Janet Jackson, the #35 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"One of the best female singers."

"What emotion and feeling she brings to her songs!"

"So smooth.  Gotta' love Janet!"

"She's so beautiful and talented."

"Awesome artist."

"I love Janet for life."

"Jackson is a phenomenal artist and performer."

"A legend."

"Love her silky voice.  Awesome Janet!"

"Janet is so incredibly talented--an awesome dancer and performer."

"Her voice is so lovely."

"What I love most about Janet are her fun, happy songs. They burn your soul with Joy. OH, and that smile. Perfection."

"She's the bomb!"

"Janet has always been incredible."

"Icon!"

"She is an excellent performer!"

"Goodness, she is awesome."

"Timeless music from Janet."

"I adore Janet - she is so amazing!"

"She is one of the greatest female performers of all-time."

Janet Jackson was born May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of 10 children in a highly musical family.  Her brothers began performing as the Jackson 5 when Janet was young.  After the group achieved their first #1 song, the family moved to Los Angeles.

Janet performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada when she was seven.  She began acting in the variety show The Jacksons in 1976.  She received a big break when she was chosen to star as Penny in the sitcom Good Times.  Janet also starred in the television shows A New Kind of Family and Fame and starred in Diff'rent Strokes for four seasons.  

When Janet turned sixteen, her father and manager Joseph Jackson arranged for an audition with A&M Records and he signed a recording contract for her.  Janet released her self-titled debut album in 1982 and the album Dream Street two years after.

Janet eloped with singer James DeBarge in 1984, but the couple soon divorced.  After her second album flopped, as the first one did, Janet decided to fire her father as manager, as she was now 18.  "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father," she said, "which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do."

For her third album, Janet contacted producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.  The trio worked magic with the album Control, released in 1986.  Janet thought she was done recording but when she got back to Los Angeles, she was called to come back to Minneapolis to record one more.  The last song she recorded for the album became her first single and first hit.  "What Have You Done For Me Lately", jumped to #1 on the R&B chart and #4 Popular in the U.S. and #3 in the U.K. and the Netherlands.

"What Have You Done For Me Lately" was nominated for Best R&B Song at the Grammy Awards.  Janet wrote this song after being shouted at rudely by men calling her "Baby" and other names.  "So many men call women 'baby'" she said.  "I've got a name and if you don't know it then don't shout at me in the street."  

"Nasty" also climbed to #1 R&B and hit #8 overall and was nominated for Best Female Video and Best Overall Performance in a Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Control raced to #1 on the Album chart and has now sold over five million copies in the United States and over 10 million worldwide.  "When I Think Of You" gave Janet her first #1 in the United States and when it did, she and brother Michael became the only siblings in history to have solo #1 songs.

 

The title song, a declaration of independence from her father, also topped the R&B chart and reached #5 overall.  Each of the first four singles went Gold.

 

The single "Let's Wait Awhile" made it four #1's on the R&B chart and peaked at #2 Popular in the U.S. and reached #3 in the United Kingdom.  Some teachers used the song to show their students it was okay to say no.  That was fine with Jam, who wrote it:  "Sometimes music reaches a broader meaning and it's fantastic to be associated with something like that," he said.

  

 

With five Top 10 hits, all reaching the Top 5, Control thus became one of 25 albums in the history of the Rock Era to accomplish that feat.  "The Pleasure Principle" also rose to #1 on the R&B chart and was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

 We also want to feature this track--"Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)".

Jackson was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Concept Music Video for her work on the album.  She set the record with 13 American Music Award nominations in 1987 and 1988, winning for Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Nasty"), Favorite Pop/Rock Video and Favorite Soul/R&B Video (both for "When I Think Of You") and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist.  

Janet was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist in both 1987 and 1988, Favorite Pop/Rock Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist both years, Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist, an initial nomination for Favorite Pop/Rock Video for "When I Think Of You" in 1987 before it won the next year and a nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Video, also for "When I Think Of You".

