La Toya Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La Toya Jackson
Jackson in 2010
Born	La Toya Yvonne Jackson (1956-05-29) May 29, 1956 (age 69) Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Other names	Toy
Occupation	Singer television personality
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Jack Gordon ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1997)​
Parent(s)	Joe Jackson Katherine Jackson
Family	Jackson
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop dance
Labels	Polydor Epic CBS/Columbia Luco Music Group RCA Jive Pump/Dino/WMG Bungalo/Universal Records

La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. She is the fifth child of the famous Jackson family. Jackson first became known on her family's TV show, The Jacksons, from 1976 to 1977.

After the show, she started a solo music career. In the 1980s and 1990s, she released nine albums with labels like Polydor and RCA. Her most successful songs in the United States were from her first album, La Toya Jackson (1980), and the single "Heart Don't Lie" (1984). Some of her other popular songs include "If You Feel the Funk" and "You're Gonna Get Rocked!". She also wrote a song called "Just Say No" for First Lady Nancy Reagan's anti-drug campaign.

Jackson is also a best-selling author. In 1992, she starred in a popular show in Paris, France, called Formidable. Her music career slowed down in the 1990s during her marriage to manager Jack Gordon, whom she later divorced.

After some time away, she returned to music in 2004. In 2011, she appeared on the TV show The Celebrity Apprentice and released an EP called Starting Over. From 2013 to 2014, she had her own reality TV show called Life with La Toya.

Life and Career

Early Life and The Jacksons TV Show

From left, back row: Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson. Middle row: Randy Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Rebbie Jackson. Front row: Janet Jackson (1977)

La Toya Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on May 29, 1956. She is the fifth of ten children of Joe and Katherine Jackson. As a child, La Toya was often shy. When she was 17, her father arranged for her and her siblings to perform in Las Vegas. La Toya had a tap-dancing part in the show.

She wanted to be a lawyer but her father encouraged her to have a career in entertainment like her siblings. In 1976, La Toya, along with her sisters Rebbie and Janet, joined their brothers on the TV variety show The Jacksons. They all sang, danced, and performed in comedy skits.

For a short time, La Toya, Rebbie, and Janet formed a music group, but they did not release any music together. Soon after, La Toya began working on her first solo album.

Solo Music Career in the 1980s

In 1980, Jackson released her first album, La Toya Jackson. She wanted to be known as an individual artist, so she asked for only her first name to be on the cover. The album's first single, "If You Feel the Funk", was a hit on the R&B charts. Her brother, Michael Jackson, helped produce and write her second single, "Night Time Lover".

Her second album, My Special Love, came out in 1981. In 1984, she released Heart Don't Lie. The title song became her biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1985, she was part of the charity single "We Are the World", which raised money for famine relief in Africa.

A Difficult Time and a New Direction

In 1987, Jack Gordon became La Toya's manager. During this time, her public image changed, and she became distant from her family. In 1988, she released the album La Toya, which included the song "You're Gonna Get Rocked!".

Jackson and Gordon married in 1989. She later said it was a very difficult period in her life. For many years, she had little contact with her family. Her career faced challenges, and she had financial troubles. In 1991, she released the album No Relations, which featured the hit song "...box" in the Netherlands.

With the help of her brother Randy, La Toya left her manager and filed for divorce. She then reconnected with her family and began to rebuild her life and career.

Return to Music and Television

In 2003, Jackson appeared on the TV show Larry King Live. She announced she was working on a new album. Her single "Just Wanna Dance" was released in 2004 and was a success on the U.S. dance charts.

In 2007, she starred in the reality TV show Armed & Famous, where she trained to be a reserve police officer. In 2009, she was a contestant on the British TV show Celebrity Big Brother.

In 2011, Jackson released her second book, Starting Over, and an EP with the same name. She also appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Recent Years

From 2013 to 2014, Jackson starred in her own reality series, Life With La Toya. She also returned for The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. In 2018, she won the celebrity edition of the Food Network show Worst Cooks in America.

In 2019, she competed on the popular TV show The Masked Singer as the "Alien". She has also appeared on the Spanish and Australian versions of the show.

Discography

Studio albums

• La Toya Jackson (1980)
• My Special Love (1981)
• Heart Don't Lie (1984)
• Imagination (1986)
• La Toya (1988)
• Bad Girl (1990)
• No Relations (1991)
• Formidable (1992)
• From Nashville to You (1994)
• Stop in the Name of Love (1995)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

See also

In Spanish: La Toya Jackson para niños