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La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the
Jackson family The Jackson family is an American family of musicians and entertainers from Gary, Indiana. Many of the children of Joseph Walter (or Joe) and Katherine Esther Jackson were successful musicians, notably the brothers that formed the Motown boy ...
, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''
The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
'', on CBS between 1976 and 1977. Thereafter, she saw success as a solo recording artist under multiple record labels in the 1980s and 1990s, including
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United State ...
,
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...
and
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
, where she released nine studio albums over the course of 15 years. Her most successful releases in the United States were her self-titled debut album (1980) and the 1984 single " Heart Don't Lie". Jackson's other songs include "
If You Feel the Funk "If You Feel the Funk" is the debut single from American singer La Toya Jackson. It was released in 1980 on Polydor Records, and is from Jackson's self-titled debut album (1980). It was released in three versions, with "Are You Ready?", "Lovely ...
", "
Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin' "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'" is a song by American singer La Toya Jackson and the first single from the 1984 album '' Heart Don't Lie''. It was released on 7" and 12" singles without a B-side track, and peaked at No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' ...
", " Hot Potato", " You're Gonna Get Rocked!", and " Sexbox". Another one of Jackson's songs, "Just Say No" from her
fifth album ''Fifth Album'' is the fourth studio album (her 5th overall release) by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released by Elektra Records in 1965. It peaked at No. 69 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Albums chart''. The album featured a collecti ...
was composed for US first lady
Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in Ne ...
and
Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over ...
’s anti-drug campaign. She is a two time New York Times best selling author. Jackson posed for ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' magazine in 1989 and again in 1991 to promote her
New York Times Best Seller ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
'' La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family''. In 1992, Jackson signed a contract with the
Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
to star in the successful Paris revue, Formidable. Despite subsequent musical success, Jackson's recording career began its decline in the 1990s as a result of her controversial marriage to entertainment manager Jack Gordon, whom she divorced in 1997. After a period of public seclusion, she returned to the music industry in 2004 with the singles "
Just Wanna Dance "Just Wanna Dance" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her EP '' Startin' Over'' released in 2011. Song information After six years in seclusion after escaping an abusive relationship with late former husband and mana ...
", "
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...
", and " Free the World", which saw success on the
Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...
chart in the United States. In 2011, she was a contestant on the fourth installment of '' The Celebrity Apprentice'' and released an extended play, '' Starting Over'', which is her most recent release to date, called, as well, as her best-selling autobiography. From 2013 to 2014, Jackson appeared in her own reality television series on the
Oprah Winfrey Network Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is an American multinational basic cable channel jointly owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Harpo Studios that launched on January 1, 2011, replacing the Discovery Health Channel. The network is led by talk show ho ...
, '' Life with La Toya'', which aired for two seasons.


Life and career


1956–1979: Early life and ''The Jacksons''