Jackson won six Billboard Music Awards--Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist, Female, Top Dance Club Play Artist in 1986, Top Dance Sales Artist, Top Black Artist in 1986 and Top Black Singles Artist in 1986.  She earned a total of 22 nominations in 1986 and 1987, including Top Pop Album Artist in both 1986 and 1987, Female, Top Pop Singles Artist, Female, Top-Selling Album of the Year, Top Adult Contemporary Single (for "Let's Wait While"), another nomination for Top Dance/Club Play Artist in 1987, Top Black Single and Top Dance Sales for 12" Singles (both for "Control"), another nomination for Top Black Artist in 1987, Top Black Albums Artist in both 1986 and 1987, Top Black Album, another nomination for Top Black Singles Artist in 1987, Top Black Single (for "Nasty"), Top Music Video Cassettes (for Control - The Videos)

 

The choreography work of then-unknown Paula Abdul on Jackson's videos led to a recording contract for Abdul.  Janet combined with music industry legend Herb Alpert for the #5 "Diamonds" in 1987.

 

In 1989, Janet included more socially conscious lyrics on her album Rhythm Nation 1814, her second consecutive #1 album.  The number "1814" was merely the project number assigned to the album by A&M Records.  The single "Miss You Much" was a #1 on both the Popular and R&B chart and sold over two million singles.

"Miss You Much" captured American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Single and Favorite Dance Single and was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.  

 

The title song was a conscious decision to write a positive song after seeing nightclub fights and violence dominate the headlines.  "I was reading about all these clubs and I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation," Janet said in an interview with the newspaper Los Angeles Times.  "One that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join."  "Rhythm Nation" stopped at #2, but did hit #1 R&B.  It has been certified Gold and the video was nominated for Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Jackson released the single "Escapade", #1 in both the U.S. and Canada and another million-seller.  Johnny Gill, formerly with New Edition, provided finger snaps on the song.  Jimmy Jam recalled how the song originated:

     While [Janet] was sitting in one room coming up with

     lyrics, I put it on the 24-track. We hooked the drum                   machine up. On my left hand I played the bass, on the 

     right hand I played the chord. And it was just enough

     for her to sing to, which we do a lot. Because we like 

     to let her sing to as minimum of a track as we can do,

     then fill in the track around her so that her part is the

     main part of the song. With 'Escapade,' she sang it 

     and we kept saying we'll go back and redo the 

     track... we never redid the track.

 

Janet was nominated for Favorite Dance Artist at the American Music Awards and Favorite Female Musical Performer at the People's Choice Awards.  "Alright" reached #4 in the United States and #6 in Canada and has also been certified Gold.  Jackson earned Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

 

The single "Come Back To Me" peaked at #2 in the U.S. and #3 in Canada.  Janet also recorded a Spanish version called "Vuelve a Mi".

"Black Cat" is another great #1 song on the album that has been certified Gold and was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammys.  Although she didn't win, Janet became the first artist to be nominated for Best Vocal Performance in the categories of Rock, Dance, Rap and R&B.

Rhythm Nation has now sold over six million units in the U.S. and over 20 million globally.  The single "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" topped charts in the U.S. and Canada and is also a million-seller.  Jackson won Best Female Video at the MTV VMA's.  

Rhythm Nation became the only album in the Rock Era to generate #1 songs in three different calendar years, is another of only 25 album to contain five Top 10 songs and still is the only one to contain seven Top 5 hits.

In 1991, Janet won American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Dance Artist and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.  She won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Long Form for Rhythm Nation 1814 and she was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Voices.  

She won a record 15 Billboard Music Awards:  Top-Selling Album of the Year, Top-Selling R&B Album of the Year, Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Female, Top R&B Artist of the Year, Top R&B Female Artist of the Year, Top-Selling R&B Artist of the Year, Top-Selling R&B Albums Artist of the Year, Best Dance Artist, Female, Top Dance Club Play Artist of the Year, Top Hot Dance 12" Singles Sales Artist of the Year and was nominated for Top Pop Artist of the Year, Top Hot 100 Single of the Year ("Miss You Much"), Top Dance/Club Play Single of the Year ("Rhythm Nation"), Best Black/Rap Female Video Artist, a Tanqueray Sterling Music Video Award for Artistic Achievement and a Director's Award in the category of Black/Rap for the video to "Rhythm Nation" and a Director's Award for Dance for the video to "Alright".

Janet also earned BMI Pop Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Most-Played Song honors for "Alright", "Escapade", "Rhythm Nation", "Black Cat" and "Come Back To Me" and the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMA's.

Jackson set a record for the most successful debut tour in history, and set aside funds from the tour to establish the Rhythm Nation Scholarship.  It is amazing that on the strength of two highly successful albums, Janet received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Much more from Janet in Part Two!