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Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966 in
Gary, Indiana) is an American Pop music|pop, R&B
and soul singer-songwriter and the youngest child
of the hugely successful Jackson music family. She
rose out of the shadows of her famous brothers to
become one of the most successful female
entertainers of all time. She ranks as the
ninth-most successful artist in the history of
rock and roll, and is the youngest artist in the
top ten of that group, according to Billboard
magazine|Billboard magazine in 2004. She is well
known for her high-octane dance moves, influencing
many female artists such as, Aaliyah, Missy
Elliot, Beyoncé Knowles|Beyoncé, Brandy
Norwood|Brandy, and Britney Spears among others.

==Biography==
=== Early life ===

Jackson was born the last of nine children in
Gary, Indiana to parents Joseph Jackson|Joseph and
Katherine Jackson|Katherine Jackson. Joseph worked
hard labor as a crane operator in Gary's steel
mills. Before Janet was born, Joe had had his own
music career forming the R&B band, the Falcons.
They never got as far as the biggest nightclub in
Gary. Joseph was also a tough disciplinarian whose
teachings and lessons he instilled on his children
would later be questioned by those who have
written books about him since.

While Joe was stern and gregarious, mother
Katherine seemed angelic. For a time before Janet
was born, Katherine also held down a job working
as a store clerk for Sears. She quit the job as
soon as she became a devout Jehovah's Witness in
1965. She was considered the one who "kept the
glue within the family" during the earlier years.

By the time she was a toddler, Janet's older
brothers Jackie Jackson|Jackie, Tito Jackson|Tito,
Jermaine Jackson|Jermaine, Marlon Jackson|Marlon
and Michael Jackson|Michael had already begun to
perform onstage at nightclubs and theaters as the
Jackson 5. In March 1969, the group signed to
Motown Records, and by the end of the year, the
group recorded their first of their four
consecutive number-one singles, "I Want You Back".
By the time the J5 had achieved success, the
entire family moved out of Gary to Southern
California, eventually settling in a gated mansion
they named Hayvenhurst in 1971. Janet was five
years old by this point.

=== Early career===
When Jackson was 7, she had aspired to be a horse
jockey after a profound infatuation with horses.
However, her father thought otherwise, as he saw
her potential early on. After the success of the
Jackson 5 began to dwindle, Joseph decided to
bring the rest of his children into the spotlight,
including Janet.

On April 9, 1974, Janet made her public debut
performance at a Las Vegas nightclub, with nearly
all nine members of the Jackson family (Rebbie did
not join until a few months later at a different
city). Jackson quickly became the star of the
show, emulating and imitating various icons such
as Cher (entertainer)|Cher, Toni Tennille, and Mae
West, in particular. 

By 1976, Janet and the family's Vegas act had
caught the attention of CBS' president Fred
Silverman. The network was desperately trying to
find a new variety act to replace the recently
ended Sonny & Cher Show, since ABC had a competing
show featuring Donny Osmond|Donny and Marie
Osmond. 

Debuting on June 16, 1976, The Jacksons show
became the first African-American family to have a
variety show on TV. The show lasted only two
seasons and was cancelled in 1977.

===Acting career===

In 1977, 11-year-old Jackson's enthusiasm for
acting caught television producer Norman Lear's
ear. Lear was looking for someone to reawaken one
of his groundbreaking shows from TV ruin - the
family sitcom Good Times. Lear cast Jackson in
Good Times as an abused child named Penny. The
show's star, J.J. Evans, played by Jimmie Walker,
was the apple of Penny's eye on the show, a fact
the character would make known every time she saw
him. Jackson became one of the show's starring
cast members during the 1977-1978 season, and
would remain in the show until it was cancelled in
1979.

Jackson continued her acting career, appearing
briefly in a short-lived sitcom titled A New Kind
of Family, which was cancelled in early 1980. In
1981, she landed a recurring role on another
family sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes, playing Charlene
Duprey, the love interest of Willis (played by
Todd Bridges). Jackson had become the idol of
black girls, a notable example being Moesha
Mitchell, who was portrayed by Brandy Norwood in
the 1990s sitcom Moesha. Norwood was a huge
admirer of Jackson.

