Janet Jackson

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Born on 05-16-1966 Nationality American		Buy Janet Jackson Contact Information Posters and Photos Music Autographs		Search for Janet Jackson Mailing Address Auctions		Janet Jackson Fun Love Match
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Biography

Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana. She was the youngest of nine children. Janet's early years were spent in a two-bedroom house with eight older siblings. By the time Janet was a toddler, her brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael had started performing on stage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5. In 1969, the group signed to Motown Records, and by the end of the year, they had recorded their first of their four consecutive number-one singles. Once the brothers achieved financial success the entire family moved to Southern California. Janet aspired to be a horse racing jockey when she was very young. But her father insisted that she enter the music industry, following in her brothers' footsteps. On April 9, 1974, Janet made her public debut performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with nearly all nine members of the Jackson family. Janet quickly became the star of the show, emulating and imitating various celebrities.

Her first full album was entitled Janet Jackson and was released in 1982. Her second album came out two years later in 1984 and was called Dream Street. She had some success with these two albums but her third would prove to be much more successful. Control was released in 1986 and its lyrics were autobiographical. She was breaking free from the strict limitations placed on her by her father and mother. She was becoming independent. Five top ten singles came from this album and launched several music videos showing a more mature Janet. Her image had changed from Miss. Janet to an edgy, in-control, powerful Ms. Janet. By the end of the year of its release Control had sold five million copies in the United States. It won multiple awards and nominations including a Soul Train Album of The Year and several MTV awards.

In 1989 Janet released her fourth album Rhythm Nation 1814. It went straight to number one on Billboard. The album was considered socially conscious and the lyrics addressed topics such as bigotry, ignorance and education. This effort sold six million copies by 1990 and had seven top five singles and four number one singles. She followed this major success with Janet, The Velvet Rope, All For You, Damita Jo and 20 Years Old.

In her personal life Janet has been very active in raising awareness of social and political maladies affecting people all over the world. Her album Rhythm Nation addressed issues of bigotry and tolerance, while her Velvet Rope CD dealt directly with issues of domestic violence, depression and low self-esteem. In 2000 many were shocked to discover that in 1991, Janet and long-time boyfriend, Rene Elizondo Jr., were secretly married in a private ceremony. Both hid their marriage from the public for almost a decade. In 2002 she started dating Jermaine Dupri with whom she has collaborated with on many of her CD's and singles.

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