Biography

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966), addressed professionally as Janet Jackson, is a renowned American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She is a global star who has sparked controversy in the music business with several musically avant-garde, politically engaged, and sexually explicit albums. 

She is one of the most honored artists in the world, thanks to her long career, which began in 1973. Her extensive career in music and impressive list of accomplishments have shaped and reinvented popular music.

Janet Jackson first focused on pop music, but she quickly added elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which helped her achieve crossover success in the music industry. 

She has sold more than 100 million records during her remarkable music career, including 11 studio albums, eight world tours, and two albums in the list of the 500 Greatest Albums published by Rolling Stone magazine. 

The albums were also listed on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Definitive 200 list. Janet Jackson has emerged as a significant role model for music lovers and enthusiasts around the nation. She has dominated the spotlight for her creative achievements in movies in addition to music.

Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson: History • Bio • Photo
Wiki Facts & About Data
Full Name:	Janet Damita Jo Jackson
Stage Name:	Janet Jackson
Born:	16 May 1966 (age 57 years old)
Place of Birth:	Gary, Indiana, United States
Nationality:	American
Height:	1.63 m
Parents:	Joe Jackson, Katherine Jackson
Siblings:	Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Brandon David Jackson, Marlon Jackson
Husband • Spouse:	Wissam Al Mana (m. 2012–2017), René Elizondo Jr. (m. 1991–2000), James DeBarge (m. 1984–1985)
Boyfriend • Partner:	Jermaine Dupri (en. 2004-2009)
Children:	Eissa Al Mana
Occupation:	Singer • Actress
Net Worth:	US$190 million

Early Life and Education 

Janet Jackson was born Janet Jackson on May 16, 1966, in Gary, Indiana, in the United States. She is the 10th of her father’s kids. 

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She has nine siblings: two sisters, Rebbie Jackson with La Toya Jackson, and seven brothers: Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Brandon David Jackson, and Marlon Jackson.

Janet Jackson was born to Joe Jackson (father) and Katherine Jackson (mother).

Her older brothers Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, and Michael Jackson, had started performing on stage in theaters and clubs by the time she was two years old. 

The Jackson 5 was the name given to the siblings when they later signed with Motown Records towards the end of 1968.

She is now regarded as one of the finest musicians and entertainers of the modern period, thanks to her enormous international popularity. Millions of people all over the world are inspired by her influence and impact. 

Career 

Since every member of Janet Jackson‘s family works in the entertainment business, it was only natural for her to do the same. She began making recordings in the studio when she was quite young. She had already performed at the MGM Casino on the Las Vegas Strip at the age of seven.

She started performing in the variety program The Jacksons in 1976. The following year, she was cast as Penny Gordon Woods in Good Times‘ sitcom. A role in A New Kind of Family and a recurring role in Diff’rent Strokes came after this. 

Janet Jackson obtained a contract with A&M Records when he was 16 years old. She issued her self-titled debut album with the label in 1982. The album peaked at number six on the R&B Albums list and number 63 on the Billboard 200. 

She issued her second album, Dream Street, in 1984. The album had a mediocre amount of success, reaching 147 on the Billboard 200 and 19 on the R&B Albums chart.

Janet Jackson left her father’s shadow after a series of arguments with him. She later collaborated with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to create her third album, Control, which was released in 1986 and quickly rose to prominence. The album received a five-time platinum certification from the RIAA and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. Additionally, more than ten million copies were sold globally. 

Janet Jackson‘s debut hit, Control, was her first major achievement. It produced top five songs in addition to giving Janet Jackson her first number one hit on the Hot 100 chart. The album afterward garnered three Grammy nominations and six Billboard Awards, including Top Pop Singles Artist. Additionally, it received the most number of American Music Awards, winning four from 12 nominations ever. She developed her brand thanks to the crossover musical success of Control.

Janet Jackson was encouraged to write Control’s sequel after the film’s phenomenal popularity. She would not give in to the pressure, though, and instead created her fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814, which had a social conscience theme. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, received a six-time platinum certification from the RIAA, and sold more than 12 million copies globally. 

Rhythm Nation 1814, which revolved around the idea of solidarity in the face of crimes and disasters, eventually emerged as her greatest work. Both critically and commercially, it received favorable feedback. It also became the only album to deliver number one singles in three different calendar years and seven top five singles on the Hot 100 chart. The album Rhythm Nation 1814 went on to sell the most copies and garner 15 Billboard Awards in 1990. 

Janet Jackson embarked on the tour-themed Rhythm Nation World Tour in 1990. With the fastest-ever sell-out of Japan’s Tokyo Dome, it became the most successful first tour in history. She founded numerous educational initiatives using the money earned from the tour. Her agreement with A&M came to an end in 1991. Her multi-million dollar contract with Virgin Records, as a result, made her the most paid music artist at the time. She was referred to as the Queen of Pop.

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Janet Jackson released Janet, or Janet, Period, her fifth studio album, in May 1993. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. More than 14 million copies were sold worldwide, and the RIAA awarded it six times platinum certifications. That’s the Way Love Goes, the album’s lead track, topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight weeks in a row. 

When Janet Jackson‘s singing career was succeeding, she began to explore the world of film. In July 1993, she made her feature film debut with Poetic Justice. The critics loved and complimented her performance even if the picture received negative reviews. 

She and her brother Michael Jackson worked on the 1995 song Scream, which served as the lead single from his album History. She released her debut compilation CD, Design of a Decade, in the same year. Its lead track, Runaway, made history by becoming the first female artist’s song to enter the top ten of the Hot 100 chart. More than ten million copies of the album were sold worldwide, earning it double platinum certification. 

