La Toya Jackson
Encyclopedia
La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American
singer-songwriter
, musician
, author
, television personality, actress, businesswoman
, philanthropist
, activist and former model
. She is the fifth child of the Jackson family. She maintained a career as a singer throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and returned to music in 2004 with her Billboard charting songs "Just Wanna Dance
" and "Free the World
". An EP called Starting Over was released June 21, 2011 which will be followed by a full-length album that will be released later in the year.
's 6th birthday on May 29, 1956, in Gary, Indiana
, La Toya Jackson is the fifth of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson
and the middle female child between Rebbie and Janet. Growing up, La Toya was a shy homebody. After her mother became a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses
in 1965, La Toya, along with the rest of her siblings followed. She would spend some of her time (alongside her mother) preaching door-to-door. "Every morning, Michael and I witnessed, knocking on doors around Los Angeles
, spreading the word of Jehovah." By 1972, at sixteen, La Toya joined her brothers in the spotlight with a tap dancing routine when her father arranged for them to perform shows in Las Vegas
, among other cities. Jackson aspired to be an attorney specializing in business law. She attended college for a short time before her father insisted that she pursue a career in show business like the rest of the family.
and Janet
appeared in all twelve episodes of The Jacksons
—a CBS
-TV variety program, with their brothers Jackie
, Tito
, Marlon
, Michael
, and Randy. Along with their brothers (minus Jermaine
), La Toya and her sisters sang, danced and performed skits. In 1978 during the filming of The Wiz
, La Toya traveled with her brother to New York. Sharing an apartment, it was the first time either of them had lived elsewhere as adults. Close siblings, Michael and La Toya, would not move out of the family's Encino
home until they were 30 and 31 respectively.
Gentleman callers during this period included Diana Ross
' brother Chico, Prince
, and a young David Gest
. Jackson also dated Bobby DeBarge
, and was the inspiration for Switch
's 1979 hit "I Call Your Name" and 1980's "You and I".
Under Joe Jackson's tutelage Rebbie, La Toya and Janet formed a short-lived musical group. However, they never performed live and soon separated because of creative differences about the act's future direction. Consequently, no related material was ever released by the trio
. The next year, La Toya began work on her first solo album.
. In order to distinguish herself from her famous brothers, The Jacksons, La Toya only wanted her first name on the album. "I begged just to have it 'La Toya'. But my father said, 'It's your last name. You got to use it.' But I wanted to see what I could do as an individual." The first single "If You Feel the Funk
", became a modest hit, climbing into the Top 40 of the US R&B chart. Her second single, "Night Time Lover
", was produced by younger brother Michael
, who provided backing vocals. In turn, she provided the opening scream on her brothers', The Jacksons, 1980 hit, "This Place Hotel
" as well as backing vocals on brother Michael's 1984 solo hit "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
".
The La Toya Jackson album peaked at #116 on the US Billboard 200
, #26 on the Billboard R&B album chart
, and #178 on the UK Top 200
, making it her highest placing album.
In 1982, Jackson released a follow-up album, My Special Love
, which generated two singles, "Stay the Night" and "I Don't Want You to Go
".
. Jackson scored her biggest Billboard Hot 100
hit with the titular track "Heart Don't Lie
", which peaked at number 56. Other singles from this album were "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'
", "Hot Potato
", and a cover of Prince's
"Private Joy
." Jackson and Amir Bayyan co-wrote "Reggae Nights" for Heart Don't Lie but the track did not make the cut. Jimmy Cliff
's recording of the song was a hit and was nominated for a Grammy
. Cliff commissioned Jackson to write two more songs: "Brown Eyes" and "American Sweet."
In 1984 Jackson capitalized on her rising popularity by licensing her name to a fashion line; "David Laurenz for La Toya." According to her three year contract with the suede and leather-maker Jackson agreed to only wear David Laurenz items during her public appearances. Apparel in the collection included Jackson's signature leather headband
s. Jackson starred in adverts for Nikon
cameras and the following year she become the spokesmodel for cosmetics firm Mahogany Image and launched her own eponymous fragrance, La Toya.
In 1985 Jackson participated on the single "We Are the World
", an appeal for famine relief in Ethiopia
. That same year Jackson featured in anti-drug music video
"Stop the Madness
".
Her 1985 single "Baby Sister
" was a notable success, as it received one of three Outstanding Song Awards at the sixteenth annual World Popular Song Festival in Japan
. "Baby Sister" was included on the 1986 album Imagination
, released just before Jackson's record label, Private-I, went bankrupt resulting in poor promotion. Jackson went on to record two duets; "Oops, Oh No!
" with Cerrone
, and "Yes, I'm Ready
" with artist Jed. In 1987 Jackson was featured as a special guest at Minako Honda
's DISPA (Disco Party) concert, joining in for the song, "Funkytown
".
Under Gordon's management, Jackson's public image became increasingly sexier. Katherine Jackson
recalled her shock seeing La Toya dance in a suggestive manner in 1988 for the first time in her autobiography My Family, The Jacksons, "she'd been so conservative that she'd once dropped a friend who had begun wearing low-cut tops and skirts with slits in them." Katherine believed that Gordon was distancing La Toya from her family so he could "become the dominating influence in her life." Around this time Jackson was disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses
. Defying her father, Jackson made a stormy exit from the family's Encino
compound to take up residence in New York City
.
In late 1988, Jackson released the album La Toya
, which featured the singles, "You're Gonna Get Rocked!
" and "(Ain't Nobody Loves You) Like I Do
". The album also included a track titled "Just Say No", which was written for the Reagan administration
's anti-drug campaign
. The album included four tracks produced by Full Force
, and three by Stock Aitken Waterman
. The album is notable for being the first one Jackson released after changing her management.
In March 1989, Jackson posed topless for Playboy
magazine. Jackson saw the pictorial as a declaration of independence from her conservative upbringing and "to show my parents they couldn't dictate to me any more—that I control my life." The cover and layout was one of the most successful issues in Playboys history, turning Jackson into an overnight sex symbol
. At its time of release, it sold over 8 million copies, going on to become the best selling issue of the magazine ever. She posed again in Playboy in November 1991 to promote her autobiography and subsequently acted in a 1994 video for the magazine, becoming one of the first celebrities to have a Playboy video released. She later said that she initially refused to pose for the second spread and for the video, however, Gordon beat her into submission.
