Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966, in Gary, Indiana) is an American singer, dancer, actress, and songwriter. She is the younger sister of Michael Jackson and has had many popular songs such as "Nasty," "Rhythm Nation," and "That's the Way Love Goes." Jackson also plays Patricia in the 2007 movie Why Did I Get Married? She is one of the best-selling artists in the history of pop music, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. In 2011, True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself, a book written by Jackson and David Ritz, was published. The book reached number five in The New York Times' Best Seller list.

Early life and career
Jackson was born to Katherine and Joe Jackson on May 16, 1966 at St Mary's Mercy Hospital in Gary, Indiana. She was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. She did not want to be an entertainer. She wanted to   become a race-horse jockey. However her father planned for her to go into the show business. When Jackson was seven she went on stage in the Las Vegas Strip with her siblings in a routine show at the MGM Casino.

In September 1979, Jackson started acting in A New Kind of Family. Her first album, Janet Jackson, was released on September 21, 1982, by A&M Records.

1986–95:  Rise to fame
Jackson had several hit singles worldwide.  Among them are "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Control", "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "Miss You Much", "Escapade", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", and "That's the Way Love Goes".
Jackson won her first Grammy Award in 1987. On September 19, 1989 Jackson's fourth album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 was released. Eight singles were released from the album. In 1993, Jackson was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. On May 31, 1995, "Scream", a song that Janet made with her older brother Michael Jackson, was released as the first single from Michael's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. This song reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100.

1996–2007
Jackson released the album The Velvet Rope in 1998, it sold over 10 million copies.  The album had provocative lyrics.  The single "Together Again" became her eighth number-one song in the US, it sold over 6 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling singles of all time.

In 2000, she contributed to the movie Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.  A single from the soundtrack, "Doesn't Really Matter", became her ninth chart-topper.

In 2001, she released the album All for You.  A single, also called "All for You", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks, making it the longest reigning number one hit of the year.  The next single, "Someone to Call My Lover", reached the top three.

2008–09
Jackson released her album Discipline in 2008.  The lead single, "Feedback", reached the top 20 in the US and Canada.

In June 2009, Jackson's brother Michael died. In September 2009, she performed "Scream" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as part of a tribute to Michael.

2010–present
In 2010, Jackson acted in For Colored Girls.

She released her first studio album in seven years, Unbreakable, in 2015.  It entered at number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart.  Jackson canceled her ongoing Unbreakable World Tour because she announced that she was "planning her family" with her husband, Wissam Al Mana.

Personal life 
Jackson has been married three times.  It was announced that Jackson was pregnant shortly before her 50th birthday in May 2016.  She gave birth to her first child, a son, with current husband, billionaire Wissam Al Mana, in January 2017.

In April 2017, it was reported that Jackson and Al Mana had separated.

Discography
 Janet Jackson (1982)
 Dream Street (1984)
 Control (1986)
 Control: The Remixes (1987)
 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
 janet. (1993)
 Janet. Remixed (1995)
 Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995)
 The Velvet Rope (1997)
 All for You (2001)
 Damita Jo (2004)
 20 Y.O. (2006)
 Discipline (2008)
 Number Ones (2009)*
 Icon: Number Ones (2010)
 Unbreakable (2015)*On digital outlets, such as iTunes and Spotify, Icon: Number Ones is listed as Best of Number Ones.

References

Other websites 

 
 

1966 births
Living people
Actors from Indiana
African American actors
African American musicians
American movie actors
American R&B musicians
American pop musicians
American dance musicians
American singer-songwriters
American television actors
 
Emmy Award winners
Grammy Award winners
Singers from Indiana
Jackson family