Born on her sister Rebbie's 6th birthday on May 29, 1956 at St Mary's Mercy Hospital in
Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along th ...
, La Toya Jackson is the fifth of ten children born to Joe and
Katherine Jackson Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse, born Kattie B. Screws; May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson. Early life Jackson was born as Kattie B. Scruse on May 4, ...
and the middle female child between Rebbie and
Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...
. Growing up, La Toya tended to be shy. After her mother became a member of the
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
in 1965, La Toya, along with the rest of her siblings followed. She would spend some of her time alongside her mother preaching door-to-door. "Every morning, Michael and I witnessed, knocking on doors around Los Angeles, spreading the word of Jehovah." By 1972, at sixteen, La Toya joined her brothers in the spotlight with a
tap dancing Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...
routine when her father arranged for them to perform shows in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
, among other cities. La Toya attended the Cal-Prep school in Encino, Los Angeles, CA and graduated in 1974. Jackson aspired to be an attorney specializing in business law. She attended college for a short time before her father insisted that she pursue a career in show business like the rest of the family. In 1976 and 1977, La Toya and her sisters Rebbie and Janet appeared in all twelve episodes of ''
The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
''—a CBS-TV variety program, with their brothers Jackie,
Tito Tito may refer to: People Mononyms *Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman *Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journal ...
, Marlon,
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
, and
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
. Along with their brothers (minus Jermaine, who stayed at
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
and left the family group when his brothers moved to
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...
), La Toya and her sisters sang, danced, and performed skits. In 1978 during the filming of ''
The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
'', La Toya traveled with her brother Michael (who was cast as the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
), to New York. Sharing an apartment, it was the first time either of them had lived elsewhere as adults. Close siblings, Michael and La Toya, would not move out of the family's
Encino, Los Angeles, California Encino ( Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north through Sepulveda ...
home until they were 27 and 31 respectively. Her dates during this period included
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...
' brother Chico and a young David Gest. Jackson also dated
Bobby DeBarge Robert Louis DeBarge, Jr. (March 5, 1956 – August 16, 1995) was an American singer and musician. DeBarge was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul vocal group Switch and was noted for his falsetto vocals. Later on, he served as both mentor ...
and was the inspiration for Switch's 1979 hit "
I Call Your Name "I Call Your Name" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was written primarily by John Lennon, with assistance from Paul McCartney. It was released in the US on '' The Beatles' Second Al ...
".Michael A. Gonzales, Vibe Magazine , September 10, 2007. Under Joe Jackson's tutelage Rebbie, La Toya and Janet formed a short-lived musical group. However, they never performed live and soon separated because of creative differences about the act's future direction. Consequently, no related material was ever released by the trio. The next year, La Toya began work on her first solo album.


1980–1983: Beginning of solo career

In 1980, Jackson released her self-titled debut album. In order to distinguish herself from her famous brothers,
The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
, La Toya only wanted her first name on the album. "I begged just to have it 'La Toya'. But
my father ''My Father'' () is a 2007 South Korean film. The film, which is based on a true story, is about an adopted son who is searching for his biological parents in South Korea. During his search he meets his real father, a condemned murderer on death ro ...
said, 'It's your last name. You got to use it.' But I wanted to see what I could do as an individual." The first single "
If You Feel the Funk "If You Feel the Funk" is the debut single from American singer La Toya Jackson. It was released in 1980 on Polydor Records, and is from Jackson's self-titled debut album (1980). It was released in three versions, with "Are You Ready?", "Lovely ...
", became a modest hit, climbing into the Top 40 of the US R&B chart. Her second single, "
Night Time Lover "Night Time Lover" is the second single by American singer La Toya Jackson, from her eponymous debut (1980). The track was produced and co-written by her brother, fellow American singer Michael Jackson, who provides co-lead vocals on the chorus. ...
", was produced by younger brother
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
, who provided backing vocals and co-wrote the song with La Toya. In turn, she provided the opening scream on her brothers',
The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
, 1980 hit, " This Place Hotel" as well as backing vocals on brother Michael's 1983 solo hit " P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)". The ''La Toya Jackson'' album peaked at #116 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, #26 on the ''Billboard'' R&B album chart, and #178 on the UK Top 200, making it her highest placing album. In 1981, Jackson released a follow-up album, ''
My Special Love ''My Special Love'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter La Toya Jackson. Released in 1981, the album peaked at #175 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. After the album's limited success, it fell into obscurity, receiving ...
'', which generated two singles, " Stay the Night" and " I Don't Want You to Go".