In 1989, Jackson began recording her sixth album Bad Girl. That year Jackson staged a live pay-per-view
concert, A Sizzling Spectacular!, from Bally's
theatre in Reno
. Jackson's set list included songs from La Toya and Bad Girl. The show featured special guest star Edgar Winter
.
Jackson, claiming it was for her own protection against kidnapping by her family. La Toya Jackson states that this was both unplanned and against her wishes. According to Jackson; "I told him, 'No way, Jack! I can't marry you. You know what marriage means to me. I've never been in love; I don't even date.... It's not right. I don't love you. I don't have feelings for you.'" Jackson tried to run out of the chapel three times but bodyguard Antonio Rossi grabbed her saying, "There's some things you have to do. Even if you don't want to." Jackson told Ebony
magazine the marriage was "strictly in name only. It has never been consummated." Six months into the marriage, Jackson asked Gordon for an annulment
when in Rome, Italy. In response, Gordon repeatedly bashed her head against the corner of the hotel room table saying that he would never let her go. Paparazzi
subsequently photographed Jackson with black eye
s, which Gordon claimed was caused by an intruder. From this point forward, Jackson lost all contact with her family and wrote an autobiography, La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family
, which accused her father of physical abuse
.
For roughly the next decade Gordon controlled Jackson with threats, lies, and routine violence. According to Jackson, "When he hit me, the first time I was in shock, I just recalled my ear ringing, just ringing so hard." Gordon confiscated Jackson's passport, transferred her bank accounts into his name, hired bodyguards to watch La Toya constantly and banned her from speaking to or seeing her family, monitoring her every phone call. La Toya's father Joseph stated in his book The Jacksons that he believed Gordon brainwashed
La Toya and made her fearful of her own family. Katherine
also believed that La Toya had been brainwashed while Gordon claimed that Katherine had tried to kill her daughter. Sister Janet
concurred with her parents saying at the time, "I think this guy who is with her has brainwashed her and made her like this... He keeps her away from the family, and now he's brainwashed her so much she keeps herself away from us."
In 1990 Jackson participated in the Sanremo Music Festival, entering "You and Me
" an English-language version of "Verso l'ignoto" by siblings Marcella
and Gianni Bella. While "You and Me" did not win Best Song, it entered Italy
's hit parade
, peaking at number twenty-eight. That year Jackson signed on with German-based BCM Records and released the single "Why Don't You Want My Love?
" Jackson recorded other material with BCM, but the label went bankrupt and album plans were scrapped. Jackson signed with Dino Records quickly thereafter. 1991 saw the release of No Relations, an album with strong house
and funk
influences. This album featured Jackson's top twenty-five Netherlands
hit "Sexbox
".
In 1992 Jackson signed a contract with the Moulin Rouge
in Paris
to star in her own revue, Formidable
. Jackson was to perform two shows a night, six nights a week. Jackson was highest paid performer in the cabaret's history earning a reported $5 million. Though Formidable was successful, selling out on most nights, Jackson departed half-way into her year-long contract owing the nightclub $550,000 in damages.
In October 1992 while taping an Exotic Club Tour in Minneapolis Jackson approached sister Janet Jackson
, also in town recording her fifth studio album
with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
, to ask for help in escaping Gordon. Janet struck La Toya, accusing her elder sister of recording their conversation.
In 1993 in their New York home, Gordon beat Jackson repeatedly with a heavy brass dining room chair, leaving Jackson with black eyes, swollen lip and chin "the size of a clenched fist," cuts requiring 12 mouth stitches and contusions on her face, arms, legs and back. Jackson lost consciousness during the beating, leading Gordon to believe she was dead. She recalled, "He called his friends and said, 'She's dead. I killed her,' because I was lying in a puddle of blood and I was out." Gordon was arrested but then released, claiming he beat Jackson in self defense.
In December 1993 Gordon hastily arranged a press conference in Tel Aviv
, where he had Jackson read a statement claiming to believe the sensational sex abuse allegation
against her younger brother Michael
might be true. This was an abrupt reversal of her previous defense of Michael against the charges. Gordon claimed La Toya had proof which she was prepared to disclose for a fee of $500,000. A bidding war between US and UK tabloids began, but fell through when they realized that her revelations were not what she had claimed them to be. According to La Toya, Gordon threatened to have siblings Michael and Janet killed if she didn't follow his orders.
Under Gordon's management, Jackson's career declined with his booking of disreputable jobs such as spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network
. Because of Gordon's steady stream of publicity stunt
s and her media portrayal as the Jackson family "black sheep
" La Toya had become a hate figure
of sorts. By the mid-1990s Jackson's finances were in disarray and she was forced to file for bankruptcy in order to stave off claims of $650,000 in damages to the Moulin Rouge
for ending her contract early.
In 1993 Jackson held a concert at Poland
's Sopot International Song Festival
and released a step aerobics
exercise video, Step-Up Workout. In 1994, Jackson again worked for Playboy Entertainment, becoming one the very first celebrities to have a Celebrity Centerfold video. Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: La Toya Jackson
was released in the first quarter of 1994 and sold roughly 50,000 copies. Jackson later released two albums, one of country music
, From Nashville to You
, and another of Motown hits, Stop in the Name of Love
, in the mid-1990s.
to help her escape while Gordon was out. Only days later, La Toya filed for divorce from Las Vegas and sued Gordon in civil court for years of abuse under the Violence Against Women Act
.
La Toya Jackson ended her estrangement with the entire Jackson family and returned home to Hayvenhurst. Jackson forgave her parents for her stifled upbringing reasoning, "I've come to realize that as we get older, we grow and learn a lot more. And I think that my father and my mother, they raised children the best way they know how." According to La Toya, Michael knew that she was forced to attack him in the press against her will and he did not blame her. "He never held any of that against me, I remember when I'd got away from this total hell I'd been through where I'd been beaten, abused, controlled and forced to say those terrible things about Michael, which I didn't for a moment believe, he held out his arms and just hugged me. I was crying saying: 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.' He just held me tight and said: 'I am your brother, I always knew it wasn't you saying those words." Jackson's last single of the 1990s was "Don't Break My Heart."