Janet Jackson became the highest-paid recording artist in history in 1996 when she extended her deal with Virgin Records for a staggering $80 million. Although her career graph improved, despair and anxiety affected her personal life.

Her sixth studio album, which recorded her feelings of emotion and fear, represented all that. Its title, The Velvet Rope, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and achieved triple platinum certification after selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. 

The lead track from The Velvet Rope, Together Again, became her seventh number-one smash on the Billboard Hot 100 list. It lasted a record-breaking 46 weeks on the Hot 100 chart as well as 19 weeks at the top of the singles chart in the UK. 

One of the all-time top-selling singles, it sold six million copies worldwide. Janet Jackson‘s status as a gay icon, thanks to the album’s homosexuality topic, was cemented by it. The film was a huge success, earning US$170 million in total. The movie’s theme song, Doesn’t Matter, became her eleventh number one single on the Hot 100chart. 

Janet Jackson released her seventh studio album, All For You, in 2001. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, imitating the success of its predecessors. It achieved the biggest first-week sales ever for a female artist with an astounding amount of copies sold. The RIAA awarded it double platinum certification; nine million copies were sold globally. Janet Jackson then embarked on a highly successful tour of the United States and Japan. 

According to Guinness World Records, she subsequently earned the titles of Most Searched for News Item and Most Searched in Internet History. The pair took a lot of criticism and were banned from radio and music outlets. 

In response to the contentious incident during the Super Bowl, Janet Jackson released her eighth studio album, Damita Jo, in March 2004. Even though the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was given a platinum certification by the RIAA, it could not match the popularity of her prior albums because of the Super Bowl flop! 

Janet Jackson‘s ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., came out in 2006. Despite some upbeat songs, the Super Bowl incident prevented it from transcending and instead caused it to overshadow. Despite overwhelming odds, 20 Y.O. earned a platinum certification from the RIAA and a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

When Janet Jackson‘s singing career began to falter, she concentrated on acting and appeared in the film Why Did I Get Married? It earned US$60 million, making it her third straight movie to debut at the top of the box office. 

Janet Jackson agreed to a recording contract with Island Records in 2008. She released her ninth studio album that year, Discipline, which debuted at number one. Its main song peaked on the Hot 100 chart at position 19. Due to the success of her film, Why Did I Get Married Too? Her appearance in the drama For Colored Girls came next. Her largest international tour, Numbers: Up Close & Personal, which visited 35 cities worldwide, began around the same time.

One of the first African-American female performers to launch a record label was Janet Jackson, who started Rhythm Nation in 2015. She released a song under the label called No Sleeep, which peaked at number one on Twitter and Billboard. 

In October 2015, she issued her eleventh studio album, titled Unbreakable. The album received favorable reviews from critics and media outlets upon release.

After taking a little vacation to tend to her family’s needs, she started her Unbreakable World Tour. Later, she carried on with the tour under the name State of the World Tour. During the World Tour in February 2019, she announced her first musical residency, dubbed Metamorphosis.

Janet Jackson has worked as a businessperson and an endorser in addition to being a musician. She was the first famous person in the firm’s history to endorse the clothing line Blackglama for two years. Even better, she started her jewelry brand. She also wrote the self-help book True You, which details her challenges and life. The book headed the New York Times’ Best Seller list.

Awards & Achievements

The third most honored artist in history is Janet Jackson. She has won 208 accolades so far in her distinguished career out of the 400 nominations she has received, and the numbers are sure to rise in the years to come. 

Janet Jackson won numerous honors, including 13 Soul Train Music Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 11 American Music Awards, five Grammy Awards, nine MTV Video Music Awards, and eleven Grammy Awards. 

The Award of Merit from the American Music Awards, the Artistic Achievement Award from the Billboard Awards, the Video Vanguard Award from MTV, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Soul Train, and the Governor’s Award from the Recording Academy is among the most illustrious of these. 

Janet Jackson has won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the TMF Awards, the Inspiration Award from MTV Japan, and the Legend Award from the World Music Awards.

Her humanitarian work has earned her the Commitment to Life Award from the APLA, the Award of Courage from amfAR, and the Vanguard Award from GLAAD. She was even given a Humanitarian Award in recognition of her efforts to support AIDS charities. 

Janet Jackson also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in honor of her contributions to the music business and charitable work. 

In 2019, she was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

In 1984, Janet Jackson was married to the singer James DeBarge; however, the union was quickly dissolved. 

Later, she wed René Elizondo Jr. The couple kept their marital status a secret from her father as well as the international press during their secretive marriage. However, the marriage fell apart, which prompted René Elizondo Jr. to sue her for millions of dollars. 

Janet Jackson revealed in February 2013 that she had wed Wissam Al Mana, a businessman from Qatar, in a secret wedding the previous year. 

On January 3, 2017, the couple gave birth to a son named Eissa Al Mana, who was their first child. Janet Jackson announced that they were separating in April 2017. She only has a son, no daughter.

Janet Jackson was also engaged to Jermaine Dupri (2004-2009).

Net Worth

Janet Jackson‘s net worth was estimated at US$190 million. This caused some misunderstanding a few years ago since, in an interview with Janet Jackson for Variety, the reporter added up the gross sales from all of Jackson’s many endeavors (albums, movies, concerts, and merchandise), and the result was US$1.2 billion. 

However, that figure does not accurately represent Janet Jackson‘s net worth, which is the value of one’s current possessions.

Social Media

• Instagram: @janetjackson
• Twitter: @janetjackson
• YouTube: Janet Jackson
• Facebook: Janet Jackson