Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, has suffered a stroke but is OK and  resting in a Las Vegas hospital, a family friend said on Thursday.

"He  was doing well and says he's feeling OK," close family friend and Michael Jackson's one-time lawyer Brian Oxman told  Reuters.

Jackson's spokesperson, Angel Howansky, also confirmed the news to Access Hollywood. "Following his mini stroke yesterday, Mr. Jackson is in very stable condition and recovering very quickly," she said in a statement.

"He was talking fine," Oxman added. "He sounded excellent to me."

Jackson, 83, has a history of strokes, Oxman said.

A former U.S.  Steel employee from Gary, Ind., Jackson managed and helped launched the  career of his children with the R&B and soul group The Jackson 5 beginning  in the 1960s.