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Janet Jackson Biography

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is a Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated American singer, songwriter, composer, actress, dancer, choreographer, record producer, and activist. She is ranked as the ninth most successful artist in the history of rock and roll and the second most successful female recording artist of all time in the US according to Billboard. 

In 2006, it was announced that Jackson was the "Most Searched in Internet History", and the "Most Searched for News Item", in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2007, Jackson was ranked the 7th richest woman in the entertainment business by Forbes Magazine, amassing a fortune of over $150 million.

Early life: children. The family was lower-middle-class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses. 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 with Motown Records, and by the end of the year the group recorded the first of their four consecutive number-one singles. The Jackson 5’s success allowed the entire family to move to Encino, CA, Southern California in 1971. The Jacksons settled in a gated mansion that they referred to as “Hayvenhurst.”

As a young child, Janet’s career aspiration was to be a jockey. However, after the Jackson 5’s success began to diminish, Joseph decided to bring use the rest of the children in the act. On April 9, 1974, Janet made her debut performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, alongside her eight older siblings. Janet quickly became a standout in the show, winning over crowds and critics with impersonations of Cher, Marie Osmond, Toni Tennille and Mae West.

In 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 its recently defunct The Sonny & Cher Show. Debuting on June 16, 1976, The Jacksons became the first television variety show starring an African-American family. The series lasted two seasons. As the 1980s began, Janet continued her career in television, in the sitcoms: Good Times, A New Kind of Family and Diff'rent Strokes, as well as the primetime drama Fame.

Recording career, 1982-1985: Fledgling years: Although Janet never wanted to be a professional singer, she obeyed her father’s orders and participated in various family musical projects. Her first recording was a duet with brother Randy on a song titled “Love Song for Kids” in 1978. When Janet was fifteen, Joe launched her recording career by arranging a contract with A&M Records. Her debut album Janet Jackson was released in 1982.

Produced by soul singers Angela Winbush, René Moore and noted producer Leon F. Sylvers III (who had previously worked with the The Whispers, Lakeside, Shalamar, Dynasty) of the famed Sylvers family music group, the album reached the top ten on the Billboard R&B albums chart, spent 45 weeks in that chart's top 50, and had moderate success on the Pop albums chart. The album yielded three moderately successful singles: “Young Love,” “Say You Do” and “Come Give Your Love to Me.” The Janet Jackson album sold over one million (1,000,000) copies worldwide since the time of its release.

In 1984, Jackson’s second album, Dream Street was released. It marked a musical progression from her debut, with funkier, up-tempo production by brother Marlon and famed disco producer Giorgio Moroder (who produced songs for artists such as Donna Summer.) The album managed to peak at number nineteen on the R&B albums chart, but failed to crack the top 100 in Pop. Though Dream Street scored a top ten R&B hit with “Don't Stand Another Chance,” sales of Dream Street were less than Jackson’s debut album: about 300,000 units in the U.S and 1,000,000 world wide. Music critics, at the time, largely dismissed Janet as simply another supplement from the Jackson assembly line. She’d later admitted that her heart wasn’t into music at the time, and had a greater preference toward acting—where she had made more of a name for herself.

1986-1987: Control era: After the limited successes of her first two albums, A&M Records executive John McClain hired producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to jump-start Jackson's career as a recording artist. Before leaving for Minneapolis, Jam and Lewis were given the blessing of Jackson’s father, her manager at the time, with the promise that they would not have Jackson sounding anything like Prince, who the two had previously worked with. Within months, Jackson, Jam, and Lewis crafted Jackson's breakthrough album, Control.

Released in February 1986, Control spun off five top 5 singles: “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You” (Jackson’s first number one single on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart), “Control,” and “Let's Wait Awhile.” Most of the Control music videos, meanwhile, were choreographed by Paula Abdul. The album went to the top of the Billboard 200 album charts for two weeks, and has sold more than eight million copies in America.

In early 1987, 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. The same year, Jackson took another step toward independence by firing her father-manager, Joseph Jackson.

