La Toya Jackson
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| La Toya Jackson | ||
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 La Toya Jackson on the 2004 cover for the forthcoming Startin' Over album
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | La Toya Yvonne Jackson | |
| Born | May 29, 1956 (age 50) | |
| Origin |  Gary, Indiana, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Pop, R&B, Dance | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Model | |
| Years active | 1980–present | |
| Label(s) | Polydor (1980-1982) Epic (1983-1987) Teldec / RCA (1987-1988) Teldec (1989) BCM (1990) Pump / Dino (1991-1992) Mar-Gor (1993) CMC (1994-1995) Ja-Tail / Bungalo (2002-present) |
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| Website | Official Site MySpace |
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La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer, musician, New York Times Bestselling author, Grammy-winning songwriter, actress and the middle child of the Jackson family. Most notable for being featured on Playboy magazine and writing her memoirs on growing up in the Jackson family, she had a semi-successful career as a singer throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and returned to the music spotlight in 2004 with her Billboard charting songs "Just Wanna Dance" and "Free The World". A forthcoming album entitled Startin' Over has yet to be released.
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[edit] Early life
La Toya Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the fifth of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. After her mother became a devout Jehovah's Witness in 1966, Jackson, alongside her siblings, were indoctrinated into the religion. Jackson would spend most of her time alongside her mother practicing door-to-door evangelization.[1] By 1974, Jackson was brought into the spotlight with her family after her father arranged the family to perform shows in Las Vegas and in other cities.[2] By 1979, Jackson and her other sisters Rebbie and Janet formed a short-lived group, though they never sang live together and eventually broke away due to arguments over the direction of the group and lack of available rehearsal time. [3]The next year, Jackson began work on her first solo album.
[edit] Music career
In 1980, Jackson released her self-titled debut. Besides the top 40 R&B and dance placings of her first single, "If You Feel the Funk", the album failed to generate commercial interest. Her three subsequent albums also showcased limited success, although she scored a modest Billboard Hot 100 hit with 1984's "Heart Don't Lie" single, which peaked at #56.
In 1988, Jackson released the album La Toya, which featured the single, "You're Gonna Get Rocked!". The La Toya album also included a track titled "Just Say No", which was written for the anti-drugs campaign "Just Say No". [4] Neither the album or the singles managed to make any sort of impact, despite excellent production by hip-hot hit-making team Full Force, though it is notable for being the first album Jackson released after changing her management. [5] Jack Gordon became Jackson's new manager following the departure of her father. The pair later married in 1989, into which Jackson claims, was an abusive and controlling relationship.[6] The marriage ended in 1996, after Jackson was excessively beaten by Gordon for refusing to perform.[7]
In 1989, the Bad Girl album was first released. The album is one of the few in her back catalogue that remains in print, and can be found under various titles and covers.
Jackson later struggled to find success releasing cover albums; one of country music and another of Motown hits in the mid-1990s. She plans to release her first album in over a decade with Startin' Over. [1] The album had been delayed several times; Jackson's record label, Ja-Tail Records, distributed through Universal Music Group has stated that extraneous circumstances have prevented the release. As of 2007, a release date has yet to be confirmed; the last tentative one having passed in Summer 2006. [2]
On December 21, 2006, Jackson issued a "newsletter" from her official website stating that she apologized for the delays, and that a final release date will be announced soon; she stated, "...when I notify you with the date, that will be the date." [3]
After a 2-year hiatus, Jackson's new single "I Don't Play That" was released to radio in January of 2007. The single will appear on the forthcoming Startin' Over album.
[edit] Playboy and the Jackson family estrangement
In 1989, Jackson ventured into modelling. Jackson states in her autobiography that Jack Gordon coaxed her into posing nude for Playboy magazine.[8] Her first cover and layout was one of the most successful issues in Playboy's history. 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 1991 to promote her autobiography and later in a video for the magazine in 1994 becoming one of the first celebrities to have a Playboy video aired; it was later revealed that Jackson initially refused to do the second spread and videos, but that Gordon beat her into submission. [9]
After marrying Jack Gordon in September 1989, Jackson estranged herself from certain members of her family, though she claimed she spoke to several of her siblings during this period. Her 1991 autobiography La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family was at the helm of the estrangement, which went into scathing details of the family, including the controversial one of her father sexually abusing female members of the family, notably herself and sister Rebbie.[10] Rebbie Jackson denied the allegations, while other members of the family claimed that Gordon had in fact written that part of the book.