After separating from Gordon, Jackson cloistered herself in her home and lived alone for the first time—the first six months she stated she never actually left her house due to being terrified of Gordon seeing her. Weary after her years of public scorn, she didn't know what to do with her life and was afraid to perform again. Jackson struggled to rebuild her confidence but was plagued with self doubt, explaining, "I got to the point, [...] where—well, you know in the media they say things like, 'Oh, she can't sing. She has no talent. She can't dance.' I started believing that, and I was thinking, 'Oh my God'. And I started thinking, 'Oh gee, how could this happen to me?' How could I start believing this?". After this time she started to perform in Europe and South America occasionally to start making money to pay off the huge debts which Gordon had accumulated in her name while they were married. In the wake of the September 11 attacks Jackson was moved to compose "Free the World
". She performed the song for friends to a positive reception. This spurred on Jackson to write more songs, ending up with a full album, Startin' Over.
on March 9, 2003. Her appearance caused CNN
's phone lines to stay busy for hours and was King
's highest-rated show in three years. Jackson announced her first musical project in six years, Startin' Over. Startin' Over's lead single
was 2004's "Just Wanna Dance
", released independently under her pseudonymous nickname "Toy" in order to avoid any prejudices DJs might hold against La Toya Jackson's name. The plan worked, with "Just Wanna Dance" reaching #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance chart. "Free the World
" was released later that year to similar success. Jackson's label, Ja-Tail Records secured a deal with Universal Music Group
to distribute the album, which was delayed several times due to extenuating circumstances. The 2003 promotional copy of Startin' Over leaked
online in 2006, however Jackson's management revealed that the entire album was being re-recorded with an all-new track list and updated sound. That year Jackson became the spokeswoman for Australian malt beverage Star Ice's US launch.
After Jack Gordon's death in 2005, Jackson was free to speak more openly about the control he exerted over her life. She sent a security expert to eyewitness that Gordon had not faked his death a second time. In 2005 she appeared on ABC News
to recant her previous allegations and defend brother Michael against new charges of child abuse
. VH1
described Jackson as a role model
having weathered various successes and setbacks. The perception of Jackson as an underdog
and her support for LGBT rights has led her to be declared a gay icon
.
premiered on CBS
starring Jackson and other celebrities. The program documented Jackson's basic training
and service as a reserve police officer
with the Muncie
Police Department. Jackson maintains her badge by continuing to volunteer as a deputy
.
The show was eventually removed from the CBS lineup, due to its inability to compete with American Idol
. VH1
subsequently aired the remaining episodes. On the show, Jackson demonstrated her phobia of cats
, after she began hysterically screaming and locked herself in a squad car. This fear, she revealed, was caused by a childhood memory in which a relative was attacked by a cat. She underwent on-screen therapy
to try to relieve her of this phobia. A single called "Armed and Famous" was planned but the title was changed to "I Don't Play That
" shortly before it was sent to radio stations, where it failed to take off, on January 29, 2007, due to CBS' cancellation of the show.
In January 2009, Jackson was paid £103,000 to appear as a contestant on the British television program Celebrity Big Brother
. She was the second member of the Jackson family to be on the show, the first being her brother Jermaine
in 2007
. Jackson's goal in participating in show was to get over her shyness and "mix with people who I'd never normally meet." She was the fourth person evicted from the house ,and was the first evictee of the series to be cheered on her exit.
. A new lead single, "Love, Honor, and Obey", planned for a summer 2009 release, was put on hold because of the death of Jackson's younger brother Michael
. Instead, "Home
" was released on 28 July 2009 in Michael's memory with all proceeds going to AIDS Project Los Angeles
, one of his favorite charities.
La Toya Jackson was one of the first siblings present at Reagan-UCLA Medical Center
on June 25, 2009, after brother Michael Jackson
was pronounced dead after suffering cardiac arrest
. She was named as the informant on her brother's death certificate
. Jackson requested a second autopsy to be carried out after noting suspicious medical paraphernalia in Michael's rented house, evasive behavior by his doctors, and discovering that $2 million in cash and jewels had gone missing. On July 13, an interview was published in News of the World
and the Daily Mail
wherein Jackson went public with her conclusion that Michael was murdered. The Los Angeles County Coroner
ruled Jackson's death a homicide
weeks later.
Jackson took part in NBC's Celebrity Apprentice
, which aired from March through May 2011 and raised $65,000 for her chosen charity, AIDS Project Los Angeles. La Toya was "fired" from Celebrity Apprentice
in episode 8 during season 11, which aired on April 24, 2011 on NBC. In an Apprentice first, Jackson was rehired the following episode, as she felt she couldn't defend her case. La Toya was fired for the second time on May 8, 2011 and became the first person in history to be fired from The Apprentice twice within the same season. She was also the first guest judge to appear in two episodes of season three
of RuPaul's Drag Race
.
She was a guest judge on the 17th season of America's Next Top Model
.
Jackson's second memoir, Starting Over, was released in the United States on June 21, 2011 through Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
. An EP, also called Starting Over,was released the same day via digital outlets. A new single will be released a month later followed by Jackson's final full-length album in the last quarter of 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, television personality, actress, businesswoman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, activist and former model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. She is the fifth child of the Jackson family. She maintained a career as a singer throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and returned to music in 2004 with her Billboard charting songs "Just Wanna Dance
Just Wanna Dance
"Just Wanna Dance" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her yet-to-be-released album Startin' Over. It peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, making it her highest charting single.-Song information:...
" and "Free the World
Free the World
"Free the World" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. Jackson spent six years in seclusion after divorcing her abusive late ex-husband and manager, Jack Gordon, in 1997. After her years in exile, the September 11th attacks inspired Jackson to write "Free the World". She recorded and...
". An EP called Starting Over was released June 21, 2011 which will be followed by a full-length album that will be released later in the year.
Early life
Born on her sister RebbieRebbie Jackson
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Brown is an American singer professionally known as Rebbie Jackson . Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she is the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians...
's 6th birthday on May 29, 1956, in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, La Toya Jackson is the fifth of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson
Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
and the middle female child between Rebbie and Janet. Growing up, La Toya was a shy homebody. After her mother became a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
in 1965, La Toya, along with the rest of her siblings followed. She would spend some of her time (alongside her mother) preaching door-to-door. "Every morning, Michael and I witnessed, knocking on doors around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, spreading the word of Jehovah." By 1972, at sixteen, La Toya joined her brothers in the spotlight with a tap dancing routine when her father arranged for them to perform shows in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, among other cities. Jackson aspired to be an attorney specializing in business law. She attended college for a short time before her father insisted that she pursue a career in show business like the rest of the family.
1970s: The Jacksons
In 1976 and 1977, La Toya and her sisters RebbieRebbie Jackson
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Brown is an American singer professionally known as Rebbie Jackson . Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she is the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians...
and Janet
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
appeared in all twelve episodes of The Jacksons
The Jacksons (TV series)
The Jacksons is an American variety show featuring the Jackson siblings . It was the first variety show where the entire cast were siblings...