1989-1991: Rhythm Nation 1814 era: In 1989, Jackson began recording her fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814. 1814 referred to the year the song "The Star Spangled Banner" was written; in addition, 'R' is the 18th letter of the alphabet and 'N' the 14th, hence 1814. Though executives at A&M wanted an album similar to Control, Jackson instead created an album that, in addition to songs about love and relationships, had heady socially-conscious message.

Rhythm Nation 1814 peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 Album and R&B charts, sold eight million copies in the US, and became the first album to spawn seven Top 5 singles: “Alright,” “Rhythm Nation,” and "Come Back To Me”— as well as four number one singles: "Miss You Much,” “Escapade,” “Black Cat,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You).”

A black and white long-form video was created for the album; it included “Miss You Much,” “The Knowledge,” and the title track. The film was shot by director Domenic Sena (See also Rhythm Nation 1814 Film). The video represented a “coming together” of all people while taking a firm social stance on issues such as bigotry, ignorance, and education. The Rhythm Nation film went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Video.

In 1990, Janet became the first artist to score a #1 hit simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock singles charts with “Black Cat.” Billboard named Rhythm Nation 1814 the #1 Selling Album of the Year. Jackson went onto win 15 Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, four Soul Train Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and her first Grammy Award. The Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour had an impressive attendance of more than two million people, The tour is the Most successful debut tour of any female artist.

1993-1995: janet. era: Jackson’s recording contract with A&M Records expired in 1990. After being courted by various major labels, Jackson signed with Virgin Records in 1991 for a reported $40 million, which at the time was the largest recording deal in history. Janet initially considered titling her fifth studio album “Damita,” referencing her middle name, but settled on calling it simply janet. (She would later name her eighth studio album Damita Jo)

Released on May 18, 1993; the album became the first by a female artist to debut at number one during the Nielsen SoundScan era. The lead off 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 also became number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached number one in twenty-two countries, sold nearly twenty million copies (19 million as of 2005), and won several awards, including a Grammy. It was the fourth best-selling album of the year in the United States, and the eighth best-selling album on the year-end Billboard Top Albums chart during the following year. The album spawned five more Top 10 hit singles: "If,” “Again” (which also peaked at #1 on the Hot 100), “Because of Love,” “Any Time, Any Place” and “You Want This.”

In July 1993, Janet made her big-screen debut in the John Singleton directed, Poetic Justice. Janet’s ballad, “Again” was featured on the film’s soundtrack, and garnered a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song From A Motion Picture.

In September 1993, Janet appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The 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. Janet was criticized for the explicitness of the photograph. She insisted that the male hands covering her breasts belonged to her partner, René Elizondo. The janet. Tour, meanwhile, began in November 1993 and played for twelve full months at sold-out venues worldwide.

After years of reservations, Janet agreed to collaborate with her brother, Michael, on the 1995 single, "Scream", the lead single from his album HIStory. The song (which lashed out at the media) peaked at #5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, and featured a futuristic music video created with the help of director Mark Romanek.

In October 1995, Janet’s first hits compilation, Design of a Decade 1986/1996, was released via A&M Records. The album focused chiefly on the hits from the Control and Rhythm Nation albums; due to contractual reasons, the only janet. track featured was “That's the Way Love Goes.” Two new songs were recorded for the album, “Runaway” and “Twenty Foreplay,” the former peaking at number three on the pop charts.

1997-1999: The Velvet Rope era: In 1996, Janet renewed her contract Virgin Records for a reported $80 million, which made her the highest paid female recording artist of all time. During the recording of Jackson’s sixth studio album, she reportedly suffered from clinical depression and anxiety—which fueled the concept behind 1997’s The Velvet Rope. In August 1997, the album’s lead single, “Got 'Til It's Gone” was released to radio. The single sampled the Joni Mitchell classic, “Big Yellow Taxi” and featured a cameo appearance by rapper, Q-Tip.

Fans were taken aback by the album’s abrasive content. Songs dealing with domestic abuse, depression, self-esteem issues, isolation, and S&M, made up the bulk of the album's design. Velvet Rope’s cover, shot by photographer Ellen von Unwerth, featured Janet with her head down, in a defeated-like pose, with only the word, Janet, glazed over top of the image. The glazed letters were invisible except in reflection, so they do not appear in most pictures of the cover; they were not included on later pressings of the album. There was much speculation about the stories behind the songs, but Janet has not divulged much about them. The Velvet Rope became her fourth number-one album on the Billboard 200, spawned the chart topping “Together Again” (an upbeat musical tribute to her friends who had died of AIDS) and the top five “I Get Lonely,” has since sold more than eight million copies worldwide.

