Janet Jackson BiographyBorn into a family of show-business icons, she has gone on to become an icon herself. Rising out of the shadows of her family to attain worldwide fame and most importantly breaking away from the distinction of just being Michael's baby sister.
She was born the last of nine children in Gary, Indiana to parents Joseph and Katherine.
Sometimes nicknamed 'Papa Joe' or known as simply Joe, Joseph worked hard labor as a crane operator in Gary's steel mills. Before Janet was born, Joe was seeking his own music career forming the R&B/blues band, the Falcons.
They never got as far as the biggest nightclub in Gary. Joseph was also a tough disciplanarian whose teachings and lessons he instilled on his children would later be questioned by those who have written books about him since.
While Joe was stern and gregarious, mother Katherine seemed angelic. For a time before Janet was born, Katherine also held down a job working as a store clerk for Sears. She quit the job as soon as she became a devout Jehovah's Witness in 1965. She was considered the one who 'kept the glue within the family' during the earlier years.
By the time she was 2, Janet's older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael had already begun to perform onstage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5.
At the end of 1968, the group had signed to Motown Records and by the end of the following year, the group recorded their first of four history-making #1 singles, 'I Want You Back'. By the time the J5 had achieved success, the entire family moved out of Gary into the more sunnier atmosphere of Southern California eventually settling in a gated mansion they named Hayvenhurst in 1971. Janet was all but five years old by this point.
By the age of seven, Janet had dreams of being a horse jockey after a growing infatuation with horses. However, Papa Joe had more on Janet's plate than for her to be a jockey. After the success of his sons' career had began to dwindle due to a changing musical scene, Joseph had decided to put his entire family to work as entertainers.
In April 1974, seven-year-old Janet Jackson made her public debut performance at a Las Vegas nightclub, with nearly all nine members of the Jackson family (Rebbie didn't join until a few months later at a different city). Jackson easily became the star of the shows emulating and imitating various icons such as Cher and Mae West, in particular.
By 1976, Janet and the family's Vegas act had gotten the attention of CBS' Fred Silverman who was desperately trying to find a new variety act after Sonny & Cher had ended while ABC had the competing Osmonds family show featuring Donny and Marie.
Debuting on June 16, 1976, 'The Jacksons' debuted and the Jacksons became the first African-American family to have a variety show on TV. The show lasted only two seasons and was cancelled in 1977.
11-year-old Jackson's talent was spotted by legendary TV producer Norman Lear, who was looking for someone to help gain back ratings in one of his groundbreaking shows, the family sitcom, 'Good Times'. Casting her as an abused child named Penny, Janet easily stole the show from the show's biggest star, Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker was the apple of Penny's eye every time she saw him. Her dramatic and comedic acting talent helped land her a role as a starring member by the end of the 1977-78 season and she would remain in the show until it cancelled for good in 1979.
Jackson continued her acting career appearing briefly in a short-lived sitcom titled 'A New Kind of Family', which was cancelled in early 1980. In 1981, she landed a recurring role on another family sitcom, 'Diff'rent Strokes' playing Charlene Duprey. With her love interest played by Todd Bridges, who played Willis on the show, Janet, now 15, officially became a teen idol. She would leave the show in 1982 after her music career began to take off. But she would soon find herself back in the TV field by 1984 after her father ordered the 18-year-old to take the role of Cleo Hewitt in 'Fame'. She left the show in 1985 and closed the door of her TV career.
Janet always had an interest in music, writing her first song at the age of nine, but she never aspired herself 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 baby brother Randy on a song titled 'A Love Song for Kids' in 1978. She would participate in her family's other recordings, particularly with sister LaToya and brother Michael.
In 1981, Janet 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.