In 1984, Jackson reluctantly took the role of Cleo
Hewitt in the musical series, Fame (1982 TV
series)|Fame. She later told interviewers that her
father told her to do the role. After a year,
Jackson asked to be let go of her contract, and
did not appear in another television series for
nineteen years.

===Early musical endeavors===

Jackson always had an interest in music, writing
her first song at the age of nine, but she never
aspired to be a professional singer. Nonetheless,
she agreed to participate in music just to help
her family out. Her first ever recording was a
duet with baby brother Randy on a song titled "A
Love Song for Kids" in 1978. She would participate
in her family's other recordings, particularly
with sister LaToya and brother Michael.

In 1981, Jackson and her two older sisters LaToya
Jackson|LaToya and Rebbie Jackson|Rebbie had
wanted to start their own musical group, but
disagreements between the older sisters forced the
group to disband before ever making a record.

===Beginning a professional music career===

Although she was asked by her father Joseph
Jackson|Joseph to start a singing career, Jackson
was uncomfortable with being in the recording
studio, feeling she was not as talented vocally as
her brothers, particularly brother Michael
Jackson|Michael, who was becoming a pop superstar
thanks to his albums, Off the Wall and Thriller
(album)|Thriller. 

Nonetheless, at the age of sixteen, she released
her debut album simply called Janet Jackson
(album)|Janet Jackson though the teenager
protested that her last name should not have been
on the cover. Produced by soul singers Angela
Winbush, Rene Moore and Leon Sylvers of the famed
Sylvers family music group, the album reached #6
on the Billboard magazine|Billboard R&B album
charts, and spent 45 weeks in the Top 50 and hit
#63 on the Billboard Pop albums chart. 

The album featured 3 Top 20 Billboard R&B singles
"Young Love" (#6), "Say You Do" (#15) and "Come
Give Your Love To Me" (#17). Two of the singles,
"Young Love" and "Come Give Your Love to Me", went
as high as #64 and #58 on the Billboard pop charts
respectively.  

The album sold over a quarter million copies in
the US. Billboard Magazine gave Jackson the rank
of being the tenth biggest-selling R&B artist at
the end of 1982, while the debut album was given
the rank of being the tenth biggest-selling R&B
album of 1983.

Despite the modest success, Jackson found that she
had to compete with brother Michael
Jackson|Michael for pop music prominence, after
his success with his hit albums.

In 1984, Jackson, now eighteen, released her
second album, titled Dream Street (album)|Dream
Street. It marked a musical progression from her
debut, with funkier, up-tempo production by
brother Marlon and famed disco producer Giorgio
Moroder, producer of songs for artists such as
Donna Summer.

The album only peaked at #147 on the Billboard pop
album charts when it was released that July,
though it reached #19 on the R&B chart, and the
album overall only sold half of what her debut
sold. Critics soon began to demean Jackson's
career as a pop star over.

Around the same time, Jackson fell in love and
eloped with James DeBarge, member of the Motown
Records|Motown family group DeBarge. The marriage
was annulled in March 1985, with DeBarge's drug
habit often cited as the reason. After the
marriage was annulled and after years of dealing
with being a member of a world-famous family,
Jackson began to search for independence.

===In Control and leading a Nation===

After the limited success of her first two albums,
A&M A&R John McClain recruited producers Jimmy Jam
and Terry Lewis to enliven the music career of the
19-year-old. Before leaving for Minneapolis,
however, the producers were given the blessing of
Jackson's father, who later became her manager
after they promised him that Jackson would not
sound anything like Prince (musician)|Prince.

Within months, Jackson, Jam & Lewis crafted the
record Control (album)|Control, in which Jackson
told her life through a musical basis:

:"When I was 17 I did what people told me,
:Did what my father said and let my mother mold
me,
:First time I fell in love I didn't know what hit
me,
:So young and so naïve I thought it would be
easy,     
:But now I know I got to take control..."

