J.J. Jackson biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Born John J. Jackson Jr. on April 8, 1941, in the Bronx, New York, J.J. Jackson was one of the first video jockeys, or VJs, on the MTV cable network when the channel was launched in 1981. A former marine, he had started his career in radio in the 1960s. His first job was at WBCN-FM in Boston and later moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked at several different stations. In 1976, his low, warm voice appeared in the film Car Wash as a radio disc jockey. During his years as a DJ, Jackson had developed a number of friendships with performers, such as Rod Stewart and Robert Plant.

Before MTV, Jackson had been working as a music reporter for a Los Angeles television station. He then moved to New York City to help make music history. When the music channel launched on August 1, 1981, the first video played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles and a musical revolution began. The station shook up the music industry, changed the way artists were promoted, and provided a new venue for bands and performers who were not getting played on traditional radio.

Original MTV VJ

J.J. Jackson, nicknamed "Triple J," was a part of this revolution, along with the other four original VJs: Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, Mark Goodman and Nina Blackwood. He was also the only African American on-air personality at the channel. On air, Jackson came off as knowledgeable, gentle, and easy-going. "He was the guy who been through it all and was able to always put a mature perspective to things," Goodman later told the Los Angeles Times.

All of the VJs quickly became celebrities. But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Jackson. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, he almost quit early on after a news story on a blues musician. Quinn convinced Jackson to stay and the two formed a strong friendship.

During his five-year tenure at MTV, Jackson interviewed countless rock musicians, including the members of KISS who were unmasked during a talk with him in 1982. He also covered such major musical events as 1985 Live Aid benefit concert in London. Helping to break new artists, Jackson served as the host for the show 120 Minutes.

After working MTV, Jackson returned to Los Angeles and to radio. In 1995, he began hosting a weekly syndicated show on the Beatles. One of his final gigs as a local DJ was on KTVW-FM. He encountered some health problems in the years before his death and underwent a triple-bypass surgery. But Goodman, who had seen him shortly before his passing said that Jackson "was in great shape, he'd lost weight."