Janet Jackson was born the last of ten children in Gary, Indiana to parents Joseph and Katherine Jackson. By the time she was a toddler, Janet’s older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael had already begun to perform on stage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5. On April 9, 1974, Janet made her public debut performance at a Las Vegas nightclub, with nearly all nine members of the Jackson family. Jackson quickly became the star of the show, emulating and imitating various celebrities of the day such as Cher, Marie Osmond, Toni Tennille, and Mae West, in particular.
Debuting on June 16, 1976, The Jacksons show became the first African-American family to have a variety show on TV. Acting career
In 1977, 11-year-old Jackson’s enthusiasm for acting caught television producer Norman Lear’s ear. Lear cast Jackson in Good Times as an abused child named Penny. Jackson became one of the show’s starring cast members during the 1977-1978 season, and would remain in the show until it was canceled in 1979.
Janet Jackson continued her acting career, appearing briefly in a short-lived but Emmy nominated sitcom titled A New Kind of Family which also starred Rob Lowe, but was cancelled in early 1980. In 1981, she landed a recurring role on another family sitcom, Diff’rent Strokes, playing Charlene Duprey, the love interest of Willis (played by Todd Bridges). In 1984, Jackson reluctantly took the role of Cleo Hewitt in the musical series, Fame. Jackson recorded a single for the film’s soundtrack, “Doesn’t Really Matter”, which reached number-one on the Billboard pop charts within a few weeks of its release.
Janet Jackson was given a chance to continue her acting career when the producers of the sequel to the comedy film Nutty Professor (1998) offered her the role originated by Jada Pinkett-Smith in the first film, though for several months there was speculation over whether or not Jackson would take the part. Starring Eddie Murphy, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps was released in 2000 and went on to gross $142.7 million at the box office.
During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake to an audience of more than one hundred million people. During this live performance, Jackson sang along with Timberlake on his song “Rock Your Body”. Timberlake called the incident a “wardrobe malfunction”. Jackson and Timberlake confirmed those denials, but the FCC continued with its investigation. The incident also resulted in further professional setbacks for Jackson.
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