The album was released in February 1986, and
became a smash hit based on singles such as "What
Have You Done For Me Lately", "Nasty" and "When I
Think of You". Accompanying music videos featuring
high-tech dance moves performed by Jackson
received heavy rotation on MTV, BET, VH-1 and
other music video channels. The album peaked at
Billboard magazine|#1 that May and sold over 5
million copies in The United States according to
the RIAA. Jackson performed at both the American
Music Awards (where she won two out of nine
nominations) and Grammy Awards (where the album
was up for Grammy Awards|Album of the Year).
Despite the success of Control, critics wrote
Jackson off as a "studio project", and were still
referring to her as "Michael's sister".

Jackson, now 22, went into production on her next
record, and was under pressure to deliver the same
messages and format as Control. However, affected
by images of shootings, drug dealing, gang-related
violence and poverty on television, Jackson wanted
to sing about those issues. The result was Rhythm
Nation 1814, which was released in October 1989.
Tracks on the album contained messages of unity
("Rhythm Nation"), education ("The Knowledge"),
poverty ("State of the World") and school
shootings ("Living in a World We Didn't Make"),
along with light-hearted songs such as "Escapade
(song)|Escapade" and "Alright", while "Black Cat
(song)|Black Cat", the solo Jackson production,
showcased a more rock and roll|rock side to the
artist.

Around the time that the album peaked at #1 in the
beginning of 1990, Jackson found even more success
with a three-set of videos from her "Rhythm
Nation" mini-movie, as well as the videos for the
songs that did not contain social messages that
filled up the mini-movie. Jackson had
co-choreographed most of the dance moves in the
videos. Seven songs from the album hit the Top 5
on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart between 1989
and 1991. Four of those ("Miss You Much",
"Escapade", "Black Cat" & "Love Will Never Do
(Without You)" were #1 records. The album sold
over 6 million in the U.S. according to the RIAA
and became the top-selling album of 1990,
solidifying Jackson's "hit-making" status. Rhythm
Nation 1814 won the Billboard Award for the
top-selling album of the year, along with multiple
awards at the Billboard Music Awards. Jackson only
won one of the eight Grammys she was nominated -
for Grammy Awards|Best Long Form Music Video.
Around the same time, Jackson embarked on a world
tour that was praised by critics, and the it
became the best-selling debut tour by an artist in
rock history.

===New Agenda & New Attitude===

After finding success as a singer, Jackson was
given a chance to resume her acting career when
director John Singleton allowed her to audition
for his film Poetic Justice, as a tough, poetic
hairdresser from South Central, Los Angeles.
Jackson won the role in the romantic drama,
starring opposite rapper Tupac Shakur. The film
opened in 1993, and depicted a very different
image of Jackson than what had been seen before;
her character cursed and even threatened people
who ever crossed her. This coincided with a change
in Jackson's music as she entered the studio to
record her fifth album (and third with Jimmy Jam
and Terry Lewis), simply titled janet., whose
music was brasher and more sexually charged than
her previous work.

Jackson released the album in May 1993, and the
first song, "That's The Way Love Goes", became an
unexpected hit; Jackson's new label Virgin
Records|Virgin had originally wanted the
hard-edged "If (song)|If" to be the album's lead
single, but Jackson successfully protested the
decision. "That's The Way Love Goes" yielded
Jackson's longest stay at the top of the Billboard
pop charts. Jackson also scored hits five other
singles including "If", the Academy
Award|Oscar-nominated "Again (1993 song)|Again"
and #1 R&B single of the year, "Any Time, Any
Place" (which spent 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard's
Top R&B Chart). The album became a huge success
worldwide, reaching #1 in 22 countries, selling
nearly 18 million copies. janet. was awarded
Grammy, MTV Video Music, and Soul Train Awards.