—a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
-TV variety program, with their brothers Jackie
Jackie Jackson
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson is an American singer and musician, a member of The Jackson 5, and the second child in the Jackson family.-Life and career:...
, Tito
Tito Jackson
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson is an American singer and lead guitarist and original member of The Jackson 5. He is the older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Early life and rise to stardom:...
, Marlon
Marlon Jackson
Marlon David Jackson is an American entertainer singer, dancer, former member of The Jackson 5, and elder brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Personal life:...
, Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, and Randy. Along with their brothers (minus Jermaine
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
), La Toya and her sisters sang, danced and performed skits. In 1978 during the filming of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
, La Toya traveled with her brother to New York. Sharing an apartment, it was the first time either of them had lived elsewhere as adults. Close siblings, Michael and La Toya, would not move out of the family's Encino
Encino, Los Angeles, California
Encino is a hilly district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Specifically, it is located in the central portion of the southern San Fernando Valley and on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains...
home until they were 30 and 31 respectively.
Gentleman callers during this period included Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
' brother Chico, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and a young David Gest
David Gest
David Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
. Jackson also dated Bobby DeBarge
Bobby DeBarge
Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge Jr. was an American musician and the lead singer of the 1970s Motown R&B group Switch. He was also the mentor behind his younger siblings who formed the musical group DeBarge and was the biggest influence among its members, most prominently El DeBarge...
, and was the inspiration for Switch
Switch (band)
Switch was an R&B/funk band that found fame recording for the Gordy label in the late 1970s releasing hit songs such as "There'll Never Be", "I Call Your Name" and "The Best Beat in Town" and influenced bands such as DeBarge, which featured members Bobby and Tommy's siblings.-Early years:Formed in...
's 1979 hit "I Call Your Name" and 1980's "You and I".
Under Joe Jackson's tutelage Rebbie, La Toya and Janet formed a short-lived musical group. However, they never performed live and soon separated because of creative differences about the act's future direction. Consequently, no related material was ever released by the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. The next year, La Toya began work on her first solo album.
1980–83: Solo career
In 1980, Jackson released her self-titled debut albumLa Toya Jackson (album)
La Toya Jackson is the self-titled debut album from American singer La Toya Jackson. It was released in 1980 in America and mainland Europe. The album is most known for "Night Time Lover", a track produced by La Toya's brother Michael Jackson, who provides background vocals on the refrain. The...
. In order to distinguish herself from her famous brothers, The Jacksons, La Toya only wanted her first name on the album. "I begged just to have it 'La Toya'. But my father said, 'It's your last name. You got to use it.' But I wanted to see what I could do as an individual." The first single "If You Feel the Funk
If You Feel the Funk
"If You Feel the Funk" was the debut single from artist La Toya Jackson. It was released in 1980 on Polydor Records, and comes from Jackson's self-titled debut album...
", became a modest hit, climbing into the Top 40 of the US R&B chart. Her second single, "Night Time Lover
Night Time Lover
"Night Time Lover" is the second single by American singer La Toya Jackson, from her eponymous debut. The track was produced by her brother Michael, who provides co lead vocals on the chorus. They originally wrote the song for Donna Summer under the title "Fire Is The Feeling".The song peaked at...
", was produced by younger brother Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, who provided backing vocals. In turn, she provided the opening scream on her brothers', The Jacksons, 1980 hit, "This Place Hotel
This Place Hotel
"This Place Hotel" was a hit recording by The Jacksons when it was released in 1980.Written and composed by Michael , the song would precede Jackson's own hit, "Billie Jean", in its insecurity-plagued tale of confusion...
" as well as backing vocals on brother Michael's 1984 solo hit "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
".
The La Toya Jackson album peaked at #116 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, #26 on the Billboard R&B album chart
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, and #178 on the UK Top 200
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, making it her highest placing album.
In 1982, Jackson released a follow-up album, My Special Love
My Special Love
My Special Love is the second studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album is one of Jackson's more successful, peaking at #175 on the Billboard Hot 200 charts. After the album's limited success, it fell into obscurity, receiving a limited re-release on CD in Japan in the early...
, which generated two singles, "Stay the Night" and "I Don't Want You to Go
I Don't Want You to Go (Lani Hall song)
-La Toya Jackson version:"I Don't Want You to Go" is the second single from American singer La Toya Jackson's second album My Special Love....
".
1984–87: Heart Don't Lie and international success
1984 saw the release of Jackson's critically acclaimed album Heart Don't LieHeart Don't Lie
Heart Don't Lie is the third album released by singer La Toya Jackson. It is her most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album to date, peaking at #149 on the Billboard 200.- Album information :...
. Jackson scored her biggest Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit with the titular track "Heart Don't Lie
Heart Don't Lie (song)
"Heart Don't Lie" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. Her biggest hit ever, this was her second single from the successful album Heart Don't Lie. It is a duet with Howard Hewett, although he receives no credit for his vocals in the liner notes and does not appear in the music video...
", which peaked at number 56. Other singles from this album were "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'
Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'
"Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin" is the first single from the 1984 album Heart Don't Lie, the third album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The song was released on 7" and 12" singles without a B-side track, and peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and at #55 on the...
", "Hot Potato
Hot Potato (song)
"Hot Potato" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson, the third single from her successful 1984 album Heart Don't Lie. It peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and at #38 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It also enjoyed time on the Billboard...
", and a cover of Prince's
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
"Private Joy
Private Joy
"Private Joy" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1981 album Controversy, released as the B-side of the single "Do Me, Baby". The song describes how Prince will never reveal the identity of his secret lover....
." Jackson and Amir Bayyan co-wrote "Reggae Nights" for Heart Don't Lie but the track did not make the cut. Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
's recording of the song was a hit and was nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album
The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre...
. Cliff commissioned Jackson to write two more songs: "Brown Eyes" and "American Sweet."
In 1984 Jackson capitalized on her rising popularity by licensing her name to a fashion line; "David Laurenz for La Toya." According to her three year contract with the suede and leather-maker Jackson agreed to only wear David Laurenz items during her public appearances. Apparel in the collection included Jackson's signature leather headband
Headband
A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal...
s. Jackson starred in adverts for Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
cameras and the following year she become the spokesmodel for cosmetics firm Mahogany Image and launched her own eponymous fragrance, La Toya.
In 1985 Jackson participated on the single "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
", an appeal for famine relief in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. That same year Jackson featured in anti-drug music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
"Stop the Madness
Stop the Madness
"Stop the Madness" is an anti-drug music video uniquely endorsed and supported by United States President Ronald Reagan and the Reagan administration in 1985...