1984–1987: ''Heart Don't Lie'' and international success

1984 saw the release of Jackson's critically acclaimed album '' Heart Don't Lie.'' Jackson scored her biggest ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit with the title track, which peaked at number 56. Other singles from this album were "
Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin' "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'" is a song by American singer La Toya Jackson and the first single from the 1984 album '' Heart Don't Lie''. It was released on 7" and 12" singles without a B-side track, and peaked at No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' ...
", " Hot Potato", and a cover of Prince's " Private Joy." Jackson and Amir Bayyan co-wrote "Reggae Nights" for ''Heart Don't Lie'' but the track did not make the cut.
Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...
's recording of the song was a hit and was nominated for a
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. Cliff commissioned Jackson to write two more songs: "Brown Eyes" and "American Sweet." In 1984, Jackson capitalized on her rising popularity by licensing her name to a fashion line; "David Laurenz for La Toya." According to her three-year contract with the suede and leather-maker Jackson agreed to only wear David Laurenz items during her public appearances. Apparel in the collection included Jackson's signature leather headbands. Jackson starred in television and print advertisements for
Nikon (, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group. Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
cameras and the following year she became the spokesmodel for cosmetics firm Mahogany Image and launched her own eponymous fragrance, ''La Toya''. In 1985, Jackson participated on the single "
We Are the World "We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...
", an appeal for famine relief in
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. That same year Jackson featured in anti-drug
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
"
Stop the Madness "Stop the Madness" is an anti-drug music video uniquely endorsed and supported by United States President Ronald Reagan and the Reagan administration in 1985. The video includes Claudia Wells, New Edition, La Toya Jackson, Whitney Houston, David Ha ...
". Her 1985 single " Baby Sister" was a notable success, as it received one of five Outstanding Song Awards at the sixteenth annual World Popular Song Festival in Japan. "Baby Sister" was included on the 1986 album ''
Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...
'', released just before Jackson's record label, Private-I, went bankrupt resulting in poor promotion. Jackson went on to record two duets; " Oops, Oh No!" with
Cerrone Marc Cerrone Daryl Easlea, "Supernature Boy", ''Record Collector'', #502, February 2020, pp.60-63 (, ; born 24 May 1952) is a French disco drummer, composer, record producer and creator of concert shows. Cerrone is a producer of 1970s and 1980 ...
, and "
Yes, I'm Ready "Yes, I'm Ready" is a song by Barbara Mason from her album '' Yes, I'm Ready'' (1965). It has been covered by numerous artists, and was a hit single for Teri DeSario and K.C. when they recorded a duet version in 1980. Barbara Mason Mason, a so ...
" with artist Jed. In 1987 Jackson was featured as a special guest at
Minako Honda , better known as , later changed to , was a Japanese idol and musical singer. In 1985, she made her debut with the single "Satsui no Vacane". She was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 200 ...
's ''DISPA (Disco Party)'' concert, joining in for the song, "
Funkytown "Funkytown" is a song by the American disco/funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music gen ...
".


1988–1989: Departure from the Jackson family and ''Playboy''

In 1987, Jack Gordon was hired to co-manage La Toya by her father,
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
. He later took over her management completely. Under Gordon's management, Jackson's public image became increasingly sexualized.
Katherine Jackson Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse, born Kattie B. Screws; May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson. Early life Jackson was born as Kattie B. Scruse on May 4, ...
recalled her shock seeing La Toya dance in a suggestive manner in 1988 for the first time in her autobiography ''My Family, The Jacksons'': "she'd been so conservative that she'd once dropped a friend who had begun wearing low-cut tops and skirts with slits in them." Katherine believed that Gordon was distancing La Toya from her family so he could "become the dominating influence in her life."Jackson, Katherine
Everything you always wanted to know about Michael, Janet and LaToya: mother of Jackson family tells all – excerpt from Katherine Jackson's 'My Family, The Jacksons'
''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...
'', October 1990
Around this time Jackson was
disfellowshipped Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
by the
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
. Defying her father, Jackson made a stormy exit from the family's Encino compound to take up residence in New York City. In late 1988, Jackson released the album '' La Toya'', which featured the singles " You're Gonna Get Rocked!" and " (Ain't Nobody Loves You) Like I Do". The album also included a track titled "Just Say No", which was written for the
Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over ...
's anti-drug campaign. The album included four tracks produced by
Full Force Full Force is an American music group of hip hop and R&B singers and producers from Brooklyn, New York. Members *B-Fine (Brian George) - drums and drum programming, backing vocals *Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar, backing vocal ...
, and three by
Stock Aitken Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
. The album was the first one Jackson released after changing her management. In March 1989, Jackson posed topless for ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' magazine. Jackson saw the pictorial as a declaration of independence from her conservative upbringing and "to show my parents they couldn't dictate to me any more—that I control my life."Randolph, Laura B
'LaToya Jackson on: fame, family and her future in Paris'
, July 1992
She posed again in ''Playboy'' in November 1991 to promote her autobiography and subsequently acted in a 1994 video for the magazine, becoming one of the first celebrities to have a ''Playboy'' video released. She later said that she initially refused to pose for the second spread and for the video, however, Gordon beat her into submission.'La Toya Jackson files gender-based violence suit against husband.'
, ''
Jet Magazine ''Jet'' is an American weekly digital magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment related to the African-American community. Founded in November 1951 by John H. Johnson of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois, the magazi ...
'', July 15, 1996.
In 1989, Jackson began recording her sixth album '' Bad Girl''. That year Jackson staged a live
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
concert, ''A Sizzling Spectacular!'', from Bally's theatre in
Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...
. Jackson's set list included songs from ''La Toya'' and ''Bad Girl''. The show featured special guest star
Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...
.


