She’s back. And her Number Ones: Up Close & Personal tour is proving it. Jackson dedicated a number-one song to each city on her tour – Come Back to Me was her pick for the City of Toronto. “One of the lyrics in Come Back To Me is ‘I miss you so much. Wherever you are, I love you.’ That is exactly how I feel about the City of Toronto,” says Jackson. “The people of Toronto have always been so warm and welcoming.”
Jackson’s flattering words about Toronto are the same many of those she has worked with use to describe her. One can tell a lot about an artist by the company she keeps and in the case of Janet Damita Jo Jackson, that roll call is star-studded – Michael Jackson, Herb Alpert, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige and Kanye West – just to name a few. Jackson has also blazed a trail for current musical talents such as Ciara and Britney Spears.
After a youth spent in the spotlight, with and without her famous brothers, she mixed talent, hard work and a little luck to give us the tour de force behind music and films such as Rhythm Nation, Poetic Justice, Why Did I Get Married, The Klumps and more. The petite star with the big talent was born in Gary, Indiana and raised in Encino, California – the youngest of the famed Jackson family. At age seven, she started her career as an actress in her family’s 1976 variety television series The Jacksons, segueing to Good Times and Fame throughout the 1970s and ’80s. It was at sweet 16 that Jackson was “discovered” as a singer, signing with A&M and releasing her self-titled debut album, only to begin a long-term relationship with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with her third album, Control, in 1986. Janet Jackson’s sound was born with a unique mix of rhythm and blues, disco, funk, rock and rap.
After her initial success, Jackson, 45, experienced peaks and valleys both professionally and personally (most recently with the death of her brother, Michael). Through it all, the artist says there has been a silver lining that has given her the ability to appreciate life more.
“It has been a long road, but I love my life now, I really do,” she says in her famous hushed voice. “I appreciate all the success that I have had and learn from those things that are not what I would want them to be.” Looking back over the decades, Jackson says she has learned some valuable life lessons about longevity in the music business – and in life. “I would say always listen to your gut,” she says. “It will never steer you wrong.” And while much has been said and criticized over the years of her fashion sense, musical abilities and acting prowess, it’s her body and weight fluctuations that have captured worldwide attention. It’s no secret Hollywood is obsessed with weight and body image and Jackson admits she has endured her fair share of teasing – she’s even been called everything from a cow to a pig.
“As a kid, you laugh, but it still hurts,” she says. “When I was doing Good Times, they thought I was too heavy and that I needed to go on a diet to lose weight.” Jackson says she was your average-sized kid, yet the only difference was that she was on television. However, with talent, perseverance, discipline and good fortune, Jackson is still at the top of the charts, both musically and, most recently, with her best-seller, True You: A Journey To Finding and Loving Yourself.
“I have always struggled with weight and it goes back to my childhood. My book is not an autobiography, but it does have anecdotes from my life. I think it was important for readers to see what I was going through. People are surprised to learn that I have dealt with this … they feel that because I have been successful, that I haven’t. We all deal with self-esteem issues today. People tend to put entertainers on pedestals. We’re human beings, just like everyone else. I wrote this book because I hope people who read it, especially the kids, will learn that they are perfect just the way they are.” So is there a certain look or weight that makes the curvy hips, defined shoulders, and toned body more acceptable to her? “I am working to be comfortable at whatever weight I’m at,” she says. “I would rather focus on being healthy spiritually, emotionally and physically.” This self-reflection, both inside and out, is a major victory for Jackson, who has admitted to battling eating disorders, diets and a lifetime of intense scrutiny. “I’m an emotional eater,” she says. “If I am stressed or sad, I head straight for a bag of potato chips.” Jackson laughs at the mention of an off-limit food. “It would be easier to say what foods I don’t like. I love all kinds of food, really.”
Now Jackson is more regimented on her daily eating plan. “I do follow more rules when I am on tour. I have to be stricter with what I’m eating. We have worked so hard on creating a fun show for the fans that I want it to be perfect for them. I work out six days a week for about one hour with my trainer, Tony Martinez.” Martinez has worked alongside Jackson for many years and seems to have found the key to keeping her motivated and healthy. “He mixes everything up so I don’t get bored. He works hard to make my workouts fun. We laugh a lot and that makes it all easier.”
Laugher is a key element in Jackson’s life. “If I wasn’t having fun, I wouldn’t be doing this tour,” she says. “I laugh all the time. I have a lot of amazing people on tour with me. We’re like a family and we joke around all the time.” Jackson has her own secrets to help maintain energy and stamina reserves through her hectic tour. The singer/dancer relies on drinking lots of water, eating fresh vegetables and “keeping everything I eat very clean and simple.” In fact, instead of starting out her day with a protein shake or coffee, Jackson says, “I begin each and every day with a prayer. That is very important to me. I eat many small meals throughout the day afterward.”
With that spiritual reflection in mind, Jackson is now comfortable with her eating habits and how they have contributed to her overall health and wellbeing. “I am really healthy. There was a photo taken of me when I was a little heavier. The photo was mean, but what people don’t know is that I was actually really healthy at that time. I was running a lot on the beach, on soft sand which is much harder to do. The weight was just not budging. I am sure that eating habits contribute to your overall health, but what you look like can be deceiving.”
Great artists get bored with repetition of any sort whether it’s exercise, daily routines or their music. They like to have a continuing transformation in life and Jackson is no different. “Everything I do is a reflection of what I am going through in life. My music is very personal to me. I create something that moves me and I hope that the fans can relate to it. I hope that as I experience different things, I grow from them. So I guess you could say that I live by this transformation mantra, but not because I feel like I need to change everything up.” Yet she has enjoyed shaking up her signature style, from bold shoulder pads to the 2006 Bill Blass dress, sweat suits to midriff-baring body-hugging tops and jeans. “I love fashion,” she says. “I have a great stylist, Robert Behar, who helps me find fun clothing. I have always been a tomboy and only recently began to like wearing dresses. It’s like dress-up for me. I am not intimidated by fashion … it should be fun.”
Recognized for playing a pivotal role in crossing racial boundaries in the recording industry, Jackson downplays the accolades. “There are so many people who have gone before me to make what we enjoy today possible – Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Diahann Carroll … I hope that I have, in a way, made it better for the next generation, though.” Yet she readily accepts and is okay with the role model mantle bestowed upon her by millions of fans. “I don’t mind if people look to me as a role model,” she continues. “I am flattered. Isn’t everyone a role model though? We all have people who look up to us. That is why it was so important for me to create 20 under 20 on this tour. We are always seeing negative images on the news. I hope that the 20 young people that we will honour in each city will inspire people to better their communities. This tour is a love affair with my fans. It allows me to be up close with the audience and get more personal with them. That’s why it’s called Up Close and Personal.”
This is all part and parcel of Jackson’s philosophy that she has developed throughout her life and one that she tries to impart to everyone she meets. Her life’s journey is constantly unfolding in front of her eyes. With True You, Jackson says it’s been a long, personal journey. “It has had its ups and downs, mostly ups, though. There is a quote that I think sums it up: ‘Fasten your seat belt, it’s going to be a bumpy ride,’” she laughs, quoting Bette Davis from All About Eve. The lengthy ride has given aim at finding, accepting and loving herself for the woman she is today. “Yes, but again, it has been a journey. One that I had to take on my own. But I’m at a point in my life where I think, ‘yeah, this is where I want to be.’ I finally am there. Not to be confused with the fact that I still have so much that I want to accomplish in my life and career. But I am happy, yes. And unfinished.”