".
Her 1985 single "Baby Sister
Baby Sister
"Baby Sister" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson, the final taken from her fourth album Imagination. The single was released in a 7" format in Japan....
" was a notable success, as it received one of three Outstanding Song Awards at the sixteenth annual World Popular Song Festival in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. "Baby Sister" was included on the 1986 album Imagination
Imagination (La Toya Jackson album)
Imagination is the fourth studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson, released in 1986.- Album information :Imagination was released in 1986 on Private-I Records, which went bankrupt shortly after the album's release. Because of the record company's financial problems, promotion was poor for...
, released just before Jackson's record label, Private-I, went bankrupt resulting in poor promotion. Jackson went on to record two duets; "Oops, Oh No!
Oops, Oh No!
"Oops, Oh No!" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson and French disco singer Cerrone. It was released in 1986 as a 7" and 12" single. The song was remixed by British producer Simon Harris in 1986 and was the second release on his Music of Life label....
" with Cerrone
Cerrone
Marc Cerrone is a French disco drummer, singer-songwriter and record producer.Marc Cerrone has sold over thirty million albums and has often performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people at huge concerts and events such as The 2005 Dance Party Live in Versailles and The 2000 Los Angeles...
, and "Yes, I'm Ready
Yes, I'm Ready
"Yes, I'm Ready" is the title of a popular song that was written and originally recorded by Barbara Mason in 1965. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably as a duet by Teri DeSario and K.C. in 1979.-Barbara Mason:...
" with artist Jed. In 1987 Jackson was featured as a special guest at Minako Honda
Minako Honda
, born Minako Kudo was a Japanese "idol" pop-star and musical singer. She became famous and popular as "Japan's Madonna" because of her sexy fashion and live performances in the mid to late 1980s...
's DISPA (Disco Party) concert, joining in for the song, "Funkytown
Funkytown
"Funkytown" is a 1980 disco hit song by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the singer's pining for a metaphorical place that will "keep me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy". It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Dance charts in 1980, also reaching number 1 in Germany,...
".
1988–89: Departure from the family home and Playboy
In 1987, Jack Gordon was hired to co-manage La Toya by her father, Joseph. He later took over her management completely.Under Gordon's management, Jackson's public image became increasingly sexier. Katherine Jackson
Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
recalled her shock seeing La Toya dance in a suggestive manner in 1988 for the first time in her autobiography My Family, The Jacksons, "she'd been so conservative that she'd once dropped a friend who had begun wearing low-cut tops and skirts with slits in them." Katherine believed that Gordon was distancing La Toya from her family so he could "become the dominating influence in her life." Around this time Jackson was disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
. Defying her father, Jackson made a stormy exit from the family's Encino
Encino, Los Angeles, California
Encino is a hilly district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Specifically, it is located in the central portion of the southern San Fernando Valley and on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains...
compound to take up residence in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In late 1988, Jackson released the album La Toya
La Toya
La Toya, also known as You're Gonna Get Rocked! is the 5th studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. While the cover and box states the album's name as La Toya, the actual disc and cassette tape state the name as You're Gonna Get Rocked!...
, which featured the singles, "You're Gonna Get Rocked!
You're Gonna Get Rocked! (song)
"You're Gonna Get Rocked!" is a song by American singer La Toya Jackson, taken from her 1988 album La Toya. The single, produced by popular hip-hop hitmakers Full Force, was among her most successful.-Song information:...
" and "(Ain't Nobody Loves You) Like I Do
(Ain't Nobody Loves You) Like I Do
" Like I Do" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. The song is taken from her fifth album, La Toya. It is one of only four songs by Jackson to have an accompanying music video. The song features a bridge sung by Mike Stock....
". The album also included a track titled "Just Say No", which was written for the Reagan administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
's anti-drug campaign
Just Say No
"Just Say No" was an advertising campaign, part of the U.S. "War on Drugs", prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s, to discourage children from engaging in recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying no. Eventually, this also expanded the realm of "Just Say No" to violence and...
. The album included four tracks produced by Full Force
Full Force
Full Force is a group of R&B performers and producers from Brooklyn, New York, USA, calling itself the original hip hop vocal band.-Members:*B-Fine - drums and drum programming*Shy Shy - bass guitar...
, and three by Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
. The album is notable for being the first one Jackson released after changing her management.
In March 1989, Jackson posed topless for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine. Jackson saw the pictorial as a declaration of independence from her conservative upbringing and "to show my parents they couldn't dictate to me any more—that I control my life." The cover and layout was one of the most successful issues in Playboys history, turning Jackson into an overnight sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
. At its time of release, it sold over 8 million copies, going on to become the best selling issue of the magazine ever. She posed again in Playboy in November 1991 to promote her autobiography and subsequently acted in a 1994 video for the magazine, becoming one of the first celebrities to have a Playboy video released. She later said that she initially refused to pose for the second spread and for the video, however, Gordon beat her into submission.
In 1989, Jackson began recording her sixth album Bad Girl. That year Jackson staged a live pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
concert, A Sizzling Spectacular!, from Bally's
Grand Sierra Resort
The Grand Sierra Resort & Casino is a resort hotel located approximately three miles east of Downtown Reno, Nevada. The hotel has 2,001 guest rooms and suites, 10 restaurants, including two by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, and a casino with of space...
theatre in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. Jackson's set list included songs from La Toya and Bad Girl. The show featured special guest star Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
.
1989-96: Public notoriety, abuse, and exile from the Jackson family
On September 5, 1989, after her Sizzling Spectacular concert in Nevada, Gordon forcibly marriedForced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
Jackson, claiming it was for her own protection against kidnapping by her family. La Toya Jackson states that this was both unplanned and against her wishes. According to Jackson; "I told him, 'No way, Jack! I can't marry you. You know what marriage means to me. I've never been in love; I don't even date.... It's not right. I don't love you. I don't have feelings for you.'" Jackson tried to run out of the chapel three times but bodyguard Antonio Rossi grabbed her saying, "There's some things you have to do. Even if you don't want to." Jackson told Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine the marriage was "strictly in name only. It has never been consummated." Six months into the marriage, Jackson asked Gordon for an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
when in Rome, Italy. In response, Gordon repeatedly bashed her head against the corner of the hotel room table saying that he would never let her go. Paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
subsequently photographed Jackson with black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
s, which Gordon claimed was caused by an intruder. From this point forward, Jackson lost all contact with her family and wrote an autobiography, La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family
La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family
La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family is an autobiography written by American singer La Toya Jackson, and co-authored by celebrity biography author Patricia Romanowski...