1989–1996: Public notoriety, abuse and exile from the Jackson family

On September 5, 1989, after her ''Sizzling Spectacular'' concert in Nevada, Gordon and Jackson were married. Jackson later claimed she had been forcibly married, with Gordon claiming it was for her own protection against kidnapping by her family. La Toya Jackson states that this was both unplanned and against her wishes. According to Jackson, "I told him, 'No way, Jack! I can't marry you. You know what marriage means to me. I've never been in love; I don't even date... It's not right. I don't love you. I don't have feelings for you.'" Jackson told ''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...
'' magazine the marriage was "strictly in name only. It has never been consummated." Six months into the marriage, Jackson asked Gordon for an
annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning al ...
when in
Rome, Italy , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. In response, Gordon repeatedly bashed her head against the corner of the hotel room table saying that he would never let her go.
Paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
subsequently photographed Jackson with
black eye A periorbital hematoma, commonly called a black eye or a shiner (associated with boxing or stick sports such as hockey), is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than to the eye. The name refers to the dark-colo ...
s, which Gordon claimed were caused by an intruder. From this point forward, Jackson lost all contact with her family and wrote an autobiography, '' La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family'', which accused her father of
physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or wo ...
. For roughly the next decade Gordon controlled Jackson with threats, lies, and routine
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...
. According to Jackson, "When he hit me, the first time I was in shock, I just recalled my ear ringing, just ringing so hard." Gordon confiscated Jackson's passport, transferred her bank accounts into his name, hired bodyguards to watch La Toya constantly and banned her from speaking to or seeing her family, monitoring her every phone call. La Toya's father Joseph stated in his book ''The Jacksons'' that he believed Gordon
brainwashed Brainwashed may refer to: *Brainwashing, to affect a person's mind by using extreme mental pressure or any other mind-affecting process Music Albums * ''Brainwashed'' (George Harrison album), 2002, or the title song * ''Brainwashed'' (While ...
La Toya and made her fearful of her own family.
Katherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...
also believed that La Toya had been brainwashed while Gordon claimed that Katherine had tried to kill her daughter. Sister
Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...
concurred with her parents saying at the time, "I think this guy who is with her has brainwashed her and made her like this... He keeps her away from the family, and now he's brainwashed her so much she keeps herself away from us."Norment, Lynn
'Grown-up Janet Jackson talks about racism, sensuality and the Jackson family'
''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...
'', September 1993.
In 1990, Jackson participated in the
Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annua ...
, entering " You and Me" an English-language version of "Verso l'ignoto" by siblings Marcella and
Gianni Bella Giovanni Bella, best known as Gianni Bella (born 14 March 1946), is an Italian composer and singer-songwriter. Background Born in Catania, Bella started his career as composer for his sister, singer Marcella Bella authoring several hits with ly ...
. While "You and Me" did not win Best Song, it entered Italy's hit parade, peaking at number twenty-eight. That year Jackson signed on with German-based BCM Records and released the single " Why Don't You Want My Love?" Jackson recorded other material with BCM, but the label went bankrupt and album plans were scrapped. Jackson signed with Dino Records quickly thereafter. 1991 saw the release of ''
No Relations ''No Relations'' (1991) is the seventh studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album was released shortly after La Toya's autobiography, '' La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family'', was published. The album was only released in S ...
'', an album with strong
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
influences. This album featured Jackson's top twenty-five Netherlands hit " Sexbox". In 1992, Jackson signed a contract with the
Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
in Paris to star in her own revue, '' Formidable''. Jackson was to perform two shows a night, six nights a week. Jackson was the highest-paid performer in the cabaret's history, earning a reported $5 million. Though ''Formidable'' was successful, selling out on most nights, Jackson departed half-way into her year-long contract owing the nightclub $550,000 in damages.Cohen, Roger
'Paris Journal; Today's Lament: Where's Yesteryear's Gay Paree?'
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', January 29, 1993.
In October 1992, while taping an ''Exotic Club Tour'' in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...
Jackson approached sister
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
, also in town recording her fifth studio album with
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
, to ask for help in escaping Gordon. Janet struck La Toya, accusing her elder sister of recording their conversation. In 1993 in their New York home, Gordon beat Jackson repeatedly with a heavy brass dining room chair, leaving Jackson with black eyes, swollen lip and chin "the size of a clenched fist", cuts requiring 12 mouth stitches and contusions on her face, arms, legs and back. Jackson lost consciousness during the beating, leading Gordon to believe she was dead. She recalled, "He called his friends and said, 'She's dead. I killed her,' because I was lying in a puddle of blood and I was out."'La Toya Jacksons Ex Threatened To Kill Michael and Janet'
femalefirst.co.uk, January 25, 2005.
Gordon was arrested but then released, claiming he beat Jackson in self-defense. In December 1993, Gordon hastily arranged a press conference in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, where he had Jackson read a statement claiming to believe the sex abuse allegation against her younger brother
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
might be true. This was an abrupt reversal of her previous defense of Michael against the charges. Gordon claimed La Toya had proof which she was prepared to disclose for a fee of $500,000. A bidding war between US and UK tabloids began, but fell through when they realized that her revelations were not what she had claimed them to be. p. 534-540. According to La Toya, Gordon threatened to have siblings Michael and Janet killed if she didn't follow his orders. In 1993, Jackson claimed her father Joe Jackson sexually abused her as a child. Under Gordon's management, Jackson's career declined with his booking of disreputable jobs such as spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network. Because of Gordon's steady stream of
publicity stunt In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
s and her media portrayal as the Jackson family "
black sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...
" La Toya had become a hate figure of sorts.Pratt, Paul E. , gaywired.com, 06.13.05. By the mid-1990s Jackson's finances were in disarray and she was forced to file for bankruptcy in order to stave off claims of $550,000 in damages to the
Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
for ending her contract early. In 1993 Jackson held a concert at Poland's
Sopot International Song Festival The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in S ...
and released a step aerobics exercise video, ''Step-Up Workout''. In 1994, Jackson again worked for Playboy Entertainment, becoming one of the first celebrities to have a Celebrity Centerfold video. '' Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: La Toya Jackson'' was released in the first quarter of 1994 and sold roughly 50,000 copies. Jackson later released two albums, one of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
, '' From Nashville to You'', and another of
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
hits, '' Stop in the Name of Love'', in the mid-1990s.


