a big deal."

On the day the court approved his petition, the 58-year-old singer couldn't make it there. Bret D. Lewis, his attorney, said he was in Europe to perform with his brothers, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Jackie Jackson.

The Jackson 5 member filed a petition to change one letter of his last name to Jacksun at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. "If Prince and P. Diddy can do it, why can't and shouldn't Jermaine?" Bret said when the petition was originally filed.

"I support my husband," wife Halima Rashid said that time. "The sun isn't shining here in Calabasas today, but at least the name is brighter."

Jermaine made sure that he sought the name change for "artistic reasons" and said it had nothing to do with a rift in his family over the care of Michael Jackson's children and family matriarch Katherine Jackson which surfaced in public June last year.

"To him (Jermaine), it's no big deal. It's for artistic reasons. It's changing one letter to put in something bright and positive," pal Steve Dennis said. "Phonetically, it's still the same. I don't think he'll be changing it as often as P. Diddy."