In 1998, Janet set out on a world tour, The Velvet Rope Tour—which took her on an international trek that included: Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. As her world tour came to a close in 1999, Janet lent guest vocals to a number of songs by other artists, including: Shaggy’s “Luv Me, Luv Me,” for the soundtrack to How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the Grammy-nominated “God’s Stepchild,” from the Down on the Delta soundtrack, “Girlfriend/Boyfriend” with BLACKstreet, and “What's It Gonna Be” with Busta Rhymes. Janet also dueted with Elton John for the song, "I Know The Truth." As 1999 ended, Billboard Magazine ranked Jackson (with only three albums released during the 1990s) as the second most successful artist of the decade—behind Mariah Carey.

2000-2002: All For You era: In July 2000, Janet returned to the big screen, with her second film, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, opposite Eddie Murphy. She also contributed to the film’s soundtrack with the track, '“Doesn't Really Matter,” which became Janet’s ninth number one pop hit. In March 2001, Janet was awarded a top honor American Music Award 'Award of Merit,' and became the first honoree of MTV’s Icon celebration, which resulted in performances featuring Destiny's Child, N'Sync, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Britney Spears and others.

Janet's seventh album, All for You, was released on April 24, 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, 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. The album's title track topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for seven weeks; the second single, “Someone to Call My Lover,” peaked in the top five. Jackson also scored a top 40 single with “Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)” featuring Carly Simon; remixed by rapper Missy Elliot, it would be her third and final single from the All for You album and would become one of the centerpieces of her All for You Tour. In 2002, “All For You” won Jackson her fifth Grammy Award for “Best Dance Recording” Following this success, she collaborated with reggae singer Beenie Man on the song “Feel It Boy.” Janet began work on her next album and accepted an invitation to join the 2004 Super Bowl festivities.

2004: Damita Jo's Wardrobe Malfunction: During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake to a live audience of more than one hundred million people. During the performance, Janet sang along with Timberlake on his song “Rock Your Body.” When Timberlake sang the lyric ‘gonna have you naked by the end of this song,’ he tore open Janet’s top exposing her right breast, which was partially covered by a nipple shield. Timberlake called the incident a “wardrobe malfunction.” Janet apologized, calling it an accident, and saying 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 wished she had not apologized at all, due to the fact that it made her seem guilty to the public. 

CBS, the NFL, and MTV (CBS’s sister network), which produced the halftime show, denied all responsibility under a hail of criticism. Jackson and Timberlake confirmed those denials, but the FCC continued an investigation. Janet declined CBS’s inviting her to appear at the 2004’s The 46th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, on the condition that she make another public apology. Jermaine Dupri, Janet’s boyfriend, left his post on the Grammy Awards committee after Janet refused to apologize again for the Super Bowl incident. The controversy surrounding the incident halted plans for Jackson to star in a made-for-TV biopic on the life on legendary singer Lena Horne for ABC-TV. Horne reportedly was displeased with the Super Bowl halftime antics and insisted that ABC pull Jackson from the project.

In March 2004, Jackson’s eighth studio album, Damita Jo, was released, debuting at number two, with opening week sales of nearly 400,000 copies. Despite the album’s strong debut, its singles: “Just a Little While,” “I Want You,” and “All Nite (Don't Stop),” all performed modestly on the charts. Janet described the album as ‘a portrait of the many personalities living inside her.’ Though Damita Jo failed to live up to full commercial expectation, it sold three million copies worldwide and received nominations from the American Music Awards, Billboard Awards, Source Music Awards, BET Music Awards, and Grammy Awards including Contemporary R&B Album of the Year.

