Joe Jackson (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Jackson
Jackson performing in 1982
Background information
Birth name	David Ian Jackson
Born	(1954-08-11) 11 August 1954 (age 70) Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England
Origin	Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Genres	Rock pop new wave jazz classical
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals keyboards saxophone
Years active	1970–present
Labels	A&M, Sony Classical, Virgin/EMI, Rykodisc, E1/Koch

David Ian "Joe" Jackson (born 11 August 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He became famous in 1979 with his first hit song, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" He then released several popular new wave songs. Later, he moved towards jazz-influenced pop music. In 1982, he had a Top-10 hit with "Steppin' Out". Joe Jackson has released 21 studio albums and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. He has also written classical music.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Joe Jackson was born David Jackson in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. He spent his first year in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. He grew up in Paulsgrove, a part of Portsmouth. He went to Portsmouth Technical High School. When he was a teenager, his parents moved to Gosport.

Jackson first learned to play the violin. But he soon switched to the piano. He convinced his dad to put a piano in their home. At 16, Jackson started playing piano in bars. He also won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music.

Music Career

Jackson's first band was called Edward Bear. They later changed their name to Arms and Legs. The band broke up in 1976 after two songs did not become hits. At this time, he was still known as David Jackson. He got the nickname "Joe" because people thought he looked like a British TV puppet character named Joe 90. Joe 90 was a genius child spy. Jackson legally changed his name to Joe when he was 20. After the band, Jackson performed in cabaret shows to earn money. He used this money to record a demo tape.

The Joe Jackson Band

In 1978, a record producer heard Jackson's demo tape. He signed Jackson to A&M Records. The next year, the new Joe Jackson Band released their first album, Look Sharp! The band included Jackson, Gary Sanford on guitar, Graham Maby on bass, and David Houghton on drums.

The album mixed rock, melodic jazz, and new wave. It was similar to music by other artists like Elvis Costello. Rolling Stone magazine later called Look Sharp! one of the best debut albums ever. The first song from the album, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", became a top 40 hit in five countries. It reached number 9 in Canada.

The Joe Jackson Band released I'm the Man in 1979. This album had a similar sound. It included the song "It's Different for Girls". This song became Jackson's highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 5. Beat Crazy followed in 1980. Jackson also worked with Lincoln Thompson on reggae music.

Jackson performing in Toronto in 1979

The Joe Jackson Band toured a lot until they broke up at the end of 1980. David Houghton left the band because he was tired of touring. Graham Maby continued to work with Jackson over the years. But the full band did not play together again until 2004 for the album Volume 4.

Changing Music Styles

In 1981, Jackson helped produce an album for a British power pop group called the Keys. This album was their only one.

After his band broke up, Jackson recorded an album of old-style swing and blues songs. This album was called Jumpin' Jive. It featured songs by famous artists like Cab Calloway and Glenn Miller. The album was credited to "Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive."

Jackson's 1982 album, Night and Day, was very successful. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 4 in the US. Two songs from the album, "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us in Two", were top 20 hits in the US. The song "Real Men" also became a top 10 hit in Australia.

By 1984, Jackson was living in New York City. He recorded his album Body and Soul there. This album was influenced by pop and jazz standards, and salsa. It included the US hit song "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)".

In 1985, Jackson played piano on Joan Armatrading's album Secret Secrets. In 1986, he worked with Suzanne Vega on the song "Left of Center". This song was on the soundtrack for the movie Pretty in Pink. Jackson's next album was Big World. All the songs were recorded live in front of an audience. The audience was asked to stay silent while the music played. This album was released in 1986.

In 1995, Jackson sang his version of "Statue of Liberty" on a tribute album. This album honored the English band XTC.

Later Music and Classical Works

In the late 1990s, Jackson started creating classical music. He signed with Sony Classical in 1997. In 1999, he released Symphony No. 1. For this album, he won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2001. He released a follow-up album, Night and Day II, in 2000.

In 2003, Jackson reunited his original band for the album Volume 4. They also went on a long tour. In 2004, he sang on a cover of Pulp's "Common People" with William Shatner. This song was on Shatner's album Has Been. In 2005, Jackson toured the US and Europe with Todd Rundgren and the string quartet ETHEL.

In 2006, Jackson moved to Berlin, Germany. He recorded his eighteenth studio album, Rain, there. He worked with his longtime bandmates Graham Maby and Dave Houghton. The album came out in January 2008 and was followed by a five-month tour.

In 2015, Jackson announced his new album, Fast Forward. The first song from the album was released online. The full album was briefly available before being taken down.

On 18 January 2019, Jackson released the album Fool. Jackson said that the band he had been touring with inspired this album. Jackson and his band performed a song from the album on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show. Fool was a top 20 album in Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. It also reached number 25 on Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart in the US. In the UK, it entered the Indie Albums Chart at number 13.

His 21st studio album, What a Racket!, also known as Mr. Joe Jackson Presents Max Champion in 'What a Racket!' , was released on 24 November 2023.

Where He Lives

Joe Jackson lived in New York City for many years. This city inspired his 1982 song "Steppin' Out". In 2018, Jackson said he didn't like New York as much anymore. He said it was like a past love affair. Today, he lives in Berlin, Germany. He also has homes in New York and Portsmouth, England.

Other Projects

Jackson wrote an autobiography in 1999 called A Cure for Gravity. He described it as "a book about music, thinly disguised as a memoir." The book tells the story of his childhood in Portsmouth. It also covers his musical life from when he was a child until his 24th birthday.

Discography

Legacy

In 2004, the first tribute album to Joe Jackson was released. It was called Different for Girls: Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover Joe Jackson. Joe Jackson himself said he loved the idea of an all-female tribute album.

See also

In Spanish: Joe Jackson (músico) para niños