Discography
* 1982 'Janet Jackson' #63 US - Worldwide sales - 0.5 million* 1984 'Dream Street' #147 US - Worldwide sales - 1.2 million
* 1986 'Control' #1 US, #8 UK, - Worldwide sales: 14 million
* 1989 'Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814' #1 US, #4 UK, Worldwide sales: 14 million
* 1993 'Janet.' #1 US, #1 UK, Worlwide sales: 16 million
* 1995 'Design of a Decade 1986/1996' #3 US, #2 UK, Worldwide sales: 8 million
* 1997 'The Velvet Rope' #1 US, #6 UK, Worldwide sales: 7 million
* 2001 'All For You' #1 US, #2 UK, Worldwide sales: 6.6 million
* 2004 'Damita Jo' #2 US, #32 UK, Worldwide sales: 3 million
Hit Singles
This below shows the number of hits Janet Jackson has scored since her debut nearly 23 years ago:
* 'Say You Do' (1982) #15 R&BThis below shows the number of hits Janet Jackson has scored since her debut nearly 23 years ago:
* 'Young Love' (1982) #64 Pop, #6 R&B
* 'Come Give Your Love to Me' (1983) #58 Pop, #17 R&B
* 'Don't Stand Another Chance' (1984) #101 Pop, #9 R&B
* 'Fast Girls' (1984) #40 R&B
* 'What Have You Done For Me Lately' (1986) #4 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Nasty' (1986) #3 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'When I Think of You' (1986) #1 Pop, #3 R&B
* 'Control' (1986) #5 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Let's Wait Awhile' (1987) #2 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'The Pleasure Principle' (1987) #14 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Diamonds' (w/Herb Alpert; uncredited) (1987) #5 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Making Love in the Rain' (w/Herb Alpert and Lisa Keith; uncredited) (1987) #35 Pop, #7 R&B
* 'Miss You Much' (1989) #1 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Rhythm Nation' (1989) #2 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Escapade' (1990) #1 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Alright' (1990) #4 Pop, #2 R&B
* 'Come Back to Me' (1990) #2 Pop, #2 R&B
* 'Black Cat' (1990) #1 Pop, #10 R&B, #1 Rock
* 'Love Will Never Do (Without You)' (1990) #1 Pop, #3 R&B
* 'The Best Things in Life Are Free' (w/Luther Vandross) (1992) #10 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'That's The Way Love Goes' (1993) #1 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'If' (1993) #4 Pop, #3 R&B
* 'Again' (1993) #1 Pop, #7 R&B
* 'Because of Love' (1994) #10 Pop, #9 R&B
* 'Any Time, Any Place' (1994) #2 Pop, #1 R&B(10wks)
* 'You Want This' (1994) #8 Pop, #9 R&B
* 'Scream' (w/Michael Jackson) (1995) #5 Pop, #2 R&B
* 'Runaway' (1995) #3 Pop, #6 R&B
* 'Together Again' (1997) #1 Pop, #8 R&B
* 'I Get Lonely' (w/or without Blackstreet) (1998) #3 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Every Time' (1998) #125 Pop
* 'Luv Me, Luv Me' (w/Shaggy) (1998) #76 Pop, #64 R&B
* 'What's It Gonna Be?!' (w/Busta Rhymes) (1999) #3 Pop, #1 R&B, #1 Rap
* 'Girlfriend/Boyfriend' (w/Blackstreet) (1999) #47 Pop, #19 R&B
* 'Doesn't Really Matter' (2000) #1 Pop, #3 R&B
* 'All For You' (2001) #1 Pop, #1 R&B
* 'Someone To Call My Lover' (2001) #3 Pop, #11 R&B
* 'Son of a Gun' (w/Carly Simon and w/or without Missy Elliot) (2001) #28 Pop, #26 R&B
* 'Feel It Boy' (w/Beenie Man) (2002) #28 Pop, #14 Rap
* 'Just a Little While' (2004) #45 Pop
* 'I Want You' (2004) #57 Pop, #18 R&B
* 'All Nite (Don't Stop)' (2004) #90 R&B
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