, which accused her father of physical abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
.
For roughly the next decade Gordon controlled Jackson with threats, lies, and routine violence. According to Jackson, "When he hit me, the first time I was in shock, I just recalled my ear ringing, just ringing so hard." Gordon confiscated Jackson's passport, transferred her bank accounts into his name, hired bodyguards to watch La Toya constantly and banned her from speaking to or seeing her family, monitoring her every phone call. La Toya's father Joseph stated in his book The Jacksons that he believed Gordon brainwashed
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
La Toya and made her fearful of her own family. Katherine
Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
also believed that La Toya had been brainwashed while Gordon claimed that Katherine had tried to kill her daughter. Sister Janet
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
concurred with her parents saying at the time, "I think this guy who is with her has brainwashed her and made her like this... He keeps her away from the family, and now he's brainwashed her so much she keeps herself away from us."
In 1990 Jackson participated in the Sanremo Music Festival, entering "You and Me
You and Me (La Toya Jackson song)
"You and Me" is a single by La Toya Jackson, taken from her sixth studio album, Bad Girl. The song was originally titled Verso L'Ignoto, sung in Italian by Marcella and Gianni Bella, who entered the song in the annual Sanremo Music Festival held from February 28 to March 3, 1990...
" an English-language version of "Verso l'ignoto" by siblings Marcella
Marcella Bella
Giuseppa Marcella Bella , professionally known as Marcella Bella, is an Italian singer. Her brothers Antonio and Salvatore Bella are famous musicians, and her brother Gianni Bella is another popular singer-songwriter who has composed several songs for her.In 1972, she took part in Festival di...
and Gianni Bella. While "You and Me" did not win Best Song, it entered Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's hit parade
Hit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
, peaking at number twenty-eight. That year Jackson signed on with German-based BCM Records and released the single "Why Don't You Want My Love?
Why Don't You Want My Love?
"Why Don't You Want My Love?" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. After the failure of her 1989 album Bad Girl, which hadn't even been distributed in some countries at the time, Jackson signed a deal with BCM Records in Germany....
" Jackson recorded other material with BCM, but the label went bankrupt and album plans were scrapped. Jackson signed with Dino Records quickly thereafter. 1991 saw the release of No Relations, an album with strong house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
influences. This album featured Jackson's top twenty-five Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
hit "Sexbox
Sexbox
"Sexbox" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her 1991 album No Relations. The single was released on 7", 12" and CD singles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands....
".
In 1992 Jackson signed a contract with the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to star in her own revue, Formidable
Formidable
Formidable is the soundtrack to the show performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France by American singer La Toya Jackson. Only 3,000 copies were created and it has become one of the most sought-after albums by La Toya's fans....
. Jackson was to perform two shows a night, six nights a week. Jackson was highest paid performer in the cabaret's history earning a reported $5 million. Though Formidable was successful, selling out on most nights, Jackson departed half-way into her year-long contract owing the nightclub $550,000 in damages.
In October 1992 while taping an Exotic Club Tour in Minneapolis Jackson approached sister Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, also in town recording her fifth studio album
Janet.
Janet is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993 by Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. Her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such...
with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, to ask for help in escaping Gordon. Janet struck La Toya, accusing her elder sister of recording their conversation.
In 1993 in their New York home, Gordon beat Jackson repeatedly with a heavy brass dining room chair, leaving Jackson with black eyes, swollen lip and chin "the size of a clenched fist," cuts requiring 12 mouth stitches and contusions on her face, arms, legs and back. Jackson lost consciousness during the beating, leading Gordon to believe she was dead. She recalled, "He called his friends and said, 'She's dead. I killed her,' because I was lying in a puddle of blood and I was out." Gordon was arrested but then released, claiming he beat Jackson in self defense.
In December 1993 Gordon hastily arranged a press conference in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, where he had Jackson read a statement claiming to believe the sensational sex abuse allegation
1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
In 1993, Evan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing his thirteen-year-old son, Jordan. The relationship between Jackson and Jordan began in May 1992. Evan initially welcomed and encouraged the friendship, and bragged about his connection to a celebrity. The friendship became well...
against her younger brother Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
might be true. This was an abrupt reversal of her previous defense of Michael against the charges. Gordon claimed La Toya had proof which she was prepared to disclose for a fee of $500,000. A bidding war between US and UK tabloids began, but fell through when they realized that her revelations were not what she had claimed them to be. According to La Toya, Gordon threatened to have siblings Michael and Janet killed if she didn't follow his orders.
Under Gordon's management, Jackson's career declined with his booking of disreputable jobs such as spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network
Psychic Friends Network
The Psychic Friends Network was a telephone psychic service operating in the United States in the 1990s. The company's infomercials were aired frequently on late night television.-History:...
. Because of Gordon's steady stream of publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
s and her media portrayal as the Jackson family "black sheep
Black sheep
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness...
" La Toya had become a hate figure
Hate figure
A hate figure is a person, normally in the public eye, who is widely disliked. The public's hatred for that person may be because of horrific acts but also sometimes may be unexplained ....
of sorts. By the mid-1990s Jackson's finances were in disarray and she was forced to file for bankruptcy in order to stave off claims of $650,000 in damages to the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
for ending her contract early.
In 1993 Jackson held a concert at Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Sopot International Song Festival
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It was the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest annual song contest in Europe...
and released a step aerobics
Step aerobics
Step aerobics is distinguished from other forms of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform . The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step...
exercise video, Step-Up Workout. In 1994, Jackson again worked for Playboy Entertainment, becoming one the very first celebrities to have a Celebrity Centerfold video. Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: La Toya Jackson
Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: La Toya Jackson
Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: LaToya Jackson is a soft core video released on April 6, 1994 by Playboy Entertainment starring two time Playboy centrefold La Toya Jackson.-Production and content:...
was released in the first quarter of 1994 and sold roughly 50,000 copies. Jackson later released two albums, one of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, From Nashville to You
From Nashville to You
From Nashville to You is the 9th studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album, also released as My Country Collection and Little Misunderstood, features country western music....
, and another of Motown hits, Stop in the Name of Love
Stop in the Name of Love (La Toya Jackson album)
Stop In the Name of Love is the tenth studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album, which was recorded and mixed in Sweden, is a collection of dance-style well-known Motown covers, including The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Baby Love", the Four Tops' "I Can't Help...
