Rebbie Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Jackson in 2016 | |
| Born | Maureen Reillette Jackson (1950-05-29)May 29, 1950 (age 75) Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 3, includingAustin Brown |
| Parents | |
| Family | Jackson |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie"Jackson-Brown (/ˈriːbi/; born May 29, 1950) is an American singer and the eldest child of theJackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows inLas Vegas, Nevada, at theMGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1974, before subsequently appearing in the television seriesThe Jacksons. At age 34, Jackson released her debut albumCentipede (1984). The album'stitle track was written by her younger brotherMichael and it has been her most successful single release. Jackson released two more albums:Reaction (1986) andR U Tuff Enuff (1988).
Following a 7-year hiatus, Jackson returned with a cover of "Forever Young" for theFree Willy 2: The Adventure Home soundtrack before the release of the 1998 albumYours Faithfully three years later. The production of this, her last album, was a collaboration with artists and producers such asMen of Vizion's Spanky Williams,Keith Thomas, andEliot Kennedy. It also featured contributions from her children. In 2011, Rebbie embarked on the Pick Up the Phone Tour, which is dedicated to teenagers from all over the U.S. who have died by suicide.
Maureen Reillette Jackson was born at 2300 Jackson Street inGary, Indiana to a working-class family on May 29, 1950.[2] She is the first daughter ofJoseph Walter "Joe" (July 26, 1928 – June 27, 2018), andKatherine Esther (née Scruse, May 4, 1930), she is the eldest of their 10 children. Her siblings areJackie,Tito (d. September 15, 2024),Jermaine,La Toya (born on Rebbie's sixth birthday),Marlon, Brandon (d. March 12, 1957),Michael (d.June 25, 2009),Randy, andJanet.[3]
Joseph was a steel mill employee who often performed in a rhythm and blues (R&B) band called the Falcons with his brother, Luther.[4] Katherine is aJehovah's Witness and raised her children to follow the religion. Rebbie, La Toya, and Michael became the most devout of the children as time progressed.[5] Reflecting on her early life, Rebbie acknowledged in a 1980s magazine interview that her role within the family had been that of a "second mother" to her younger siblings, whom she would oftenbabysit, along with her eldest brotherJackie. She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary in 1968.[6]
Jackson began her singing career in 1974, performing with her siblings in Las Vegas. The Vegas shows had initially begun in April, without Rebbie; due to a sprained ankle, Rebbie's debut was postponed until June. Her five brothers were the main draws, with Rebbie, Randy, Janet, and La Toya serving as fillers for the performances.[7]
When the Jackson 5 parted with their record labelMotown in 1976, they signed toEpic Records and rebranded themselves The Jacksons.[8][9] Additionally, the brothers were signed toCBS-TV to star with their family in a variety series calledThe Jacksons. The show premiered in June 1976 and featured all of the siblings excluding Jermaine, who had chosen to stay with Motown. The initial series run of the 30-minute programs was four weeks. Due to ratings success, more episodes were ordered in January 1977. The show marked the first time that an African-American family had ever starred in a television series. The run of programs concluded shortly afterward.[10]
Prior to the series, Jackson had thought of her singing as merely a private hobby. Her television experience, as well as an early love of musicals, motivated her to become a professional recording artist, and the show's producer encouraged her to sing.[11][12] Jackson served as a backing vocalist for several musicians around this time, as well as acabaret singer. She contributed her voice for songs by such artists asThe Emotions,Sonny Bono, andBetty Wright before her second pregnancy stalled her musical career for a short time.[13][14][15]