===Inside Her Velvet Rope===

In 1996, Jackson re-signed with Virgin for a
reported $80 million. Around the same time, she
was busy trying to create a concept around her
seventh album. Yet she was faced with personal
demons that almost downplayed the recordings.
Jackson acknowledged later she went through
clinical depression. The result was possibly her
most painful album, "The Velvet Rope". Despite the
usual love song ("I Get Lonely"), sex song ("Rope
Burn") and anti-racism anthem (the hidden track
"Can't Be Stopped"), most of the album showcased
pain, life lost, and spiritual growth. The album's
almost avant-garde approach took most of the
buying public off guard when it was released on
October 7, 1997; though it ended up becoming
another multi-platinum effort for the diva. And
unlike her previous albums, only four songs ("Got
Till It's Gone", the AIDS anthem "Together Again",
"Go Deep" and the smoky R&B number "I Get Lonely")
were released as singles while three more were
charted overseas. The tour, however, became a
bigger success. A televised show from New York
helped Jackson and her crew get nominated for
Emmy's. The album also showed signs that personal
strain had been developing in one of Jackson's
relationships with a former dancer.

===The Marriage & Divorce of Rene Elizondo===

When Janet suffered from the aftermath of her
failed marriage to James DeBarge in 1985, former
dancer Rene Elizondo was always by her side. They
began an on-again, off-again courtship in 1986
that resulted in a secret marriage in March, 1991.
Many speculated at the time of "The Velvet Rope",
their marriage had begun to fall apart. According
to both Jackson and Elizondo, the couple had
become more business partners than a couple.
Together, they helped cultivate the sounds that
made Jackson's music popular. By 1999, however,
their marriage was all but over. But it took a
year into Jackson working on her second box-office
flick, "The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" that
their marriage would finally be told to the world
as Rene revealed in 2000. Jackson explained in
interviews that she chose not to tell fans about
her marriage because since she had been in the
public spotlight at a young age that if word ever
got out about her marriage, then it would have
made it worse and the marriage was to be over
anyway. Elizondo later sued Jackson for spousal
support as they went through a nasty court battle
that finally ended in 2002 with the divorce
finalized and Elizondo only receiving half the
multi-million dollar pay-off he was hoping for.

===All For You and then some===

Janet released her eighth album in 2001. Titled
"All for You", Jackson made music history with the
album's title track reaching every format of radio
that day of its release. The song's success helped
the album reach #1 and become a big seller. The
other big hit included was "Someone To Call My
Lover". Unlike "The Velvet Rope", "All For You"
showcased a much happier Janet living the single
life.

Meanwhile, Jackson was on the mind of many a
gossip column about her alleged rapports with
everybody from actor Matthew McConaughey, singer
Justin Timberlake, singer Johnny Gill and rapper
Q-Tip. There were already innuendos (that were
later denied) that Jackson engaged in lesbianism
with her female back-up dancers. However, in
reality by 2002, Jackson was accompanying herself
with hip-hop producer and music mogul Jermaine
Dupri.

=== Super Bowl XXXVIII ===
Main article: Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show
controversy

During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII on
February 1, 2004, Janet Jackson performed with
Justin Timberlake to an audience of more than 100
million people. During this live performance, in
which Jackson sang along with Timberlake his song
"Rock Your Body", when they got to the part of the
song which goes '"gonna have you naked by the end
of this song"', her top was torn open by
Timberlake, exposing Jackson's right breast; the
nipple was partially covered by a starburst-shaped
decoration held in place by a piercing. Timberlake
called the incident a "wardrobe malfunction".

Jackson apologized at first, calling it an
accident and claiming that Timberlake was supposed
to pull away the bustier and leave the red-lace
Brassiere|bra intact, however, she later said to
an interviewer for Genre magazine that she wishes
she had not apologized at all.