, in the mid-1990s.
1996–2002: Escape and seclusion
When Jackson became aware that Gordon was planning to feature her in a pornographic film she decided she'd had enough. Jackson phoned brother Randy who flew to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to help her escape while Gordon was out. Only days later, La Toya filed for divorce from Las Vegas and sued Gordon in civil court for years of abuse under the Violence Against Women Act
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, , and signed as by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994...
.
La Toya Jackson ended her estrangement with the entire Jackson family and returned home to Hayvenhurst. Jackson forgave her parents for her stifled upbringing reasoning, "I've come to realize that as we get older, we grow and learn a lot more. And I think that my father and my mother, they raised children the best way they know how." According to La Toya, Michael knew that she was forced to attack him in the press against her will and he did not blame her. "He never held any of that against me, I remember when I'd got away from this total hell I'd been through where I'd been beaten, abused, controlled and forced to say those terrible things about Michael, which I didn't for a moment believe, he held out his arms and just hugged me. I was crying saying: 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.' He just held me tight and said: 'I am your brother, I always knew it wasn't you saying those words." Jackson's last single of the 1990s was "Don't Break My Heart."
After separating from Gordon, Jackson cloistered herself in her home and lived alone for the first time—the first six months she stated she never actually left her house due to being terrified of Gordon seeing her. Weary after her years of public scorn, she didn't know what to do with her life and was afraid to perform again. Jackson struggled to rebuild her confidence but was plagued with self doubt, explaining, "I got to the point, [...] where—well, you know in the media they say things like, 'Oh, she can't sing. She has no talent. She can't dance.' I started believing that, and I was thinking, 'Oh my God'. And I started thinking, 'Oh gee, how could this happen to me?' How could I start believing this?". After this time she started to perform in Europe and South America occasionally to start making money to pay off the huge debts which Gordon had accumulated in her name while they were married. In the wake of the September 11 attacks Jackson was moved to compose "Free the World
Free the World
"Free the World" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. Jackson spent six years in seclusion after divorcing her abusive late ex-husband and manager, Jack Gordon, in 1997. After her years in exile, the September 11th attacks inspired Jackson to write "Free the World". She recorded and...
". She performed the song for friends to a positive reception. This spurred on Jackson to write more songs, ending up with a full album, Startin' Over.
2003–06: Re-emergence and return to music
Jackson publicly re-emerged on Larry King LiveLarry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
on March 9, 2003. Her appearance caused CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's phone lines to stay busy for hours and was King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
's highest-rated show in three years. Jackson announced her first musical project in six years, Startin' Over. Startin' Over's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
was 2004's "Just Wanna Dance
Just Wanna Dance
"Just Wanna Dance" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her yet-to-be-released album Startin' Over. It peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, making it her highest charting single.-Song information:...
", released independently under her pseudonymous nickname "Toy" in order to avoid any prejudices DJs might hold against La Toya Jackson's name. The plan worked, with "Just Wanna Dance" reaching #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance chart. "Free the World
Free the World
"Free the World" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. Jackson spent six years in seclusion after divorcing her abusive late ex-husband and manager, Jack Gordon, in 1997. After her years in exile, the September 11th attacks inspired Jackson to write "Free the World". She recorded and...
" was released later that year to similar success. Jackson's label, Ja-Tail Records secured a deal with Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
to distribute the album, which was delayed several times due to extenuating circumstances. The 2003 promotional copy of Startin' Over leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
online in 2006, however Jackson's management revealed that the entire album was being re-recorded with an all-new track list and updated sound. That year Jackson became the spokeswoman for Australian malt beverage Star Ice's US launch.
After Jack Gordon's death in 2005, Jackson was free to speak more openly about the control he exerted over her life. She sent a security expert to eyewitness that Gordon had not faked his death a second time. In 2005 she appeared on ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
to recant her previous allegations and defend brother Michael against new charges of child abuse
People v. Jackson
People vs. Jackson was a 2005 trial involving recording artist Michael Jackson. The accuser was a boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crimes...
. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
described Jackson as a role model
Role model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
having weathered various successes and setbacks. The perception of Jackson as an underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
and her support for LGBT rights has led her to be declared a gay icon
Gay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is embraced by many within :lesbian, :gay, :bisexual and :transgender communities...
.
2007–09: Armed and Famous and Celebrity Big Brother
On January 10, 2007, the reality TV show Armed & FamousArmed & Famous
Armed & Famous is a reality television series that premiered January 10, 2007, on CBS. First-run episodes were also aired on VH1 in the United States. After the first episode aired, CBS moved the show into a time slot opposite American Idol on FOX. After four episodes, the show was pulled from...
premiered on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
starring Jackson and other celebrities. The program documented Jackson's basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
and service as a reserve police officer
Auxiliary police
Auxiliary police or special constables in England) are usually the part-time reserves of a regular police force. They may be armed or unarmed. They may be unpaid volunteers or paid members of the police service with which they are affiliated...
with the Muncie
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
Police Department. Jackson maintains her badge by continuing to volunteer as a deputy
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
.
The show was eventually removed from the CBS lineup, due to its inability to compete with American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
subsequently aired the remaining episodes. On the show, Jackson demonstrated her phobia of cats
Ailurophobia
Ailurophobia is a type of specific phobia: the persistent, irrational fear of cats. It comes from the Greek , "cat" and , "fear".Synonyms include felinophobia, elurophobia, and gatophobia.-Causes:...
, after she began hysterically screaming and locked herself in a squad car. This fear, she revealed, was caused by a childhood memory in which a relative was attacked by a cat. She underwent on-screen therapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
to try to relieve her of this phobia. A single called "Armed and Famous" was planned but the title was changed to "I Don't Play That
I Don't Play That
"I Don't Play That" is a song by American singer La Toya Jackson. The single was announced in January 2007, and was released to radio on January 29, 2007.-Song information:...
" shortly before it was sent to radio stations, where it failed to take off, on January 29, 2007, due to CBS' cancellation of the show.
In January 2009, Jackson was paid £103,000 to appear as a contestant on the British television program Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother 2009 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2009 was the sixth series of Celebrity Big Brother. It began on 2 January 2009 and ran for 22 days until 23 January 2009. It was broadcast on Channel 4. The launch show was watched by approximately 6.4 million people...
. She was the second member of the Jackson family to be on the show, the first being her brother Jermaine
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
in 2007
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
. Jackson's goal in participating in show was to get over her shyness and "mix with people who I'd never normally meet." She was the fourth person evicted from the house ,and was the first evictee of the series to be cheered on her exit.
