Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson, born May 16, 1966, was the tenth child in the Jackson family and spent her childhood on television in Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. She broke from family management in 1982, signed with A&M, and exploded with Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) - albums that shattered MTV's gender and racial barriers and birthed the new jack swing sound. In the 1990s she signed two of the largest music deals ever with Virgin Records, starred in Poetic Justice (1993), and released Janet and The Velvet Rope while becoming one of the highest-paid musicians alive. Her 2004 Super Bowl halftime show triggered an industry blacklisting orchestrated by CBS chief Les Moonves - radio play vanished, promotion dried up, sales cratered. She has released four albums since and her 2023-2024 Together Again Tour became the highest-grossing of her career, closing a loop on over 100 million records sold and a stack of chart records no one has matched.