Randy Jackson (musician)

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Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (born October 29, 1961) is an American singer and musician, a member of the Jacksons. Nicknamed "Little Randy", he is the youngest of the Jackson brothers, and the second youngest of the nine performing Jackson siblings. (Sister Janet is the youngest.)

[edit] Biography

Randy was only four when the Jackson 5 was formed and therefore was not an original member. While his brothers toured, he honed his skills as a musician, mastering piano.

Randy was first married in 1989 to Eliza Shaffe. On 17 June 1990 Eliza gave birth to their daughter Steveanna. Steveanna is an aspiring actress who appeared on Zoey 101. Randy and Eliza divorced in 1991 and Randy was found guilty on charges for spousal abuse against her. He spent one month in prison and then another in a psychiatric clinic.

During his marriage to Eliza Shaffe, Randy had an affair with Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, producing daughter Genevieve. After his first divorce, he wed Oaziaza in 1992. She gave birth to their twins Randy Jr. and Donte later that year ^[1]. The couple were divorced in 1994. When they split, Alejandra in 1995 notoriously married and had two sons with Randy's older brother Jermaine Jackson, causing much strain in the family.

On May 2nd 1996 Randy flew from California to New York to rescue sister LaToya Jackson from abusive husband Jack Gordon. LaToya, who had not contacted her family, whom she publicly criticized for years, called Randy after she was allegedly abused by her violent husband of six and a half years. Randy immediately caught a plane and took LaToya from the hotel straight to Las Vegas. Here LaToya was treated for bruises and she filed for a divorce. To this day she is publicly grateful for Randy's trip to save her.

[edit] Career

[edit] The Jacksons

Although he (and his younger sister Janet) had made many guest appearances with the Jackson 5, Randy didn't officially join the family band until 1976, when they changed their name to The Jacksons and signed with Epic Records. At the age of 16, he wrote The Jacksons' most successful single on Epic, “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”. He is widely thought of as the most talented instrumentalist of the Jackson brothers, playing congas, drums and other percussion instruments, keyboards and piano, bass, guitar. In addition to singing and playing on the Jacksons' recordings, he also worked with his brother Michael on his solo recordings, including the hit Off the Wall album.

In either 1979 or 1980 (the various sources are unclear on the exact date and so on the exact circumstances), Randy was reportedly seriously injured in a car crash. He reportedly suffers from handicaps as a result of this accident. In June 1980, he appeared on the cover of the the weekly African-American newsmagazine Jet. The cover headline read: "Randy Jackson Walks Again: Talks About His Future." ^[2].

Randy was able to participate fully in the Jacksons' 1981 Triumph Tour and in the band's later projects. After the record-setting Victory Tour in 1984, Michael and Marlon left the band. Randy and his remaining three brothers later made one last album, 2300 Jackson Street.

[edit] After the Jacksons

In 1998, Jackson opened up his own record label Modern Records. On March 23, 2008, The New York Post published an article about the Jackson family^[3] which stated that Randy is currently in financial trouble and does odd jobs to make money, including fixing cars in a Los Angeles garage owned by a family friend.

[edit] Discography

[edit] References