1996–2002: Escape and seclusion

When Jackson became aware that Gordon was planning to feature her in a
pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include erotic ...
she decided she'd had enough. Jackson phoned brother
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
who flew to New York to help her escape while Gordon was out. Only days later, La Toya filed for divorce in Las Vegas and sued Gordon in civil court for years of abuse under the
Violence Against Women Act The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, ) signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investi ...
. She changed her name from La Toya Jackson-Gordon to La Toya Jackson, thus dropping use of her former middle name Yvonne. La Toya Jackson ended her estrangement with the entire Jackson family and returned home to Hayvenhurst. Jackson forgave her parents for her stifled upbringing reasoning, "I've come to realize that as we get older, we grow and learn a lot more. And I think that my father and my mother, they raised children the best way they know how." According to La Toya, Michael knew that she was forced to attack him in the press against her will and he did not blame her.Montgomery, James
'LaToya Jackson Tries New Career As 'Toy,' Says 'Michael Knows My Heart' '
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, September 1, 2004
Jackson's last single of the 1990s was " Don't Break My Heart". After separating from Gordon, Jackson cloistered herself in her home and lived alone for the first time—the first six months she stated she never actually left her house due to being terrified of Gordon seeing her. Weary after her years of public scorn, she didn't know what to do with her life and was afraid to perform again. Jackson struggled to rebuild her confidence but was plagued with self-doubt, explaining, "I got to the point, ..where—well, you know in the media they say things like, 'Oh, she can't sing. She has no talent. She can't dance.' I started believing that, and I was thinking, 'Oh my God'. And I started thinking, 'Oh gee, how could this happen to me?' How could I start believing this?" After this time she started to perform in Europe and South America occasionally to start making money to pay off the huge debts which Gordon had accumulated in her name while they were married. In the wake of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
Jackson was moved to compose " Free the World". She performed the song for friends to a positive reception. This spurred on Jackson to write more songs, ending up with a full album, '' Startin' Over''.


