Childhood and youth ,
Michael Jackson,
Tito Jackson,
Marlon Jackson, middle row:
Randy Jackson,
La Toya Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, front row:
Janet Jackson (1977) Maureen Reillette Jackson was born at 2300 Jackson Street in
Gary, Indiana to a working-class family on May 29, 1950. She is the first daughter of
Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson (July 26, 1928 – June 27, 2018), and
Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse, May 4, 1930) and is the eldest of their 10 children. Her siblings are
Jackie,
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, and
Janet. Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in a rhythm and blues (R&B) band called the Falcons with his brother, Luther. Katherine is one of
Jehovah's Witnesses; she instructed her children to follow the religion. Rebbie, La Toya, and Michael became the most devout of the children in the faith as time progressed. 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 often
babysit, along with her eldest brother Jackie. She graduated from
Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary in 1968. When the Jackson 5 parted with their record label
Motown in 1976, they signed to
Epic Records and rebranded themselves The Jacksons. Additionally, the brothers were signed to CBS to star with their family in a variety series called
The 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 afterwards. Prior to the series, Rebbie 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. Jackson served as a backing vocalist for several musicians around this time, as well as a
cabaret singer. She contributed her voice for songs by artists including
The Emotions,
Sonny Bono, and
Betty Wright before her second pregnancy stalled her musical career for a short time.
Centipede After years of preparation, Jackson's debut album,
Centipede, was released in October 1984 by
Columbia Records, which had signed her as a solo artist in 1982. "Centipede" marked Michael's first work writing and producing since the release of his successful
Thriller album (1982). According to
Jet magazine,
Centipede marked Jackson's emergence as a "legitimate recording artist" and "cleared the major hurdle of demonstrating that she [was] talented and marketable." Rebbie later revealed that several discussions occurred at the time of the release of
Centipede over whether she should use the Jackson surname professionally or not. Rebbie did not want to use her maiden surname, but later reasoned that it was silly to deny her heritage. She said that she compromised in using her family name on the
Centipede album cover, "Rebbie is large and Jackson is small." He produced
Reaction along with
David Conley and
David Townsend of the R&B group
Surface. Duets were featured on the album, including one with
Cheap Trick lead singer
Robin Zander and another with
Isaac Hayes. By mid-June 1988,
R U Tuff Enuff had reportedly sold 300,000 copies.
MTV later concluded that the album "struggled". Jackson later stated that she performed around the world during the break. The album featured a duet with
Men of Vizion's Spanky Williams on
the Spinners' "I Don't Want to Lose You," which
Jet called a "sizzling" rendition.
Death of Michael Jackson Rebbie's brother Michael
died 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." Michael's siblings (including Rebbie) and the late singer's children sang at the memorial. After the service—which was held at Los Angeles'
Staples Center—Rebbie and her sisters Janet and La Toya, addressed fans at the nearby
L.A. Live entertainment complex, saying, "We are extremely grateful for all the support. We love you all." In the weeks after Michael's death, there was speculation in the media that Rebbie would be the primary caregiver for her late brother's children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket. Even if Michael and Rebbie's mother Katherine were granted custody of the children, it was assumed that Rebbie would care for the siblings on a day-to-day basis at the Jackson family's home in
Encino, Los Angeles. In early 2011, Rebbie announced that she had begun recording tracks for a new album, her first in 14 years. She performed throughout the U.S. with a setlist containing her best-known songs, some of her brothers' songs, and some Motown classics. ==Personal life==