Information AboutJanet Jackson |
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16 , 1966 ) is an American Singer-songwriter , Producer , Dancer , Actress , and the youngest child of the famed Jackson music family. She is the sister of Pop Icon Michael Jackson . Breaking away from the shadows of her siblings, Jackson now ranks as the ninth most successful artist in the history of rock and roll, according to '' Billboard Magazine '' in 2004. EARLY LIFE Janet was born the last of nine children in Gary, Indiana to parents Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Living in a two-bedroom house with eight older siblings, Janet's father, Joseph worked as a crane operator in a steel mill and before she became a devout Jehovah's Witness , her mother Katherine worked as a store clerk for Sears . Before Janet's birth, her father decided to try a hand at a music career fronting the R&B band the Falcons, but never got as far as the top nightclubs in Indiana. According to reports, Janet's father was gregarious and stern while her mother was deeply religious and seemed saintly. By the time she was a toddler, Janet's older brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , Marlon and Michael had already begun to perform on stage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5 . In March 1969 , the group signed to Motown Records , and by the end of the year, the group recorded their first of their four consecutive number-one singles. By the time the Jackson 5 had achieved success the entire family moved to Southern California , eventually settling in a gated mansion they named Hayvenhurst in 1971 . Aspired to be a horse jockey after a profound infatuation with horses at the age of seven, Janet had no intention of entering show business. However, her father thought otherwise, as he saw her potential early on. After the success of the Jackson 5 began to dwindle, Joseph decided to bring the rest of his children into the spotlight, including Janet. On April 9 , 1974 , Janet made her public debut performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , with nearly all nine members of the Jackson family. Janet quickly became the star of the show, emulating and imitating various celebrities of the day such as Cher , Marie Osmond , Toni Tennille , and Mae West , in particular. By 1976 , the Jackson family's Vegas act had caught the attention of CBS president Fred Silverman . The network was desperately trying to find a new variety act to replace the recently ended '' Sonny & Cher Show'', since ABC had a competing show featuring Donny and Marie Osmond . Debuting on June 16 , 1976 , ''The Jacksons'' show became the first African-American family to have a variety show on TV. The show lasted only two seasons and was canceled in 1977 . RECORDING CAREER 1982—1985: ''Janet Jackson'' and ''Dream Street'' Jackson always had an interest in music, writing her first song at the age of nine, but she never aspired to be a professional singer. Nonetheless, she agreed to participate in music just to help her family out. Her first ever recording was a duet with her brother Randy on a song titled "Love Song for Kids" in 1978 . She would participate in her family's other recordings, particularly with sister LaToya and brother Michael. In 1981 , Jackson and her two older sisters LaToya and Rebbie had wanted to start their own musical group, but disagreements between the older sisters forced the group to disband before ever making a record. Instead Janet was featured on LaToya's 1981 album called ''My Special Love'' on the song "Camp Kuchi Kaiai". Although she was asked by her father Joseph to start a singing career, Jackson was uncomfortable with being in the recording studio, feeling she was not as talented vocally as her sister Rebbie or brother Michael, who was becoming a solo pop superstar. Nonetheless, at the age of sixteen, she released her debut album simply called '' Janet Jackson '' (1982), though the teenager protested that her last name should not have been on the cover. Produced by Soul singers Angela Winbush , Rene Moore and Leon Sylvers of the famed Sylvers family music group, the album reached the top ten of the '' Billboard '' R&B album charts, and spent forty-five weeks in the top fifty of that chart but was much less successful on the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart. The album yielded three singles, "Young Love", "Say You Do" and "Come Give Your Love to Me". ''Janet Jackson'' sold over 250 thousand copies at the time of its release. In 1984 , Jackson, then eighteen, released her second album, titled '' Dream Street .'' It marked a musical progression from her debut, with funkier, up-tempo production by brother Marlon and famed Disco producer Giorgio Moroder , producer of songs for artists such as Donna Summer . The album failed to make the top one hundred of the Billboard pop album charts but did reach number nineteen on the R&B chart. Though ''Dream Street'' scored a Top 10 R&B hit with " Don't Stand Another Chance ", sales of ''Dream Street'' were about half of her debut's, critics soon began to dismiss Jackson's career as a pop star. Around the same time, Jackson fell in love and eloped with James DeBarge , member of the Motown family group DeBarge . The marriage was annulled in March 1985, with DeBarge's drug habit often cited as the reason. After the marriage was annulled and after years of dealing with being a member of a world-famous family, Jackson began to search for independence. 