2003–2006: Re-emergence and return to music

Jackson publicly re-emerged on
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...
on March 9, 2003. Her appearance caused CNN's phone lines to stay busy for hours and was
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
's highest-rated show in three years. Jackson announced her first musical project in six years, '' Startin' Over''. ''Startin' Over's''
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
was 2004's "
Just Wanna Dance "Just Wanna Dance" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her EP '' Startin' Over'' released in 2011. Song information After six years in seclusion after escaping an abusive relationship with late former husband and mana ...
", released independently under her pseudonymous nickname "Toy" in order to avoid any prejudices DJs might hold against La Toya Jackson's name. The plan worked, with "Just Wanna Dance" reaching #13 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Dance chart. " Free the World" was released later that year to similar success. Jackson's label, Ja-Tail Records secured a deal with
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
to distribute the album, which was delayed several times due to extenuating circumstances. The 2003 promotional copy of ''Startin' Over'' leaked online in 2006; however, Jackson's management revealed that the entire album was being re-recorded with an all-new track list and updated sound. That year Jackson became the spokeswoman for Australian malt beverage Star Ice's US launch. After Jack Gordon's death in 2005, Jackson was free to speak more openly about the control he had exerted over her life. She sent a security expert to eyewitness that Gordon had not faked his death a second time. In 2005 she appeared on
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show '' Good Morning America'', '' ...
to recant her previous allegations and defend brother Michael against new charges of child abuse. VH1 described Jackson as a
role model A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves ...
having weathered various successes and setbacks.


2007–2009: Reality television

On January 10, 2007, the
reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
show '' Armed & Famous'' premiered on CBS starring Jackson and other celebrities. The program documented Jackson's
basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
and service as a reserve police officer with the Muncie Police Department. Jackson maintains her badge by continuing to volunteer as a
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
. The show was eventually removed from the CBS lineup, due to its inability to compete with ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
''. VH1 subsequently aired the remaining episodes. On the show, Jackson demonstrated her phobia of cats, after she began hysterically screaming and locked herself in a squad car. This fear, she revealed, was caused by a childhood memory in which a relative was attacked by a cat. She underwent on-screen
therapy A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many differe ...
to try to relieve her of this phobia. A single called "Armed and Famous" was planned but the title was changed to " I Don't Play That" shortly before it was sent to radio stations, where it failed to take off, on January 29, 2007, due to CBS' cancellation of the show. In January 2009, Jackson was paid £103,000 to appear as a contestant on the sixth series of the British television program '' Celebrity Big Brother''. She was the second member of the
Jackson family The Jackson family is an American family of musicians and entertainers from Gary, Indiana. Many of the children of Joseph Walter (or Joe) and Katherine Esther Jackson were successful musicians, notably the brothers that formed the Motown boy ...
to be on the show, the first being her brother Jermaine in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
. She was the fourth person evicted from the house. The final version of ''Startin' Over'' was completed in late 2008, just before Jackson joined the cast of ''Celebrity Big Brother''. A new lead single, "Love, Honor, and Obey", planned for a summer 2009 release, was put on hold because of the death of La Toya's younger brother
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
. Instead, "
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...
" was released on July 28, 2009 in Michael's memory with all proceeds going to AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of his favorite charities. La Toya Jackson was one of the first siblings present at Reagan-UCLA Medical Center on June 25, 2009, after brother
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
was pronounced dead after suffering
cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...
. She was named as the informant on and signed her brother's death certificate as
Conrad Murray Conrad Robert Murray (born February 19, 1953) is a Grenadian former cardiologist who was the personal physician of Michael Jackson at the time of his death in 2009. Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for improperly administeri ...
refused to sign the death certificate. Jackson requested a second autopsy to be carried out after noting suspicious medical paraphernalia in Michael's rented house, evasive behavior by his doctors, and discovering that $2 million in cash and jewels had gone missing. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled Jackson's death a
homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
weeks later.


