The Week of September 24th, 2006: IN BLACK HISTORY
JANET DAMITA JO JACKSON
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Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer and actress. She is the youngest child of the Jackson music family and the sister of pop icon Michael Jackson.

Janet ranks as the ninth most successful artist in the history of rock and roll and the second most successful female artist of all time. Jackson initially stepped into the limelight as a young actress, appearing in television shows. Upon her father's insistance, she released two studio albums; neither garnered much attention nor success. Jackson is well-known for her detailed dance choreography and music videos. After a brief marriage to James DeBarge, Jackson set out to find her own identity. She collaborated with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and the trio created Jackson's breakout album, Control (1986) and the socially-focused follow-up, Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). In the early 1990s, Jackson signed a record-breaking recording deal with Virgin Records for the sexually-charged album janet. (1993) which proved to be a larger success than its two predecessors. Jackson also returned to acting, starring in Poetic Justice (1993). By the end of the 1990s, Jackson's relationship with Rene Elizondo Jr. was coming to an end. In early 2000, the couple announced their divorce; though Jackson and Elizondo had kept their marriage a secret for nearly a decade. While filming Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Jackson continued to work on All for You (2001), which gained success on the Billboard charts.

In 2004, Jackson made headlines for her Super Bowl halftime show performance during a duet with Justin Timberlake when he exposed Jackson's right breast. The event became a media controversy and put a damper on the release of her album Damita Jo (2004), which failed to yield any hit singles.

Jackson is currently dating and collaborating with producer Jermaine Dupri and will release her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., September 26, 2006...read more

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REST IN PEACE: (R.I.P.)