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Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana) is an American singer and sister of pop star Michael Jackson. She was one of the most commercially successful female pop stars in the 1980s and '90s.
As a member of the Jackson clan, Janet was exposed to the entertainment industry from an early age. She performed with the Jackson 5 and appeared on their US TV show.
However, she also took on acting jobs outside the family—appearing as Penny Woods in the television series Good Times from 1977-1979. She subsequently had roles in A New Kind Of Family, Diff'rent Strokes, Fame and The Love Boat.
Jackson's recording career began with small roles. A duet with brother Randy on "Love Song For Kids" ( 1978); backgrounds on two songs by sister LaToyaLaToya Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is one of the many siblings in the family which has produced such highly successful musical acts as The Jackson Five, Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson. She was the first Jackson sister to pursue a solo career. However, (both tracks were also co-written by Janet Jackson); and backgrounds on brother Michael's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" from his mega-successful " ThrillerThriller ( 1982) is an album by pop star Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is also the name of the title track on that album. The song "Thriller" was also made into a very popular music video, featuring a voice over by Vincent Price. The s" album ( 1982Events January January 6 William Bonin is convicted of being the "freeway killer". January 8 AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, disappears in the Sahara du).
At the age of sixteen, she released her first album. Simply called "Janet Jackson" it didn't achieve the commercial success of her siblings' recordings—reaching number 63 in the US charts. However, two single releases from the album hit the Pop Charts, "Young Love" and "Come Give Your Love To Me" (peaking at #64 and #58 respectively). Both tracks did well on urban radio, with "Young Love" reaching the Top 10. An additional release "Say You Do" also hit the Top 20 of the urban charts.
In 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe, she released a second album, "Dream Street." It marked a musical progression from her debut, with more funky, up-tempo production by brother Marlon. The album produced two hits on the R&B charts, one single, "Don't Stand Another Chance" reaching #9. However, the album only peaked at #147 on the album charts, failing to reach the mediocre sales of her first release.
That same year, she eloped with singer James DeBarge and married him. The marriage didn't last long, with DeBarge's drug habit often cited as the reason for the break-up.
One year later Jackson recorded a single only to be released in Japan. The song "Start Anew" was very much in the same vein as the material from her last album. Ironically, Jackson would start anew with her next project.
After the release of her first two albums failing to light up the charts or garner any interest, many critics cited Jackson's musical career had hit a dead end. Her management at the time believed a departure away from her light pop roots towards a far more funk and R&B sound was the necessary approach in rejuvenating her career.
In an 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic. interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Jackson spoke of the experience in producing "Control". She cited that the departure from pop, and the recruitment of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (famed proteges from the band "The Time" and had been producing hits for the likes of Luther VandrossLuther Vandross (born April 20, 1951 in New York, New York) is an African-American soul singer. He started his singing career in the 1970s as a session vocalist, and eventually making his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Chic. The first insta and the SOS band) at the helm of the project was met with much resitance by her family.
Much of the themes explored in "Control" thus centred around gaining independence, and self-assertion. In many respects the album Control served as a platform to prove detractors (family and critics), that she was in charge of making professional and personal decisions and she alone was accountable for the end results. The lyrics of the title track Control explained much her frustrations and even mentioned her annulled marriage to James DeBarge-
"When I was 17 I did what people told me, did what my father said and let my mother mould me, but that was long ago now I know I have to take control... ....first time I fell in love I didn't know what hit me, so young and so naive I thought it would be easy"
The end result of the experience vetted positively in her favour. Upon its release, the album went to number one on both the pop and r&b charts. The first single, "What Have you Done For Me Lately" gained massive radio airplay would go on to number 3 on the American Charts. Six of the nine tracks were released as singles. Five singles went to the Top 5 of the Pop charts, with Jackson achieving her first number 1 single with "When I Think Of You". Five of the singles, except "When I Think Of You" hit #1 on the R&B charts.
A&M Records co-founder and artist in his own right, Herb Alpert would record three songs with Jackson and singer Lisa Keith in 1987 for his next album. Only two would make the cut, but both tracks would be released to radio. The single "Diamonds" would hit #5 on the Pop charts and #1 on the R&B charts, and "Making Love In The Rain" would hit the Top 40 on the Pop charts, and Top 10 on the R&B charts. Herb and Janet had two extra hits on their hands.