2010–present: Reality television and ''Starting Over''

In 2010, Jackson launched Dream Cream, a hand cream for German cosmetics firm Alessandro International, and named
Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. "Tedd ...
head of Ja-Tail Records' music division. Jackson took part in NBC's '' Celebrity Apprentice'', which aired from March through May 2011 and raised $65,000 for her chosen charity, AIDS Project Los Angeles. La Toya was "fired" from '' Celebrity Apprentice'' in episode 8 during season 11, which aired on April 24, 2011 on NBC. In an ''Apprentice'' first, Jackson was rehired in the following episode, as she felt she couldn't defend her case. La Toya was fired for the second time on May 8, 2011 and became the first person to be fired from ''The Apprentice'' twice within the same season. She was also the first guest judge to appear in two episodes of season three of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. She also served as guest judge on the 17th season of ''
America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...
''. Jackson's second memoir, '' Starting Over'', was released in the United States on June 21, 2011 through Gallery Books, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
. An EP, also called '' Starting Over'', was released the same day via digital outlets. In 2013, Jackson started her own reality series called '' Life With La Toya'' which is premiered on
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
's
OWN Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
. Also in 2013, Jackson rejoined the newest cast for '' The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice''. Jackson lasted until the 3rd episode of the season, when she was fired on an episode titled "I'm Being Punked By A Jackson". Jackson volunteered to be the project manager on a task that saw the cast creating a Soap Opera themed commercial for
Crystal Light Crystal Light is a line of powdered and artificially sweetened beverage mixes produced by Kraft Heinz. It was first sold in 1982 to a test market and released to the public in April 1984. General Foods, a now defunct company, were the original se ...
. Jackson's team lost the task and she subsequently was fired by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
. Unlike her first appearance on the show, Trump specifically stated that he would not allow Jackson to return to the show after being fired. In September 2013, Jackson made her stage debut in a week-long engagement in the
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
musical, ''
Newsical ''Newsical'' (styled "NEWSical") is a musical with music, lyrics, and book written by Rick Crom. In ever-changing songs and sketches, it lampoons current events, hot topics, celebrities, politicians, and other well-known entities. New songs are ad ...
''. It was falsely reported that on December 6, 2013 Jackson married her business partner Jeffre Phillips in Los Angeles. On December 16 TMZ reported that La Toya and Jeffre stated that they have not married and this was reaffirmed on '' Oprah: Where Are They Now?''. Jeffre had publicly asked her to marry him in an episode of her reality series that recently aired. His decision to propose to La Toya was prompted by their friend Brenda Harvey Richie (ex-wife of
Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...
) who noted that they had been best friends for 15 years as he became La Toya's business partner after Jack Gordon. He did so with the permission of La Toya's father, Joe Jackson. Recently it has been reported that La Toya and Jeffre' Phillips have canceled their engagement, but remain close. Currently, she and Jeffre are also the executive producers of a documentary called "Dancing in Jaffa" which follows 150 young Jewish and Palestinian Israelis as they dance together in unity by putting their cultural differences aside. In 2016, she collaborated with Iranian-Armenian pop star
Andy Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pia ...
on the single "Tehran" where she sings in Persian. On May 24, 2018, she visited ''
El hormiguero ''El Hormiguero'' (, Spanish for "The Anthill") is a Spanish television program with a live audience focusing on comedy, science, and guest interviews running since September 2006. It is hosted and produced by screenwriter Pablo Motos. The sh ...
'' to sponsor the musical ''Forever. The best show about The King of Pop''. That same year Jackson participated in a celebrity edition of
Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...
's '' Worst Cooks in America''. Coached by
Tyler Florence Tyler Florence (born March 3, 1971) is a chef and television host of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina, campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991. He was later given an ...
, she advanced to the final and beat out
Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on '' Biker Mice from ...
to win the season; $25,000 was awarded to Race to Erase MS in Jackson's name. In February 2019, Jackson was revealed to be "Alien" on the FOX reality series '' The Masked Singer''. In May 2021, two years after she appeared as the Alien on the USA version of ''The Masked Singer'', Jackson competed as the Menina (Girl) on ''Mask Singer: Adivina Quién Canta'' (the Spanish version of ''The Masked Singer''), making it the second time she appeared on a version of the singing competition.


