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Janet Jackson biography
JANET JACKSON BIOGRAPHY
Considering she hails from soul's first family of weird, Janet Jackson, the youngest of the all-singing, all-dancing nine member family has turned out remarkably well adjusted, what with the overbearing father and the ever so slightly strange older sibling Mike.
Janet Damita Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on 16 May, 1966. She made her performing debut in Las Vegas with her brothers, aged seven. At the age of nine, she joined them on a television special. The showbiz life started early, as it had for all of the Jackson siblings.
She was cast in the US television programmes Good Times from 1977-79 and Diff'rent Strokes from 1981-82. In 1982 Janet signed to A&M records where she recorded her self-titled debut album followed by Dream Street in 1984. Characterised by unremarkable R&B, both albums sold only moderately. In the meantime she'd also appeared in the TV series Fame and married soul singer James DeBarge, a marriage that lasted barely a year.
The failure of her marriage and underperformance of her albums caused Janet to take stock of her career and she decided to take the initiative by breaking free of her familial constraints and hooking up with burgeoning production duo Jam & Lewis for her 1986 career-defining album, Control. Spawning the hit singles What Have You Done For Me Lately, Nasty, When I Think Of You and Let's Wait Awhile the album was a bold statement of intent underlining Janet's new independent woman stance. The accompanying videos with their highly stylised, in-yer-face dance moves emphasized Janet's new tough, no-nonsense image. The album was certified quadruple platinum and sold over 4m copies in the US alone.
Independence gave way to social conscience for the follow up album, 1989's Rhythm Nation with tracks such as State Of The World and The Knowledge dealing with racism, inequality and impending environmental disaster. Three singles from the album, Black Cat, Miss You Much and Escapade, were US No.1 hits. The album would help her to scoop eight Billboard awards later that year.
Janet's star had risen dramatically and she was fast becoming as successful as older brother Michael, without the attendant controversial 'sleepovers'. Janet spent the next two years on tour in a glitzy stage production. Her newfound superstar status was confirmed when Virgin Records shelled out £30m for a two album deal in 1991. The resulting album, 1993's Janet, was a concept album spliced with several spoken interludes and snippets designed to present the singer in a more sexually mature mould. The 'controversial' album cover featured a pair of male hands grabbing Janet's breasts. Michael disapproved but on the back of the singles That's The Way Love Goes (a US No.1 for eight weeks) and Again, the album shot to the top of the US charts. A 1995 retrospective album, Design Of A Decade, cemented Janet's superstar status and produced two new tracks, Runaway and Twenty Foreplay. In 1995 Janet teamed up with brother Michael for the duet Scream, a rant at the press intrusion into the sibling stars' lives.
After another successful world tour, Janet returned in 1997 with a new afrocentric image and one of her funkiest singles to date, Got Til It's Gone, which featured a sample of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi. The ensuing album, 1997's Velvet Rope was Janet's frankest and most sexually explicit recording to date in which Janet spoke about her emotional breakdown and revealed her sexual fantasies involving wellington boots filled with custard (probably). The record sleeve got slapped with a Parental Advisory sticket and then shot to the top of the US charts. (Natch).
1999 saw Janet collaborating on tracks by Blacksteet, Busta Rhymes and Shaggy and in 2001 she kept up the steamy shenanigans and sexual innuendo with the album All For You.
Janet's 'Nipplegate' episode in February 2004 prompted moral outrage in America. During her live TV performance at the US Super Bowl, Janet's right breast was 'accidentally' exposed by Justin Timberlake during a sexually charged duet. Whether it was planned or not, Janet couldn't have forseen the resulting fury of middle America as she was blamed for everything from society's lapse in moral standards to the Middle East war and the failure to capture Bin Laden. Janet was forced to issue an apology but was banned from performing at the Grammy's the following month incase of any further 'slip-ups'.
In March 2004 Janet released her new album, Damita Jo. Again produced by longtime collaborators Jam and Lewis. The album was another sprawling, epic affair with 22 tracks covering Janet's by now familiar themes of sexuality and relationships. No hint of a nipple slip on the album cover though..
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