1986—1991: ''Control'' and ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' After the limited success of her first two albums, A&M executive John McClain recruited producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to enliven the music career of the nineteen-year-old. Before leaving for Minneapolis , however, the producers were given the blessing of Jackson's father, who was her manager at the time, after they promised him that Jackson would not sound anything like Prince . Within months, Jackson, Jam & Lewis crafted the record '' Control '', in which Jackson told her life through a musical basis. ''Control'', released in 1986, became a smash hit spawning five top ten singles, including her first number one single " When I Think Of You ". The album became a breakthrough record for Jackson partly due to the singles' music videos that showcased a different side of Jackson, containing dynamic dance moves choreographed by Paula Abdul . Fall 1986, the album went to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, by the end of 1986, the album had sold over five million copies in America alone. ''Control'' was awarded a Grammy Nomination for Album Of The Year , six Billboard Music Awards , four American Music Awards , three MTV Video Music Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards including Album of the Year. In 1989, Jackson began recording her fourth album, '' Rhythm Nation 1814 ''. Executives at A&M wanted a record that was similar to ''Control'', but Jackson was determined to do the exact opposite. Instead, she presented a mixed bag of socially-conscious tracks (inspired by the work of Marvin Gaye and Joni Mitchell ), danceable New Jack Swing tunes, a Rock And Roll song and several romantic ballads. Released in 1989, ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' reached number one on both the Billboard 200 and R&B album charts. The album sold six million copies by the end of the following year, and became the first album to spawn seven top five singles, as well as four number one singles. Jackson went on a tour to promote the album which has since been regarded as the most successful debut tour of any artist. Janet also became the first artist to score a #1 hit simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock singles chart with " Black Cat " in 1990. By the end of its run, the album scored four number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 , Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and three number one singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In 1990 '' Billboard Magazine '' awarded the album with the #1 Selling Album of the Year award. Jackson won multiple awards including fifteen Billboard Music Awards , five American Music Awards , four Soul Train Music Awards , three MTV Video Music Awards , and her first Grammy Award . 1992—1999: ''janet.'' and ''The Velvet Rope'' After Jackson released ''Rhythm Nation 1814'', she was freed from her contract with A&M Records . Once Jackson signed to Virgin Records in 1992, she released a new album, titled '' Janet. ''. The albums lead single " That's The Way Love Goes ", became the first and only single in radio history to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart at number one. Within weeks it became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 . Five more singles from ''janet.'' became hits on the ''Billboard'' charts, "Again", "If", "Any Time, Any Place", "Because of Love" and "You Want This". ''janet.'' sold seventeen million copies and won several awards, including a Grammy Award . It was the fourth best-selling album of the year in the U.S., and the eighth biggest selling album of the following year on the year end Billboard Top Albums chart. '' in 1993]] In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of '' Rolling Stone '' magazine. The magazine cover became one of the most celebrated photos ever taken of a rock artist, and ''Rolling Stone'' named it their "Most Popular Cover Ever" in 2000. In a precursor of her Super Bowl controversy, Jackson was criticized for the explicitness of the photograph, but she abashedly insisted that the male hands covering her breasts belonged to her husband. In 1995, she released her first Greatest Hits package, '' Design Of A Decade 1986/1996 ''. The collection contained two new songs, " Runaway ", and " Twenty Foreplay ". Jackson re-signed with Virgin in 1996 and tried to create a concept around her seventh album. Jackson experienced Clinical Depression and the result was '' The Velvet Rope '' (1997), her fourth number-one album on the Billboard 200 . Most of the album showcased pain, life lost, and spiritual growth. The album's became another multi-platinum effort for the singer, and yielded a total of four hit singles, including " Together Again ", which was dedicated to AIDS victims and the number-one dance song, " Go Deep ". 2000—2002: ''All for You'' In March 2001 Jackson was awarded a top honor American Music Award "Award of Merit", and was named MTV 's first " Icon ", which resulted in a performance featuring Destiny's Child , N'Sync , Usher , Britney Spears , Christina Aguilera and others. Shortly after, Jackson's her seventh studio album, '' All For You '', was released in 2001. The album's number-one title track helped the album debut at number-one in its first week of sales with more than 605,000 copies sold in the U.S. ''All for You'' would go on to sell more than three million copies in America alone, and spawned the ''Billboard'' hit " Someone To Call My Lover ". By the end of the year, ''All for You'' won Jackson her fifth Grammy award. After scoring a top forty single with "Son of a Gun" and performing her last concert for her tour in Hawaii , she collaborated with Reggae singer Beenie Man on the top forty song "Feel It Boy". Jackson began work on her next album the following year, and accepted an invitation to join that following year's Super Bowl festivities. In 2001 Rene Elizondo later sued Jackson for spousal support, their court battle finally ending in 2002 with the divorce finalized and Elizondo receiving half the multi-million dollar pay-off he was hoping for. In 2002, Jackson began a relationship with Hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri . 