Randy Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Randy Jackson
|
|
|---|---|
Jackson in March 2018
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Randall Darius Jackson |
| Born | June 23, 1956 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels |
|
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American music expert, TV host, and musician. Many people know him as a judge on the popular show American Idol from 2002 to 2013.
Randy Jackson started his music journey in the 1980s. He played the bass guitar for many different artists. He worked in jazz, pop, rock, and R&B music. Later, he helped produce music and found new artists for record labels like Columbia Records and MCA Records. He is also known for producing MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.
In 2020, Randy rejoined the famous rock band Journey as their bassist. He had played with them before on their 1986 album Raised on Radio and its tour.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Randy Jackson was born on June 23, 1956, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His mother, Julia, was a homemaker, and his father, Herman, worked as a plant foreman. Randy loved music and studied it in college. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Southern University in 1979.
Randy Jackson's Music Career
In the early 1980s, Randy played bass on albums for Jean-Luc Ponty and the band Taxxi. From 1986 to 1987, he joined the rock group Journey. He first played as a session musician for their 1986 album Raised on Radio. Then, he became a full member for the tour that followed.
Later, Randy moved to Italy. There, he played on a record for Italian pop star Zucchero. The album was called Zucchero and the Randy Jackson Band. They even performed the song "Donne" at the 35th Sanremo Music Festival.
In 1985, Randy played bass for a special band put together by Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones. This band recorded a song for the movie Jumpin' Jack Flash. The song featured Aretha Franklin on vocals and was on her 1986 album Aretha. You can even spot Randy in the song's music video!
Randy continued to be a busy session musician. He played on the first solo album by guitarist Steve Lukather. He also played on five songs for Maze's 1989 album "Silky Soul." Randy also worked on several albums for the famous saxophonist Kenny G.
In 1991, Randy was the bass player on the Divinyls album, which included their hit song "I Touch Myself." He also played on several songs from Tracy Chapman's 1992 album, Matters of the Heart. That same year, Randy played bass on Bruce Springsteen's song "Human Touch."
On March 11, 2008, Randy released his own album called Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1. He produced the entire album himself. The first song from the album was "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," sung by Paula Abdul. In 2009, Randy started working with former American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, producing her fourth album.
In 2010, Randy joined many other artists to sing in "We Are the World 25 for Haiti." This song helped raise money for people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
Randy also manages the band Paper Tongues from Charlotte, North Carolina. He helped them sign with a major record label, A&M/Octone Records. Besides playing music, Randy has worked as an executive. He spent eight years as vice president of artists and repertoire (A&R) at Columbia Records. He also led the A&R department at MCA Records for four years.
Randy Jackson's Radio Show
Randy Jackson also hosts a radio show called Randy Jackson's Hit List. On this show, he counts down the top 30 Urban AC and Mainstream AC songs each week. He also shares behind-the-scenes stories from American Idol on the internet radio station Artist Underground.
Randy Jackson on Television
Being a Judge on American Idol
From 2002, Randy Jackson was a judge on the Fox Network TV show American Idol. He judged alongside Paula Abdul (2002–2009) and Simon Cowell (2002–2010). Over the years, other judges included Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban.
When Simon Cowell left, Randy became the only original judge left on American Idol. In 2013, he announced that he would be leaving the show after twelve seasons. He wanted to focus on other projects. However, he returned as an in-house mentor for the show in September 2013. He finally left the series for good in November 2014.
Producing America's Best Dance Crew
Randy Jackson was also the executive producer for America's Best Dance Crew. This was a reality TV show where dance groups competed against each other. It started on MTV in 2008. Each week, teams showed off their amazing dance moves and choreography. One crew was eliminated until only one winner was left. The winning dance crew received the title of America's Best Dance Crew and a $100,000 cash prize. The show ended in 2012.
Hosting Name That Tune
Randy Jackson is also the bandleader on the new version of the game show Name That Tune.
Randy Jackson's Personal Life
Randy Jackson has three children. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Jackson, and they had a daughter named Taylor. They divorced in 1990. In 1995, Randy married Erika Riker. They had two children, a daughter named Zoe and a son named Jordan. Erika filed for divorce in 2014, and it was finalized in 2019.
In 2003, Randy Jackson had surgery and lost a lot of weight. He has also shared that he has type 2 diabetes.
Randy Jackson's Music Albums
Albums Released
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 2008 | Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1
|
50 | 33 |
Singles Released
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Pop | US Dance | US AC | CAN | |||||
| 2008 | "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" (with Paula Abdul) | 62 | 48 | 2 | 29 | 68 | Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1 | ||
| "Real Love" (with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" means the song did not appear on the music chart. | |||||||||
As a Sideman (Playing for Others)
With Journey
- Frontiers (Columbia, 1983) (bass on "After the Fall")
- Raised on Radio (Columbia, 1986)
- Freedom (BMG, 2022)
With Richard Marx
- Repeat Offender (Capitol, 1989)
With Neal Schon
- Late Nite (Columbia, 1989)
With Jean-Luc Ponty
- Civilized Evil (Atlantic, 1980)
- Mystical Adventures (Atlantic, 1982)
- Individual Choice (Atlantic, 1983)
With Stryper
- Against the Law (Enigma, 1990) (bass on "Shining Star")
See also
In Spanish: Randy Jackson para niños
