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Janet Damita Jackson was born on May 16, 1966. She was born in Gary, Indiana, to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Janet was the last of her family's nine children. When she was four, five of her older brothers had already started the "Jackson Five", which was beginning to rise in popularity across the country. Because of her brother's fame, the family moved to Los Angeles.
In 1975, Janet (nine years of age) performed on the sitcom "Good Times". A few years later Jackson portrayed Charlene, the girlfriend of Willis, on Different Strokes. When Jackson turned seventeen, she was ready for a music career.
In 1984, Janet married James Debarge (her friend since the age of ten) but they divorced in less than a year. Soon after the breakup, Jackson made her first successful album "Control."Though people thought it would be hard to surpass "Control", she did that when she made her next record "Rhythm Nation 1814."
In 1993, Janet was on her first big screen movie with "Poetic Justice" ( also featuring rap singer Tupac Shakur). After that she released one more album"Janet." It sold millions of copies, as did "Control" and "Rhythm Nation 1814." She then went on a two year world tour, ending in 1995.
Contributions:Janet Jackson has opened the door to a whole new generation of music for not only women, but all music artists. Her music preaches about relationships, commitment to education, and society's problems. Janet also supports charities such as the Make -a-Wish Foundation and United Negro College Fund. All in all, she is a great person.
Awards and other Recognition:In 1990 Janet received MTV's Video Vanguard Award and in 1991 she received three American Music Awards. In last falls MTV Awards, Janet and Michael accepted the award for Best Dance Video for "Scream."
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