CBS, the NFL, and MTV, which produced the halftime
show, disclaimed all responsibility under a
hailstorm of controversy. Jackson and Timberlake
confirmed those denials, but The Federal
Communications Commission|FCC continued with its
investigation.  As a result, CBS conditioned its
invitation for Jackson to appear at the 2004
Grammy Awards ceremony on another public apology. 
She declined, but Justin Timberlake apologized and
appeared as both a performer and a presenter. This
led to some people complaining about a so-called
"double standard": although both Jackson and
Timberlake were complicit in the "wardrobe
malfunction" incident, people were seemingly
placing more of the blame for it on Jackson. 

Because of heightened FCC scrutiny of obscene
content on television and radio, the entertainment
industry suffered a major backlash. Broadcasters
implemented video delays of several minutes in
some cases where only audio delays had been used
before. Programs that once pushed the envelope
began eliminating even mildly coarse language from
their broadcasts. Some performers were penalized
for things that had been acceptable previously.
Many people directly blamed Jackson for igniting
this new wave of censorship while in fact the FCC
was already moving in that direction (and
Timberlake's complicity has been largely ignored
or forgotten).  Even greater responsibility for
the crackdown rests with such groups as the
Parents Television Council which was responsible
for the vast majority of FCC complaints regarding
the incident and since then.

The incident also resulted in further professional
setbacks for Jackson.  Prior to the Super Bowl,
she was set to play legendary entertainer Lena
Horne in her bio-pic.  But after the incident,
Horne reportedly refused to return her contract
for the film until Jackson was dropped from the
project. The project, meanwhile, has been put on
hold indefinitely.

Despite all of that, Jackson has managed to
survive the incident and the troubles her older
brother Michael Jackson|Michael was facing due to
his trial for child molestation and ultimate
acquittal (which Janet was present for) by showing
the perseverance that has made her a superstar.

=== Life after Super Bowl ===

Many thought it was awkward that a month after the
Super Bowl scandal, Janet released her ninth
album, "Damita Jo", with the cover of a topless
Jackson covering her breasts. Controversy dogged
what was potentially a hit album. But even in the
midst of everything, the album still managed to
make a #2 debut on the charts though it was her
first since "Rhythm Nation" to not make it #1 in
its first week.  The album sold three million
copies worldwide to date and garnered Platinum
status in America. It could be because this album
is a "copy controlled" disc in Europe. The only
big hit from the album was her Grammy-nominated
Motown-like soul ballad, "I Want You". The single
for "I Want You" was only released in Europe and
Japan as part single with "All Nite (Don't Stop)."
 "Just a Little While" was Janet's first single
not to hit the top 40 since her song "Come Give
Your Love To Me" from her Debut album Janet
Jackson (album)|Janet Jackson The album, itself,
was nominated for a Grammy for Grammy Awards|Best
Contemporary R&B Album.

Fighting back against her critics, Jackson began
doing interviews. She also hosted Saturday Night
Live and was heavily praised in her ability to
make light of her 'wardrobe malfunction'. She
impersonated Condoleezza Rice flashing her breast
to the 9/11 commission to divert attention from
the war in Iraq. In a much lighter tone, Jackson
appeared on a TV show for the first time since she
was the special guest on the hit show, "Will &
Grace" as herself.

As of 2005, there are plans to release a new
album, which would feature production once again
from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis with her boyfriend
Jermaine Dupri as one of its executive producers.
Jimmy Jam told an interviewer that the new album,
expected to feature more dance numbers, will come
out in 2006, 20 years after Jackson began her
successful journey.

==Discography==

===Albums===
As of current, Janet Jackson has sold 27 million
albums in the United States, and 78 million
worldwide. (Note that some of her U.S sales have
gone uncertified, and as of yet need updating.
* 1982 Janet Jackson (album)|Janet Jackson #63 US
- Worldwide sales - 0.25 million
* 1984 Dream Street (album)|Dream Street #147 US -
Worldwide sales - 0.35 million
* 1986 Control (album)|Control #1 (2 weeks) US, #8
UK; US: 5x Platinum - Worldwide sales: 14 million
* 1989 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 #1 (4
weeks) US, #4 UK; US: 6x Platinum - Worldwide
sales: 14 million
* 1993 janet. #1 (6 weeks) US, #1 UK; US: 6x
Platinum -  Worldwide sales: 18 million 
* 1995 Design of a Decade 1986/1996 #3 US, #2 UK;
US: 2x Platinum - Worldwide sales: 10 million
* 1997 The Velvet Rope #1 (1 week) US, #6 UK; US:
3x Platinum - Worldwide sales: 10 million
* 2001 All for You #1 (1 week) US, #2 UK; US: 2x
Platinum - Worldwide sales: 8 million
* 2004 Damita Jo #2 US, #32 UK; US: Platinum -
Worldwide sales: 3 million

