Randy Jackson | |
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 Jackson in March 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Randall Darius Jackson (1956-06-23)June 23, 1956 (age 69) Baton Rouge,Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Southern University (BM) |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Spouse(s) | |
Randall Darius Jackson[1] (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge onAmerican Idol from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as asession musician playingbass guitar for an array of jazz, pop, rock, and R&B performers. He moved on to work in music production and in theA&R department atColumbia Records andMCA Records. Jackson is best known from his appearances as the longest-serving judge onAmerican Idol and executive producer for MTV'sAmerica's Best Dance Crew.
In May 2020, Jackson was rehired as bassist forJourney following their sudden split with founding memberRoss Valory.[2] Jackson had previously filled the role on the band's 1986 albumRaised on Radio andits tour.
Jackson was born June 23, 1956, inBaton Rouge, Louisiana,[1] the son of Julia, a homemaker, and Herman Jackson, a plant foreman. He graduated fromSouthern University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in music.[3][4]
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In the early 1980s, he played on three albums forJean-Luc Ponty and with the rock bandTaxxi. From 1986 to 1987, he joined the rock groupJourney, initially as asession musician for their 1986 albumRaised on Radio, before joining the band for the subsequent tour. He moved to Italy in the late 1980s and played on a record by Italian pop starZucchero. The record,Zucchero and the Randy Jackson Band, was produced byCorrado Rustici who played guitar with Jackson on many albums in the early 1980s. Zucchero and Jackson presented the album's lead single "Donne" at the35th edition of theSanremo Music Festival.[5]
In 1985,Keith Richards was asked to provide music for theWhoopi Goldberg comedy vehicleJumpin' Jack Flash. Richards assembled an all-star band which includedAretha Franklin on piano and lead vocals and Jackson on bass guitar. This song was the fourth track on Aretha's 1986 album titledAretha. Jackson can be seen in the song's video.In the late 1980s, Jackson was still doing sessions. He was notably on the first solo album by famed session guitaristSteve Lukather. Jackson was a featured bass guitarist on five songs onMaze's 1989 "Silky Soul" album. He also performed on several ofKenny G's albums.
Jackson was the bass guitarist on the 1991 self-titledDivinyls album (which features the song "I Touch Myself") as well as featured bassist on several tracks ofTracy Chapman's 1992 release,Matters of the Heart. He performed on the singles "Bang Bang Bang", "Open Arms", and "Dreaming on a World". That same year, Jackson also played bass on Bruce Springsteen's song "Human Touch".[6]
On March 11, 2008, Jackson released an album produced entirely by himself, titledRandy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1. The album's release was preceded by the single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" sung byPaula Abdul. In 2009, Randy began working with former Idol finalistKimberley Locke, producing her 4th album. The lead single, "Strobe Light", was released March 16, 2010.[7]
Jackson is the manager for theCharlotte-based bandPaper Tongues. With the help of Jackson, they signed with a major label,A&M/Octone Records. He has also worked as an executive, spending eight years as vice president of artists and repertoire (A&R) atColumbia Records and four years heading A&R atMCA Records.
Jackson also hosts a radio top 40 countdown known asRandy Jackson's Hit List,[8] which is syndicated byWestwood One.[9] Every week, Jackson counts down his top 30 Urban AC and Mainstream AC hits. He also gives behind-the-scenes information onAmerican Idol on the internet radio stationArtist Underground.[citation needed]
Starting in 2002, Jackson was one of the panel judges on theFox Network reality television seriesAmerican Idol, along withPaula Abdul (2002–2009),Simon Cowell (2002–2010),Kara DioGuardi (2009–2010),Ellen DeGeneres (2010),Jennifer Lopez (2011–2012),Steven Tyler (2011–2012),Nicki Minaj (2013),Mariah Carey (2013), andKeith Urban (2013). As a result of Cowell's departure, Jackson was left as the sole original judge onAmerican Idol. His role was originally going to be reduced to that of a mentor, so the 2013 season would have all new judges,[10] but it was later decided that he would remain as a judge for season 12.[11] On May 9, 2013, Jackson announced that he would be leavingAmerican Idol after twelve seasons due to him wanting to focus on other business ventures.[12] On September 3, 2013, it was announced that Jackson would replaceJimmy Iovine as the in-house mentor onAmerican Idol.[13] He departed the series for good in November 2014.[14]
Jackson producedAmerica's Best Dance Crew, an American group dance competition and reality television show, which premiered on February 7, 2008, on MTV and was cancelled in 2012 due to declining ratings.[15] Each week, the teams showcased their creative talents in choreography and their dance skills, and one crew was eliminated by the judges. The competition continued until the sole winning dance crew was awarded the title of America's Best Dance Crew, and a cash prize of $100,000.[16]
Jackson serves as bandleader on the revival ofName That Tune.[17]
Jackson's first marriage, to Elizabeth Jackson, was dissolved in 1990; they had one daughter named Taylor. In 1995, Jackson married Erika Riker, with whom he has two children, a daughter named Zoe and a son named Jordan. In 2014, Riker filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences; it was finalized in 2019.[18]
In 2003, Jackson lost 114 pounds (52 kilograms) followinggastric bypass surgery. He stated in a February 2008 television commercial that he hastype 2 diabetes.[19]
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 2008 | Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1
| 50 | 33 |
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Pop | US Dance | US AC | CAN | |||||
| 2008 | "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow"(withPaula Abdul) | 62 | 48 | 2 | 29 | 68 | Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1 | ||
| "Real Love"(withKatharine McPhee andElliott Yamin) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
WithJourney
WithRichard Marx
WithNeal Schon
WithJean-Luc Ponty
WithStryper
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