2004—2005: Super Bowl and ''Damita Jo'' See Also: Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy ".]] During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1 , 2004 , Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake to an audience of more than one hundred million people. During this live performance, Jackson sang along with Timberlake on his song "Rock Your Body". When Justin sang the lyric ''"gonna have you naked by the end of this song"'', her top was torn open by Timberlake, exposing Jackson's right Breast ; the Nipple was partially covered by a Nipple Shield . Timberlake called the incident a " Wardrobe Malfunction ". Jackson apologized, calling it an accident and that Timberlake was supposed to pull away the bustier and leave the red-lace Bra intact; however, she later said to an interviewer for ''Genre'' magazine that she wishes she had not apologized at all. CBS , the NFL , and MTV (then one of CBS's corporate siblings), which produced the halftime show, disclaimed all responsibility under a hailstorm of controversy. Jackson and Timberlake confirmed those denials, but the FCC continued with its investigation. As a result, CBS invited Jackson to appear at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony to make another public apology. She declined, but Justin Timberlake apologized and appeared as both a performer and a presenter. Starting in 2001, Jackson and Jermaine Dupri had begun a secret courtship, and Dupri left his post on the Grammy Awards committee after Jackson refused to apologize again for what happened at the Superbowl. Since 2004, there have been rumours that the couple married, though they have constantly denied these reports. Dupri appeared in Jackson's video for "I Want You" while Janet returned the favor by appearing in Dupri's video for his single "Gotta Getcha". In April 2004 she released her ninth studio effort, '' Damita Jo ''. with a high debut at number two and opening week sales of nearly 400,000 copies which would usually guarantee a number one debut, but opening sales were one of the biggest for a female artist. The songs released from the album, including the Prince-inspired "Just a Little While", the Motown / Supremes -inspired ballad " I Want You " and "All Nite (Don't Stop)" also performed modestly on the charts. Even though ''Damita Jo'' was considered a failure by her previous standards, the album sold over 3 million copies world wide and received nominations from the American Music Award s, Billboard Awards, Source Music Awards, BET Music Awards and Grammy Awards including Contemporary R&B Album Of The Year . Jackson appeared as Condoleezza Rice in a skit parodying the incident on '' Saturday Night Live '', and it was the highest rated episode of the show in sixteen months since Al Gore had hosted. Jackson also appeared in the sitcom '' Will & Grace '', playing herself as Jack auditioned to be her back-up dancer. It was her first appearance in decades on the small screen. As a result of the media attention, Jackson became the most-searched for person on the Internet in 2004. Jackson was searched 50 times for every request for Super Bowl commercials. Janet was also the most-searched name of 2005 according to Google.com . {Link without Title} 2006—present: ''Twenty Years Old'' Jackson is currently preparing to release her ninth studio album, scheduled for a Spetember 2006 release. Jermaine Dupri is one of the executive producers of the album and has said the new album will be titled '' 20 Years Old '', a nod to the 20th anniversary of ''Control''. {Link without Title} On May 1 2006 , Jackson revealed a new song called "Weekend" on her official website and left a message stating that she had finished working on ''20 Years Old''. On May 2 2006 , Jackson left a new message on her website, saying that "Weekend" will not appear on ''20 Years Old'', that the first single from the album, entitled " Call On Me ", will be released on June 19 2006 and that a tour in support of the album is being planned. ACTING CAREER In 1977 , 11-year-old Jackson's enthusiasm for acting caught television producer Norman Lear 's ear. Lear was looking for someone to reawaken one of his groundbreaking shows from TV ruin - the family sitcom '' Good Times ''. Lear cast Jackson in ''Good Times'' as an abused child named Penny. The show's star, J.J. Evans, played by Jimmie Walker , was the apple of Penny's eye on the show, a fact the character would make known every time she saw him. Jackson became one of the show's starring cast members during the 1977 - 1978 season, and would remain in the show until it was canceled in 1979 . Jackson continued her acting career, appearing briefly in a short-lived but Emmy Award nominated sitcom titled ''A New Kind of Family'' which also starred Rob Lowe , but was cancelled in early 1980 . In 1981 , she landed a recurring role on another family sitcom, ''Diff'rent Strokes'', playing Charlene Duprey, the love interest of Willis (played by Todd Bridges ). In 1984 Jackson reluctantly took the role of Cleo Hewitt in the musical series, '' Fame ''. She later told interviewers that her father told her to do the role. After a year, Jackson asked to be let go of her contract, and did not appear in another television series for nineteen years. 's Poetic Justice ]] After finding success as a singer, Jackson was given a chance to resume her acting career when director John Singleton allowed her to audition for his film '' Poetic Justice '', as a tough, poetic hairdresser from South Central , Los Angeles. Jackson won the role in the romantic drama, starring opposite rapper Tupac Shakur . The film opened at No. 1 opening weekend in 1993 , and depicted a very different image of Jackson than what had been seen before; her character cursed and even threatened people who ever crossed her. This coincided with a change in Jackson's music as she entered the studio to record her fifth album, whose music was brasher and more sexually charged than her previous work. In '', the film went on to gross $142.7 million at the box office. Jackson recorded a single for the film's soundtrack, " Doesn't Really Matter ", which reached number-one on the Billboard pop charts within a few weeks of its release, earning a gold disc. She was paid $3 million for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and paid an extra $1 million for the song "Doesn't Really Matter" for the film's soundtrack. DISCOGRAPHY ''For complete discography and sales information see:'' '' Janet Jackson Discography ''. Albums #'' Janet Jackson '' (1982) #'' Dream Street '' (1984) #'' Control '' (1986) #'''' (1987) #'' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 '' (1989) #'' Janet. '' (1993) #'' Janet. Remixed '' (1995) #'' Design Of A Decade 1986/1996 '' (1995) #'' The Velvet Rope '' (1997) #'' All For You '' (2001) #'' Damita Jo '' (2004) #'' Twenty Years Old '' (due 2006) FILMOGRAPHY
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