June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Madonna
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived
Quick Facts
- NAME: Randy Jackson
- OCCUPATION: Bassist, Music Producer, Singer, Television Personality
- BIRTH DATE: June 23, 1956 (Age: 56)
- EDUCATION: Southern University
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer
Best Known For
Record producer and musician Randy Jackson is notable mostly as a judge on the talent-search TV show American Idol
.
Videos see all videos
Carrie Underwood: Randy Jackson on Carrie
Randy Jackson discusses Carrie Underwood's success on American Idol.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowRandy Jackson. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:31, May 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880.
Randy Jackson. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880 [Accessed 24 May 2013].
"Randy Jackson." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 24 2013, 10:31 http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880.
"Randy Jackson," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880 [accessed May 24, 2013].
"Randy Jackson," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880 (accessed May 24, 2013).
Randy Jackson [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 24] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880.
Randy Jackson, http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880 (last visited May 24, 2013).
Randy Jackson. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/randy-jackson-168880. Accessed May 24, 2013.
Synopsis
Born on June 23, 1956, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Randy Jackson is a music industry veteran who emerged from behind the scenes to become a famous television personality as a judge on the popular singing competition show American Idol. Jackson spent years as a record producer and an executive with Columbia Records and MCA Records before landing his spot as an American Idol judge.
An Early Start in Music
Born Randall Matthew Jackson on June 23, 1956, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, music industry veteran Randy Jackson has become a famous television personality from his work as a judge on the popular singing competition American Idol. He first started playing bass guitar at the age of 13. The youngest of three children, Jackson used to slip out of his family's home at night to play at local clubs.
Jackson went to nearby Southern University to study music. Graduating in 1979, he pursued his dream of being a professional musician, playing with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Bob Dylan. He was even a temporary member of the 80s rock band Journey in 1983 and 1986. Jackson also recorded and toured with such well-known artists as Jerry Garcia, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna. Working behind the scenes, Jackson spent years as as a record producer and an executive with Columbia Records and MCA Records.
American Idol'
Jackson became one of the judges on the hit FOX talent search series American Idol in 2002, along with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Highly regarded within the music industry, Jackson quickly became respected among contestants and fans for his constructive criticism. Sharing his secrets of success, Jackson wrote the 2004 book What's Up Dawg? How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business.
For MTV, Jackson helped develop and produce America's Best Dance Crew, which premiered in February 2008. "It's very much more street than whatever you've seen ... It's really kind of raw and has a lot of great imagery," he explained to People magazine. The following month, Jackson released a compilation album, which featured performances from his American Idol cohort Paula Abdul, as well as musicians Joss Stone, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, and Mariah Carey among others. "It's kind of a Quincy Jones record with all sorts-country, pop, hip-hop, R&B and jazz songs," Jackson told Entertainment Weekly.
In March 2012, Jackson launched a syndicated radio program, Randy Jackson's Hit List, for Westwood One. Around this same time, he branched out into eyewear. Known for his distinctive glasses, Jackson has his own line of frames through Zyloware eyewear.
In May 2013, Jackson—by this time the last original judge on American Idol—announced that he was leaving the popular singing-competition show after season 12. Jackson addressed his decision to leave the program in a statement, saying, "Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol, I have decided to leave after this season."
profile name: Randy Jackson profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Weight Loss Winners
View groupIt's hard to face weight gain—but it's even harder to face it when the whole world is commenting on your expanding waistline. Here are a group of stars who got in shape despite the scrutiny of the press. Their efforts serve as an inspiration to the millions out there trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
Weight Loss Winners 26 people in this group
-
American Idol
View groupIn the early days of the music industry, only a combination of hard work and luck could get musicians a recording contract—and even then, success was limited by the scope of a radio or record distribution deal. But thanks to the reality TV phenomenon, even an appearance on the American Idol competition can make you an instant superstar. Here are some of the show's most famous competitors and judges.
American Idol 28 people in this group
-
Famous Cancerians 554 people in this group