===Remix albums===

* 1987 Control the remixes Worldwide sales: 2
million
* 1994 Janet remixed Worldwide sales: 2 million

===Hit Singles===

This below shows the list of hits Janet achieved
on the Billboard magazine | Billboard Billboard
Hot 100 | Hot 100, Billboard|R&B and overall
charts in her illustrious music career:

*"Young Love" (1982) #64 Pop, #6 R&B
*"Come Give Your Love to Me" (1983) #58 Pop, #17
R&B
*"Don't Stand Another Chance" (1984) #9 R&B
*"What Have You Done For Me Lately" (1986) #4 Pop,
#1 R&B, #3 UK
*"Nasty" (1986) #3 Pop, #1 R&B, #19 UK
*"When I Think of You" (1986) #1 (2 weeks) Pop, #3
R&B, #10 UK
*"Control (song)|Control" (1986) #5 Pop, #1 R&B
*"Let's Wait Awhile" (1987) #2 Pop, #1 R&B, #3 UK
*"The Pleasure Principle(1987) #14 Pop, #1 R&B,
#24 UK
*"Diamonds" (w/Herb Alpert; uncredited) (1987) #5
Pop, #1 R&B
*"Miss You Much" (1989) #1 (4 weeks) Pop, #1 R&B,
#22 UK
*"Rhythm Nation" (1989) #2 Pop, #1 R&B, #23 UK
*"Come Back to Me" (1990) #2 Pop, #2 R&B, #20 UK
*"Escapade" (1990) #1 (3 weeks) Pop, #1 R&B, #17
UK
*"Alright" (1990) #4 Pop, #2 R&B, #20 UK
*"Black Cat" (1990) #1 (1 week) Pop, #10 R&B, #15
UK
*"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (1990) #1 (1
week) Pop, #3 R&B, #34 UK
*"The Best Things in Life Are Free" (w/Luther
Vandross) (1992) #10 Pop, #1 R&B, #2 UK
*"That's The Way Love Goes" (1993) #1 Pop (8
weeks), #1 R&B, #2 UK
*"If (song)|If" (1993) #4 Pop, #3 R&B, #14 UK
*"Again" (1993) #1 (2 weeks) Pop, #7 R&B, #6 UK
*"Because Of Love" (1994) #10 Pop, #9 R&B, #19 UK
*"Any Time, Any Place" (1994) #2 Pop, #1 (10
weeks) R&B, #13 UK
*"You Want This" (1994) #8 Pop, #8 R&B, #14 UK
*"Scream (song)|Scream" (w/Michael Jackson) (1995)
#5 Pop, #2 R&B, #3 UK
*"Runaway (song)|Runaway" (1995) #3 Pop, #6 R&B,
#6 UK
*"Together Again" (1997) #1 (2 weeks) Pop, #7 R&B,
#4 UK
*"I Get Lonely" (w/or without Blackstreet) (1998)
#3 Pop, #1 R&B, #5 UK
*"Luv Me, Luv Me" (1998) (w/Shaggy) #76 Pop
*"What's It Gonna Be?!" (Busta Rhymes featuring
Janet) (1999) #3 Pop, #1 R&B, #6 UK
*"Girlfriend/Boyfriend" (w/Blackstreet) (1999) #47
Pop, #17 R&B
*"Doesn't Really Matter" (2000) #1 (3 weeks) Pop,
#3 R&B, #5 UK
*"All For You (song)" (2001) #1 Pop (7 weeks), #1
R&B, #3 UK
*"Someone To Call My Lover" (2001) #3 Pop, #11
R&B, #11 UK
*"Son Of A Gun (I Bet You Think This Song is About
You)" (w/ Carly Simon, various remixes include
Missy Elliott and/or P. Diddy) (2001) #27 Pop, #31
R&B
*"Feel It Boy" (w/Beenie Man) (2002) #28 Pop, #31
R&B
*"Just A Little While" (2004) #45 Pop
*"I Want You" (2004) #57 Pop, #18 R&B
*"All Nite (Don't Stop)" (2004) #90 R&B

