Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

JACKSON, Janet

(b 16 May '67, Gary IN) Singer; youngest of nine children (see the Jacksons), the eighth to make records and apparently one of the nicest and most talented of the lot. She began at six, appearing with her brothers doing impersonations (Mae West, Cher etc); before she was ten she was spotted on TV with her brothers by producer Norman Lear, leading to more TV work (Good Times '77--9, Diff'rent Strokes '81--2, then Fame). She sang on demos for her sister LaToya; own eponymous debut LP '82 on A&M reached no. 64 on USA pop album chart; Dream Street '84 did less well, despite help from her brothers and Cliff Richard (duet on 'Two To The Power Of Love'). She left home '84 to marry James DeBarge but his cocaine habit soon wrecked that; she became a tireless anti- drug campaigner. Her next three albums were all no. 1 USA, all prod. by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and co-written with her: Control '86 was prod. at the hitmaking Flyte Time studio in Minneapolis, incl. hits (both UK/USA) 'What Have You Done For Me Lately', 'When I Think Of You' and 'Nasty': suddenly people were comparing her to Michael. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 '89 was a sort of dance/concept suite with synths; then Virgin signed her for a reported $50m for two albums in March '92, the biggest deal for a recording artist in history (topped a week later by her brother Michael's new deal with Sony); album Janet '93 incl. two no. 1 singles ('Again', 'That's The Way Love Goes'). Compilation Design Of A Decade 1986--1996 '95, with one of the most appealing cover photos ever made, utterly charming and sexy without being salacious, was no. 3 incl. no. 3 hit 'Runaway' (duet 'Scream' with Michael was also a hit that year, on Epic). The Velvet Rope '97 was an accomplished album, better on the dance stuff than the ballads.