Photo credit – Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame/Getty Images
Today back in 1966, a POP ICON was born!
The 53-year-old singer was born Janet Domita Jo Jackson and she would forever change the world.
She was the youngest out of her 10 siblings, raised in Gary, IN. Her family was Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they even went go door to door.
A career in fame wasn’t always her first choice. She had dreams of becoming a horse-racing jockey, Mc. Donald’s employee, or a lawyer.
She got a dose of being an entertainer the first time she performed on the Las Vegas Strip at MGM Casino. She was only seven at the time! She also made her first TV debut alongside her brothers, The Jackson 5.
It’s “Ms. Janet” if you nasty, but when she was younger, her nickname was “Dunk.” She got the name after Michael said that her sturdy body resembled a donkey.
Janet and Michael were very close growing up and when they became adults. In 1982, she sang on his “PYT” song. In 1995 they dropped another joint collab, “Scream.” This was considered one of Janet’s most enduring songs.
Around the time it was released, Micheal was dealing with his child sexual abuse scandal. The song was a response to the media. It was also reportedly the most expensive music video ever made, costing $7 million. It also won a Grammy for the best music video.
Janet Jackson is also listed in the Guinness World Records as “Most Searched Person in Internet History” and “Most Searched News Item in Internet History” is 2007.
Her 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance, where Justin Timberlake accidentally exposed her breast to 140 million viewers on LIVE TV, became the most recorded and replayed moment in TV history. The Federal Communications Commission fined all companies involved and investigated the incident for eight years.
She made her film debut in 1993, in Poetic Justice, which also starred Tupac. Throughout her career she had roles in The Nutty Professor, Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?
The five-time Grammy Award-winning recording icon was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March. She joined her brothers The Jackson Five and Micheal Jackson.
Janet is timeless and inspired many artists today. Happy birthday, QUEEN!