==Filmography==
*Poetic Justice (1993)
*Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)

==Grammy Awards==
*"Best Long-Form Music Video (Rhythm Nation)"
(1989)
*"Best R&B Song (That's The Way Love Goes)" (1993)
*"Best Short-Form Music Video (Scream)" (1995)
*"Best Short-Form Music Video (Got 'til It's
Gone)" (1997)
*"Best Dance Recording (All For You)" (2001)

Janet was nominated for Album of the Year for her
"Control" album in 1986 and she shared the Grammy
Awards|Producer of the Year nomination with Jimmy
Jam & Terry Lewis for her work on the "Rhythm
Nation 1814" album.

==Trivia==

*Janet's first biography was released in 1977 as a
joint bio about her and brother
Randy_Jackson_%28musician%29|Randy
*Janet's first musical recording was a duet with
brother Randy on the b-side to his modest charted
hit single, "How Can I Be Sure" on a song titled
"A Love Song for Kids", in 1978 when she was only
twelve.
*Janet sung background vocals on brother Michael
Jackson|Michael's Top 10 hit, "P.Y.T. (Pretty
Young Thing)", in 1983.
*Janet wore a key earring throughout her tenure as
a rising pop superstar in the 1980s|80s.
*Janet became the first artist to score a #1 hit
simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 and
Mainstream Rock singles chart with "Black Cat" in
1990.
*Brother Michael claims in his "Home Movies"
documentary in 2003 that Janet emulated his
choreography from his "Captain EO" short movie
into her "Rhythm Nation" music video which she
choreographed with Anthony Thomas four years
later.
*Janet's first nickname was "Dunk", given to her
by brother Michael.
*Janet's debut tour has been dubbed the all time
greatest debut tour in history.
*Janet is the #2 most successful artist on the hot
Dance Music/Club Play chart, behind only Madonna
(entertainer) | Madonna.
*Janet Jackson is the only artist to place seven
consecutive Top Five singles on the Billboard Hot
100 from one album, Rhythm Nation 1814. 
*Janet's breakthrough album Control had one single
- "When I Think Of You" hit #1 on the Billboard
Hot 100. However, the other five singles ("What
Have You Done For Me Lately," "Nasty," "Control,"
"Let's Wait Awhile" and "The Pleasure Principle")
all hit #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and
Tracks chart | R&B Chart. "When I Think Of You"
hit #3 on the R&B chart. 
*Janet remains the only Jackson family member to
be nominated for an Academy Award.  Her single
"Again" was nominated for Academy Awards|Best
Original Song in 1994.
*Janet held a record for having the most Top 10
hits in a succession of years: 9 (1989-1998) and
held a record for the most consecutive Top 10 hits
of any artist: 19

==Awards & accolades==
*For a list of awards see: List of Janet Jackson
awards and accolades
*For a list of Grammy nominations see: Grammy
nominations for Janet Jackson

==See also==
* List of best selling music artists
*List of number-one hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the Hot
100 (US)
*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the US
Dance chart

== External links ==
* http://www.janetjackson.com/ Official Janet
Jackson site
* http://www.janetdamitajo.com/ Janet Jackson
fansite
* http://janetjunkie.forumer.com/ Janet Jackson
forum site
* imdb name|id=0001390|name=Janet Jackson