Vocal style and influences

La Toya Jackson has a three-octave vocal range reaching up to E6 in her single, "
Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin' "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'" is a song by American singer La Toya Jackson and the first single from the 1984 album '' Heart Don't Lie''. It was released on 7" and 12" singles without a B-side track, and peaked at No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' ...
." ''
The Evening Independent The ''Evening Independent'' was St. Petersburg, Florida's first daily newspaper. The sister evening newspaper of the '' St. Petersburg Times'', it was launched as a weekly newspaper in March 1906 under the ownership of Willis B. Powell. In Nov ...
'' says that she has an "attractive, pleasant voice that is matured and controlled." Andrew Hamilton of ''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
'' describes her voice as a light, wispy "sexy whisper". Like her siblings, Michael and Janet, she is mainly a pop, R&B, and dance music performer but she has also dabbled in rock as heard in her song, "No More Drama" and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
in her signature song " Heart Don't Lie", as well as
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
. Like many other Jacksons, most notably Michael, she cites
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...
as a "major influence". When Jackson headlined the
Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
she paid homage to La Goulue and cited
Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...
as an influence. ''
L'Express ''L'Express'' () is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''Réussir''. History ...
'' hailed Jackson as "the new Josephine Baker." According to academic Bennetta Jules-Rosette, "Through careful planning, she was able to model a successful part of her career abroad on the master tropes of a Baker-like image. Jackson exemplifies
Baudrillard Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as ...
's notion that neither the message nor the content count as much as the referentiality of the signifier in postmodern performative discourse."


Discography


Studio albums

* '' La Toya Jackson'' (1980) * ''
My Special Love ''My Special Love'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter La Toya Jackson. Released in 1981, the album peaked at #175 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. After the album's limited success, it fell into obscurity, receiving ...
'' (1981) * '' Heart Don't Lie'' (1984) * ''
Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...
'' (1986) * '' La Toya'' (1988) * '' Bad Girl'' (1990) * ''
No Relations ''No Relations'' (1991) is the seventh studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album was released shortly after La Toya's autobiography, '' La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family'', was published. The album was only released in S ...
'' (1991) * '' Formidable'' (1992) * '' From Nashville to You'' (1994) * '' Stop in the Name of Love'' (1995)


Filmography


Awards and other achievements

* Jackson received a US Congressional Tribute for her participation in a "Beat It" rally and Stay In School Campaign * Jackson's footprints were immortalized on
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...
's Star Boulevard Walk of Fame on December 19, 1991, originally located in
Scheveningen Scheveningen is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict (''wijk'') of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is ...
. * She has a namesake dessert at Millions of Milkshakes in
West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...
. The "La Toya Jackson Shake" consists of strawberries, raspberries, caramel, topped with whipped cream and a Cadbury flake.La Toya Jackson Serves Milkshakes on Halloween To Raise Funds for Aids Project LA
, 24-7pressrelease.com, November 1, 2009


References


External links


Official Facebook Page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, La Toya 1956 births Living people American women activists American disco musicians American house musicians Singers with a three-octave vocal range American sopranos American women pop singers African-American women singer-songwriters Dance-pop musicians American soul singers Former Jehovah's Witnesses La Toya Jackson LGBT rights activists from the United States Participants in American reality television series Musicians from Gary, Indiana Singer-songwriters from California Writers from Gary, Indiana 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers American women memoirists African-American memoirists The Apprentice (franchise) contestants Singer-songwriters from Indiana Women autobiographers