| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Singer/Actress and entertainer Janet Jackson played the part of Penny in Seasons 5 and 6 of the series. | ||||
| Personal Information | ||||
| Born: | May 16, 1966 | |||
| Birthplace: | Gary, Indiana, United States | |||
| Career/Family Information | ||||
| Occupation/ Career: |
Actor/artist | |||
| Years active: | 1974-present | |||
| Spouse(s): | James DeBarge (1984-1985) | |||
| Character information | ||||
| Appeared on: | Good Times from Season 5-6 | |||
| Character played: | Penny Gordon Woods | |||
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American recording artist and actress. She played Penny Gordon Woods on Good Times from Season 5-6.
Early life and career[]
Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson. At a young age, her brothers began performing as The Jackson 5. Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she was anticipated to pursue a career in entertainment, and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio.
At age seven, Janet performed at the Las Vegas Strip at the MGM Casino. A biography revealed her father, Joseph Jackson, was emotionally withdrawn, and told her to address him solely by his first name as a child. She began acting in the variety show The Jacksons in 1976. She starred in others including A New Kind of Family before joining the cast of Diff'rent Strokes, portraying Charlene Duprey for two years. Jackson also played the recurring role of Cleo Hewitt during the fourth season of Fame, but expressed indifference towards the series.
After signing a recording contract with A&M in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third studio album Control (1986). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover appeal in popular music. In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her records, choreography, music videos, and prominence on radio airplay and MTV, she was acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.
In 1991, Janet signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry. Her debut album under the label, Janet (1993), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice; since then she has continued to act in feature films. By the end of the 1990s, she was named the second most successful recording artist of the decade. She has amassed an extensive catalog of hits, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "If", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again" and "All for You" among her most iconic.
Having sold over 140 million records, she is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music.[1][2] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with 26 million certified albums.[3] In 2008, Billboard magazine released its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, placing her at number seven, while in 2010, ranking her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years." In March 2014.
References[]
- ↑ Janet Jackson's Celebrity style evolution Ashley Joy Parker for fashionstyle.com, 2012-03-09, accessd 2014-11-11.
- ↑ Janet Jackson - The Richest, TheRichest.com, 2011-03-29 article, accessed 2014-11-11.
- ↑ Top Selling Artists, Recording Industry Association of America article, accessed 2014-11-11.
External links[]
- Janet Jackson article at Wikipedia