2009: Death of brother Michael and "Home"
The final version of Startin' Over was completed in late 2008, just before Jackson joined the cast of Celebrity Big BrotherCelebrity Big Brother 2009 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2009 was the sixth series of Celebrity Big Brother. It began on 2 January 2009 and ran for 22 days until 23 January 2009. It was broadcast on Channel 4. The launch show was watched by approximately 6.4 million people...
. A new lead single, "Love, Honor, and Obey", planned for a summer 2009 release, was put on hold because of the death of Jackson's younger brother Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. Instead, "Home
Home (La Toya Jackson song)
"Home" is a sentimental ballad by La Toya Jackson which first appeared on the 2003 promotional copy her album Startin' Over. Jackson released the single in late July 2009 in dedication to her younger brother, Michael Jackson, who died on June 25...
" was released on 28 July 2009 in Michael's memory with all proceeds going to AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles is a 5013 non-profit organization, "dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by AIDS disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy."...
, one of his favorite charities.
La Toya Jackson was one of the first siblings present at Reagan-UCLA Medical Center
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California....
on June 25, 2009, after brother Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
was pronounced dead after suffering cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. She was named as the informant on her brother's death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
. Jackson requested a second autopsy to be carried out after noting suspicious medical paraphernalia in Michael's rented house, evasive behavior by his doctors, and discovering that $2 million in cash and jewels had gone missing. On July 13, an interview was published in News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
wherein Jackson went public with her conclusion that Michael was murdered. The Los Angeles County Coroner
Los Angeles County Coroner
The Los Angeles County Department of Coroner was created in its present form in Boyle Heights on December 7, 1990 by an ordinance approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, though it has existed in some form since the late 19th century....
ruled Jackson's death a homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
weeks later.
2010–2011: New business ventures, Celebrity Apprentice and Starting Over
In 2010, Jackson launched Dream Cream, a hand cream for German cosmetics firm Alessandro International, and named Teddy Riley head of Ja-Tail Record's music division.Jackson took part in NBC's Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. season 11)
The Celebrity Apprentice 4 is the eleventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On May 16, 2010, NBC announced that the show would be returning to its Celebrity Apprentice format after returning to its regular version for the tenth season of...
, which aired from March through May 2011 and raised $65,000 for her chosen charity, AIDS Project Los Angeles. La Toya was "fired" from Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. season 11)
The Celebrity Apprentice 4 is the eleventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On May 16, 2010, NBC announced that the show would be returning to its Celebrity Apprentice format after returning to its regular version for the tenth season of...
in episode 8 during season 11, which aired on April 24, 2011 on NBC. In an Apprentice first, Jackson was rehired the following episode, as she felt she couldn't defend her case. La Toya was fired for the second time on May 8, 2011 and became the first person in history to be fired from The Apprentice twice within the same season. She was also the first guest judge to appear in two episodes of season three
RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3)
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 is the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on January 24, 2011. Thirteen drag queens compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a headlining spot on the Absolut Tour, a lifetime supply of Kryolan makeup and a $75,000 cash prize.This...
of RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
.
She was a guest judge on the 17th season of America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
.
Jackson's second memoir, Starting Over, was released in the United States on June 21, 2011 through Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. An EP, also called Starting Over,was released the same day via digital outlets. A new single will be released a month later followed by Jackson's final full-length album in the last quarter of 2011.
Studio albums
- La Toya JacksonLa Toya Jackson (album)La Toya Jackson is the self-titled debut album from American singer La Toya Jackson. It was released in 1980 in America and mainland Europe. The album is most known for "Night Time Lover", a track produced by La Toya's brother Michael Jackson, who provides background vocals on the refrain. The...
(1980) - My Special LoveMy Special LoveMy Special Love is the second studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album is one of Jackson's more successful, peaking at #175 on the Billboard Hot 200 charts. After the album's limited success, it fell into obscurity, receiving a limited re-release on CD in Japan in the early...
(1981) - Heart Don't LieHeart Don't LieHeart Don't Lie is the third album released by singer La Toya Jackson. It is her most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album to date, peaking at #149 on the Billboard 200.- Album information :...
(1984) - ImaginationImagination (La Toya Jackson album)Imagination is the fourth studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson, released in 1986.- Album information :Imagination was released in 1986 on Private-I Records, which went bankrupt shortly after the album's release. Because of the record company's financial problems, promotion was poor for...
(1986) - La ToyaLa ToyaLa Toya, also known as You're Gonna Get Rocked! is the 5th studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. While the cover and box states the album's name as La Toya, the actual disc and cassette tape state the name as You're Gonna Get Rocked!...
(1988) - Bad Girl (1991)
- No Relations (1991)
- From Nashville to YouFrom Nashville to YouFrom Nashville to You is the 9th studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album, also released as My Country Collection and Little Misunderstood, features country western music....
(1994) - Stop in the Name of LoveStop in the Name of Love (La Toya Jackson album)Stop In the Name of Love is the tenth studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album, which was recorded and mixed in Sweden, is a collection of dance-style well-known Motown covers, including The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Baby Love", the Four Tops' "I Can't Help...
(1995)
Awards and other achievements
- Jackson co-wrote "Reggae Nights" for reggaeReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Jimmy CliffJimmy CliffJimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
, which received a GrammyGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for Best Reggae RecordingGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre...
. She later recorded the song for her album No Relations. - She won one of five Outstanding Song Awards at the 1985 World Popular Song Festival in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, for her single "Baby SisterBaby Sister"Baby Sister" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson, the final taken from her fourth album Imagination. The single was released in a 7" format in Japan....
" - Jackson received a US CongressionalUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
Tribute for her participation in a "Beat It" rally and Stay In School Campaign - She was one of the recipients of a Grammy Award for Record of the YearGrammy Award for Record of the YearThe Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
as a vocalistUSA for AfricaUSA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
for "We Are the WorldWe Are the World"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
". - Jackson's foot prints were immortalized on RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
's Star Boulevard Walk of Fame on 19 December 1991, originally located in Scheveningen. - She has a namesake dessert at Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood. The "La Toya Jackson Shake" consists of strawberries, raspberries, caramel, topped with whipped cream and a Cadbury flake
- In 2011, she received a special award in Mexico city for international artist of the decade in the Mexican talent show La Academia of TV Azteca.
External links
- Official site
- Official Facebook Page
- Church of La Toya—officially endorsed fan site