In 1993, Jackson went to a press conference overseas and announced that she believed rumors that brother Michael had sexually abused children. The initial accusations of child molestation came out that year, prompting members of the family to refute the charges, claiming that Jackson was "controlled and used" by Gordon; Jackson's father wrote about Gordon's control in his book The Jacksons. Two years later, she made headlines again for announcing the so-called "Jackson Family Secret Phone Number Line". By 1996, however, Jackson ran out on her abusive manager after he forced her to dance at a strip club in Cleveland. The former Jehovah's Witness (she was shunned in 1987) refused to do so and in return, was booed and heckled by the predominantly male crowd.[11]
In 1997, she ended her estrangement with the entire Jackson family and returned home to Hayvenhurst. That year, she divorced Gordon. Jackson has no children and currently lives in Los Angeles and keeps in close contact with her mother and siblings, including Michael and Janet.
[edit] Armed and Famous
On January 10, 2007, the reality TV show Armed and Famous premiered on CBS starring La Toya and other celebrities. The show was eventually removed from the CBS lineup, being unable to compete with American Idol. VH1 quickly received the show, and aired the remaining episodes.
A single entitled "Armed and Famous" was planned, but the title was changed to "I Don't Play That" shortly before it was sent to radio stations on January 29, 2007.
[edit] Trivia
- On the TV show Armed and Famous, Jackson presented her fear of cats by screaming and locking herself in a squad car. Her fear of cats was due to a childhood memory in which a relative was attacked by a cat.
- On the TV show Armed and Famous, Jackson revealed her dream jobs in life were to be a cop or to work at McDonalds.
[edit] Discography
For complete discography and sales information see La Toya Jackson discography.
[edit] Cultural references
- In the South Park episode It Hits the Fan, the character Chef refers to La Toya Jackson as the "Black Death"
- In the Family Guy episode Petoria, La Toya Jackson is invited as guest speaker since she was the next best Jackson after Jesse Jackson.
- In A Different World, La Toya Jackson is mentioned several times, as the subject of Ron Johnson's fantasies.
- In the Alf Tales episode Cinderella, when Cinderella's father introduces the wicked stepmother, he also introduces the wicked stepsisters by calling for them: "Oh, Janet! La Toya!"
- In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a nude baby photograph is shown at the birthday party of 40-year-old character Vivian Banks. Will Smith's character shouts "Eat your heart out, La Toya!", in a reference to La Toya Jackson's popular Playboy spreads at the time.
- In an episode of Sister, Sister, Tamera says "There are only two people in this world who understand what failure is, me and La Toya."
[edit] External links
- Official site
- La Toya Jackson at the Internet Movie Database
- - La Toya on MySpace
- The Universal Love of La Toya - fan site - latoyalove.com
- The Church of La Toya - a huge fan site with forum
[edit] Notes
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 21, 55-56. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 65. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ Jackson, Joseph (2004). The Jacksons. Random House Entertainment, 115. 3809030287.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 205-206. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 207. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 251. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ "LaToya Jackson files for divorce from husband Jack Gordon; claims he beat her, threatened to kill her.", Jet Magazine, 3 June 1996.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 227-228. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ "LaToya Jackson files gender-based violence suit against husband. ", Jet Magazine, 15 July 1996.
- ^ Jackson, La Toya; Patricia Romanowski (1991). La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family. Dutton Publishing, 18-20. ISBN 0-451-17415-1.
- ^ Morrison, Jane Ann: "Gordon's family leaves the skeletons in his closet and out of his obit.", Las Vegas Review-Journal, 28 April 2005.
| La Toya Jackson |
|---|
| Discography |
| La Toya Jackson | My Special Love | Heart Don't Lie | Imagination | La Toya | Bad Girl |
| No Relations | Formidable | From Nashville to You | Stop in the Name of Love | Startin' Over |
| For complete discography, see La Toya Jackson discography |
| Autobiography |
| La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family |
| Related Articles |
| The Jackson Family | Jack Gordon |
| The Jackson Siblings |
|---|
| Maureen Reillette (Rebbie): 1950 • Sigmund Esco (Jackie): 1951 • Toriano Adaryll (Tito): 1953 • Jermaine La Jaune: 1954 • La Toya Yvonne: 1956 • Marlon David: 1957 • Michael Joseph: 1958 • Steven Randall (Randy): 1961 • Janet Damita Jo: 1966 |
Categories: Jackson family | 1956 births | American female singers | American singer-songwriters | American pop singers | American soul singers | American house musicians | American rhythm and blues singers | American disco musicians | Disco musicians | Living people | People from Gary, Indiana | Former Jehovah's Witnesses
