Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American
recording artist and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised
in Encino, Los Angeles, she is the youngest child of the
Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with
her family beginning at the age of seven, and later started her
career as an actress with the variety television series The Jacksons
in 1976. She went on to star in other television shows throughout
the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times and Fame.
At age sixteen in 1982, she signed a recording contract with A&M,
releasing her self-titled debut album the same year. She faced
criticism for her limited vocal range, and for being yet another
member of the Jackson family to become a recording artist.
Beginning with her third studio album Control (1986), she
began a long-term collaboration with record producers
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her music with Jam and Lewis
incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, disco, funk, and rap
with sample loop, triplet swing and industrial beats, which led to
crossover appeal in popular music. In addition to receiving
recognition for the innovation in her albums, choreography, music
videos, and prominence on MTV, Jackson was acknowledged
as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.
In 1991, she signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million
dollar recording contracts with Virgin Records, which established
her as one of the highest paid artists in the music industry.
Her debut album under the Virgin label, janet. (1993), saw Jackson
develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore
sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first
starring film role in Poetic Justice; since then she has continued to
act in feature films. By the end of the 1990s, she was named the
second most successful recording artist of the decade. All for You
(2001), became her fifth consecutive studio album to hit number
one on the Billboard 200 album charts. In 2007, she changed labels,
signing with the Island Def Jam Music Group and released her tenth
studio album Discipline the following year.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Jackson is ranked
as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as
the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with
26 million certified albums.[2] Her longevity, records and achievements
reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular
music. She has been cited as an inspiration
among numerous performers.
