Janet Jackson Biography

Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born in 1966 in Indiana. The youngest of the children in the infamous Jackson family, by the time she was born, the quest for stardom was already firmly enmeshed in her family culture.

Janet Jackson first appeared with her brothers in the Jackson 5 when she was only seven, but her breakthrough came as a cast member on Good Times, a popular television show. She remained on the show for two years, and in 1981, she moved to the series Diff’rent Strokes, where she remained from 1981 and 1982. She then went to A New Kind of Family. But by 1982, her family was strongly encouraging her to embark on a singing career and leave acting behind. Ultimately, she would go on to conquer both industries.

Janet Jackson’s first two albums barely made a ripple, but Control, her third album, was a monster tidal wave. Multiple hit singles were spawned from the album, including "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "Nasty," "When I Think of You," and "Let's Wait Awhile,” which all hit the top five.

Rhythm Nation was released in 1989, and was also a monster hit, selling over six million copies. Hit singles from the album, including "Miss You Much," "Escapade," "Black Cat," and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)” landed within the top five again, and Janet Jackson’s status as a superstar was solidified.

Over the years, many albums have followed, including janet (1993), The Velvet Rope (1997), All for You (2001), Damita Jo (2004), 20 Y.O. (2006), and Discipline (2008.)  Hit singles from these albums include "That's the Way Love Goes," "Again," "Because of You," "Any Time, Any Place," "You Want This," "I Get Lonely," and “Call on Me” to name a few.

Janet Jackson has also appeared in a number of films, including Poetic Justice in 1993, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps in 2000, Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too? in 2007 and 2010, and For Colored Girls, also in 2010.

In total, Janet Jackson has sold over 100 million records and ranks as one of the best-selling artists in music history. She is ranked as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, and Billboard ranks her at number seven on their All-Time Top Artists lists.