Janet appeared as a host of Saturday Night Live on April 10, 2004, where she performed a skit that parodied the Super Bowl incident. Janet also appeared in the sitcom Will & Grace playing herself as Jack McFarland auditioned to be her back-up dancer. Janet became the most-searched for person on the Internet in 2004. Jackson was also the most-searched of 2005 on Google.com. On June 15, 2005, Janet was awarded a Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization on behalf of her work and involvement in raising money for AIDS charities. 

She accepted the award saying, “what I’ve learned in these recent months is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s real. It’s a beautiful light that both comforts our minds and strengthens our souls. Tonight my heart is filled with gratitude for that light. I’m so grateful that prayers are answered, that faith is rewarded and tolerance is celebrated as a virtue. I’m grateful that God is of unconditional love.”

2006-present: 20 Y.O. era: Janet celebrated her 40th birthday with a birthday bash at Shereen Arazms Shag in Los Angeles. In attendance were many of her former dancers—as well as singer Stevie Wonder, who serenaded her. Jackson appeared on the cover of Us Weekly in June 2006 and it became the magazine's best selling issue ever, outselling issues with Angelina Jolie and Jessica Simpson on the cover.

Virgin Records released Jackson’s ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., on September 26, 2006. 20 Years Old, a nod to the twentieth anniversary of Control (and said to reference to how young Janet feels). The album debuted at number two on Billboard’s albums charts respectively; selling 296,873 copies in its first week.

Janet launched a contest giving fans an opportunity to create the artwork for the album. The “Design Me” contest required participants to download images of Janet and create proposed covers for the album. Janet hand-picked dozens of images, new and old, to be used in the contest. She selected her top four favorites, which were used for the first one million pressings of 20 Y.O.

20 Y.O. first single, Call on Me, a duet with rapper Nelly, peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart; while topping the R&B singles chart. The second single, “So Excited,” became Jackson’s seventeenth number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart. 20 Y.O. was certified platinum in December 2006 and received a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary R&B Album.” The release of 20 Y.O. completed Jackson’s contract with Virgin Records.

On February 26, 2007, it was announced that Jackson would star in Tyler Perry’s forthcoming film, Why Did I Get Married?. Filming began on March 5, 2007 and the film is scheduled to be released in October 2007. In April 2007, Jermaine Dupri announced on his MySpace page that Janet will record a single for the upcoming film, Rush Hour 3. The film has an expected release date of August 10, 2007.

Jermaine Dupri told MTV News recently, “Definitely Janet will end up at Island Records, [Dupri's new label]. That's without a doubt. L.A. always wanted to sign her regardless [of whether] I was there or not. I don't know where that deal is—I left that in the hands of L.A. and Janet’s people—but more than likely, he'll get what he wants.” A spokesperson for Virgin did not respond to requests for comment by press time about Jackson’s status with the label or Dupri’s departure.

Personal life: In 1984, at age eighteen, Jackson eloped with James DeBarge, a member of the singing group DeBarge. News of the couple's nuptials was reported on Entertainment Tonight. Jackson would later admit that the marriage was not a good one, and that the family—particularly Joe—disapproved of the union. Jackson was granted an annulment in March 1985. There have been allegations made by DeBarge’s brother that Jackson and DeBarge produced a daughter who was born shortly after their breakup and lived with her aunt Rebbie Jackson. Jackson has refuted these rumors.

In 1991, Jackson and long-time lover/business partner René Elizondo Jr., were secretly married in a private ceremony. Hoping to avoid public scrutiny, the two sought to kept their marriage a closely guarded secret, while continuing to present themselves as simply live in lovers in the eye of the media. As the decade drew to a close, both Jackson and Elizondo admitted that they had become more business partners than a couple. In 1999, the two ended their eight year marriage. In 2001, Rene Elizondo sued Janet for spousal support. Their court battle ended in 2003 with the divorce finalized and Elizondo receiving half the multi-million dollar pay-off he was hoping for.

Since 2003, Janet has been involved with hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri. In the time that they’ve been together, there have been numerous rumors that the two have married, though they have consistently denied these reports although she admits that the two do live together. Dupri appeared in Janet’s video for “I Want You,” while Janet returned the favor by appearing in Dupri's video for his 2005 single, “Gotta Getcha.”

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors, This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Janet Jackson".