Randy Jackson

Steven Randall Jackson (born October 29, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and dancer. Randy is best known as a former member of his family band, the Jacksons. Randy is the youngest Jackson brother, and the second-youngest Jackson sibling after his sister Janet Jackson. He is the ninth child in the Jackson family.[3]

Randy was born in Gary, Indiana to Joseph Jackson and Katherine Jackson. Nicknamed "Little Randy", Jackson is the eighth child of the Jackson family and youngest of the Jackson brothers.[3] Jackson was only two years old when the Jackson 5 was formed and therefore was not an original member. While his brothers toured, Jackson honed his skills as a musician, mastering piano and the bongos.

Randy was not an original member of the Jackson 5, first officially appearing live with his brothers at the end of 1971.[4] The event was a Christmas show the Jackson 5 held for blind children.[5] Although he was on every Jackson 5 tour from 1972 forward, mainly playing the congas among other instruments, Randy did not officially join the family band until 1975 when they left Motown for CBS Records and older brother Jermaine chose to stay with Motown, prompting Randy to replace him.[3] The Jackson 5 officially changed their name to the Jacksons when they signed with Epic due in part to the fact Motown owned the name the Jackson 5.[4] At the age of 16, he co-wrote the Jacksons' most successful single on Epic, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" with Michael.[6]

On February 4, 1980, Jackson was seriously injured in a car crash in Hollywood, California. In June 1980, Jackson appeared on the cover of the weekly African-American newsmagazine Jet. The cover headline read: "Randy Jackson Walks Again: Talks About His Future."[7]

Jackson plays congas, percussion, keyboards, piano, bass, and guitar among other instruments. In addition to singing and playing on the Jacksons' recordings, he worked with Michael on his Off the Wall album.[8] Jackson participated in the Jacksons' Destiny World Tour from 1979 to 1980, the Triumph Tour in 1981, Victory Tour in 1984, and in the band's later projects.

He was left out when the Jackson 5 were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997: only his five older brothers were officially inducted.

He was part of the Jacksons 2001 reunion at Madison Square Garden, but did not appear as an official cast member in their 2009 A&E reality series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty.[9][10] However, he did contribute backing vocals with Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine for Michael's This Is It.[11]

After recording the 2300 Jackson Street album, the group disbanded and focused on separate projects in 1990.[3][4] After this split, Jackson formed his own band, Randy & the Gypsys.[3] The group released only one album before breaking up.[12] In the same year, Randy Jackson co-founded Total Multimedia Inc. with a former Iron Butterfly bass player, Philip Taylor Kramer, to develop data compression techniques for CD-ROMs.[13][14][15] On June 28, 1998, Jackson opened up his own record label Modern Records.[16]

Randy is currently a co-partner with his sister, Janet Jackson, at her independent record label Rhythm Nation Records.[17] On August 16, 2018, Randy and Janet announced that Rhythm Nation Records was partnering with independent music publisher, distributor and label Cinq Music.[18] On August 17, 2018, Janet Jackson's "Made for Now" was released, co-written by Randy Jackson.

In the 1980s, Jackson dated Bernadette Swann (née Robi), ex-wife of Lynn Swann.[19] Jackson was physically abusive, so Swann sought refuge at the home of her friend Tina Turner (Swann previously dated Turner's son).[20] Turner shot at Jackson after he broke into her home to see Swann.[21] Turner decided not to press charges in order to avoid bad press.[20]

In 1986, Jackson met Alejandra Oaziaza. They dated for years and have two children together:[22]

Genevieve Jackson (born December 3, 1989). Steven Randall Jackson Jr. (born October 2, 1992). Jackson married Eliza Shaffy in August 1989; they later divorced in 1992. They have a daughter together:[3]

Stevanna Jackson (born June 17, 1990). Alejandra married and later divorced Randy's older brother, Jermaine Jackson (1995–2003).[3]

In January 1991, Jackson was charged with beating his wife Eliza Shaffy and their 14-month-old daughter Steveanna Jackson.[23] Jackson pleaded no contest to the battery charge.[24] He was placed on two years of probation and ordered to enroll in a domestic violence program, but he didn't comply.[24] In November 1991, Jackson was arrested after Shaffy phoned the police to report that the beatings had not stopped.[25][26] Jackson was sentenced to serve 30 days in a mental hospital, Pine Grove Hospital, in Canoga Park.[27][28] He was also ordered to serve the remainder of his probation and enroll in a year-long domestic violence rehabilitation program.[29] Disappointed that Jackson didn't receive jail time, Shaffy filed for divorce.[27]

Jackson filed for bankruptcy in 1996.[30] He was ordered to surrender his shares in Modern Records Inc.[31] In May 1998, an arrest warrant was issued when Jackson failed to turn over the stock. In 2001, Randy pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud by failing to list all his vehicular assets.[32]

In January 2012, Jackson filed a complaint against Alejandra Oaziaza, disputing an alleged $500,000 owed in child support.[33][34] Jackson protested that he had never been served for the initial paternity lawsuit, instead claiming that the matter had been settled in 1993.[33] His absence at the paternity proceedings resulted in a default judgement in favor of Oaziaza.[33]

Randy attempted to unseat executors John Branca and John McClain and dismiss the will of his brother Michael, which reportedly made their mother Katherine furious.[35] He and his siblings Jermaine and Janet objected to the 2011 tribute concert held for Michael, stating that they felt the family's attention should have been focused on the trial of Conrad Murray.[36]

The three siblings were later involved in an event where Katherine lost custody of Michael's children due to suspicion that she was "prevented from acting as a guardian because of the acts of third parties".[37] Randy, Jermaine, and Janet attempted to take the children with them to Arizona, where it was alleged that Katherine was being held against her will after being kidnapped.[38] Footage of the event appeared to show the siblings storming the house and Janet trying to take Paris’s phone.[38][37] Sheriff's deputies broke up an altercation between Randy and Trent.[37] Eventually Katherine regained custody of Prince, Paris, and Blanket.[39][40]