Following years of preparation, Jackson's debut album,Centipede, was released in October 1984 byColumbia Records, which had signed her as a solo artist two years previously.[11][12] The album was only released once Jackson had ensured that family life was secure, and that she had spent time with her children during their younger years.Centipede reached number 13 onBillboard'sTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 63 on itsTop 200. The recording of the album had been a family affair; it involved several contributions from her relatives. Her husband Nathaniel Brown (1949–2013) co-wrote the song "Come Alive Saturday Night" with two of his wife's brothers, Randy and Tito. The latter Jackson also penned "Hey Boy" with his wife Dee Dee.[11] The most successful song from the album was the million-selling title track, "Centipede".[15] Written, arranged, and produced by Michael, the song also featured Jackson's famous brother andThe Weather Girls on backing vocals.[11] It reached number 4 on theBlack Singles Chart and was subsequentlycertified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America.[15][16][17] "Centipede" marked Michael's first effort at writing and producing since the release of his successfulThriller (1982).[13]
Other tracks from Rebbie's album included cover versions of songs byPrince ("I Feel for You") andSmokey Robinson and the Miracles ("A Fork in the Road").[15] The album received mixed reviews from journalists and music critics.[18][19][20] According toJet magazine,Centipede marked Jackson's emergence as a "legitimate recording artist" and "cleared the major hurdle of demonstrating that she [was] talented and marketable."[11] With the album, Jackson became the last of her siblings to embark on a recording career and the last in line to release hit material.[13][21][22]
Rebbie later revealed that several discussions occurred at the time of the release ofCentipede over whether she should use the Jackson surname professionally or not. To begin with, Rebbie did not want to use her maiden surname, but later reasoned that it was silly to deny her heritage. Jackson stated that she did, however, compromise with the use of her family name on theCentipede album cover, explaining, "Rebbie is large and Jackson is small."[11] She further stated that the success of siblings Michael and Janet had not been a hindrance to her, but served as an enhancement to her career. Rebbie added that she did not have to worry about "name recognition."[12]
Reaction served as the follow-up album toCentipede, and was released in October 1986.[13] It was recorded at Tito's Ponderosa Studios in Los Angeles, California.[23] Tito producedReaction along withDavid Conley andDavid Townsend of the R&B groupSurface. Duets were featured on the album, including one withCheap Trick lead singerRobin Zander, and another withIsaac Hayes.[13][15] The Zander-Jackson collaboration ("You Send the Rain Away") was released as a single, and peaked at number 50 on the R&B singles chart. Jackson's duet with Hayes, the ballad "Tonight I'm Yours," was not released as a single, though received substantial airplay.Reaction's title track ("Reaction") was the most popular hit from the album, reaching number 16 on the R&B singles chart.[13]
The albumR U Tuff Enuff succeededReaction upon its release in July 1988.[13] Jackson was more involved with the production of this album than she had been on her previous releases. She stated at the time ofR U Tuff Enuff's distribution that the sound on the album differed from anything she had done previously. Jackson commented that the album was "more versatile," while noting that it resembled other albums because it contained a lot of dance music.[12] Two singles were released from the album and charted on the R&B singles chart: "Plaything," which made it into the top 10, and the title track "R U Tuff Enuff," which peaked at number 78.[13][15][24] By mid-June 1988,R U Tuff Enuff had reportedly sold 300,000 copies.[25]MTV later concluded that the album "struggled".[15] Jackson lent her vocals to "2300 Jackson Street" (the title track of her brothers'2300 Jackson Street album), before taking a hiatus from releasing music.[15][26][27] Jackson later stated that she performed around the world during this break.[28]
When fans find out there's another Jackson coming out, they want to hear what the person is about. That can be a double-edged sword.
Following a 7-year break, Jackson returned with a cover ofBob Dylan's "Forever Young" for the 1995 filmFree Willy 2: The Adventure Home. She was later signed to her brother Michael's record labelMJJ Music and the first album in 10 years,Yours Faithfully, was released on March 31, 1998. It featured a remixed version of Jackson's successful "Centipede."[15][28] Initially, the singer had not wanted to feature the track, believing that it was part of the past. After thinking about it for a while, Jackson felt that the inclusion of the remix—which features arap by son Austin—would be a good way to return to the music scene. In addition, her two other children, Stacee and Yashi, contributed backing vocals for the album. Other tracks from the album included "Fly Away," which was written and produced by brother Michael, who also served as co-executive producer forYours Faithfully.[28] Fellow producers includedKeith Thomas andEliot Kennedy.[29] The album also featured a duet withMen of Vizion's Spanky Williams onthe Spinners' "I Don't Want to Lose You," whichJet described as being a "sizzling" rendition.[28]Yours Faithfully's title track was released as a single and peaked at number 78 on the R&B chart.[24]Vibe magazine's Quohnos Mitchell expressed disappointment in the album, calling its content a "mix of dated R&B grooves dressed up with a few cleverly placed samples."[30]
Rebbie's brother Michaeldied on June 25, 2009, after suffering a cardiac arrest.His memorial service was held 12 days later on July 7, and the finale featured group renditions of the Jackson anthems "We Are the World" and "Heal the World."[31][32] The singalong featured Michael's siblings (including Rebbie) and the late singer's children.[32][33][34] Following the service—which was held at Los Angeles'Staples Center—Rebbie, along with sisters Janet and La Toya, addressed fans at the nearbyL.A. Live entertainment complex, stating, "We are extremely grateful for all the support. We love you all."[35] In the weeks following Michael's death, it was speculated by media sources that Rebbie would be the primary caregiver for her late brother's children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket. It was stated that even if Michael and Rebbie's mother Katherine were granted custody of the children, Rebbie would care for the siblings on a day-to-day basis at the Jackson family'sEncino home.[15] Katherine was named their legal guardian in August 2009.[36][37] In early 2011, Rebbie announced she'd begun recording tracks for a new album, her first in 14 years. She also performed throughout the U.S. with a setlist containing her best-known songs, some of her brothers' songs, and some Motown classics.
The 18-year-old Rebbie's announcement that she wanted to marry her childhood love Nathaniel Brown in November 1968[38] created division in the Jackson family. Jackson expressed her feelings for the man, and proclaimed that she wanted to move with him toKentucky. Katherine encouraged her daughter to proceed, feeling that being a wife and mother were important roles for all of her daughters.
However, Joseph opposed the marriage; he wanted Rebbie to follow in her brothers' footsteps and become a singer and felt that married life would stop her from becoming a success in the entertainment business.[39] Rebbie had taken clarinet, piano, and dance lessons in her childhood, but had no interest in a music career,[39][13] even though, according to Jermaine, she had won several singing contests dueting with Jackie.
Rebbie had expressed that a happy home was more comforting and secure than the instability of show business.[39] She also wanted to leave her family's drama-filled home on Jackson Street and escape her abusive father.[40][41] Arguments ensued for several weeks before her father relented and allowed Rebbie to marry Brown, but he refused to walk her down the aisle.[42] Nathaniel Brown died of cancer on January 6, 2013.[43]
Jackson and Brown had three children:[44]
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Worldwide sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [45] | US R&B [46] | |||
| 1984 | Centipede
| 63 | 13 | |
| 1986 | Reaction
| — | 54 | |
| 1988 | R U Tuff Enuff
| — | 58 |
|
| 1998 | Yours Faithfully
| 50 | 38 |
|
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [24] | US [48] | AUS [49] | NZ [50] | UK [51] | ||||
| 1984 | "Centipede" | 4 | 24 | 97 | 4 | — | Centipede | |
| 1985 | "A Fork in the Road" | 40 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Reaction" | 16 | — | — | — | — | Reaction | |
| 1987 | "You Send the Rain Away" | 50 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Plaything" | 8 | — | — | — | — | R U Tuff Enuff | |
| "R U Tuff Enuff" | 78 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "2300 Jackson Street" (the Jacksons featuringMichael,Janet andMarlon Jackson) | 9 | — | — | — | — | 2300 Jackson Street | |
| 1998 | "Yours Faithfully" | 40 | — | — | — | 76 | Yours Faithfully | |
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