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Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a Grammy Award-winning rock bassist, singer, record producer and Emmy Award-nominated television and radio personality, now best known as a judge on American Idol.

Music career

Jackson played bass in violin virtuoso Jean-Luc Ponty's backing band. His numerous credits range from playing with Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, George Michael, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Billy Cobham, Blue Öyster Cult, Herbie The Car, Richard Marx, Madonna, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, and Bob Dylan to playing at the Grand Ole Opry with The Charlie Daniels Band. His production/songwriting work in the San Francisco Bay area with Narada Michael Walden and Walter Afanasieff led Jackson to be quite in demand as a producer himself.

While in the Bay Area, Jackson played in bands with Carlos Santana and Jerry Garcia. He moved to Italy in the late 1980s and produced a record for Italian pop star Zucchero. The record, Zucchero and the Randy Jackson Band, produced one of Zucchero's biggest hits, "Donne". Jackson was bass guitarist for Tracy Chapman and is featured on several tracks of her 1992 release, Matters of the Heart. He performed on the singles "Bang Bang Bang", "Open Arms", and "Dreaming on a World". That same year, Jackson also played bass on Bruce Springsteen's hit "Human Touch". Jackson has also recorded, produced, or toured with many well-known artists and bands, ranging from Mariah Carey (whom he knew since she was a teenager; and has been her musical director for a number of her tours; he was in her band at Live 8 in London in 2005) to *NSYNC, Céline Dion, Wild Orchid, Stryper, and Madonna (he played bass on her number-one hit "Like a Prayer"). He has also worked as an executive, spending eight years as vice president of artists and repertoire (A&R) at Columbia Records and four years heading A&R at MCA Records.

Since 2002, Jackson has been one of the three regular judges on the Fox Network reality television series American Idol.

Jackson also hosts a radio top 40 countdown known as "Randy Jackson's Hit List", which is syndicated on hundreds of stations nationwide by Westwood One. Every week Jackson counts down his top 30 Urban AC and Mainstream AC hits, and gives behind-the-scenes information on American Idol with American Idol Underground.

On 7 July, 2007 Jackson presented at the American leg of Live Earth.

Jackson is the manager for the Charlotte, NC based band Papertongues, with Aswan North as lead vocalist and song writer and Brian West as the producer.

On 7 June, a new TV show will be presented by Jackson. The qualification round for America's Best Dance Crew was broadcast live on MTV on 26 January as a teaser to the elimination dance off battles which will premiere on 7 February. He also filled in with the group KISS for Gene Simmons following a fire accident.

On March 11 2008, Jackson will be releasing an album produced entirely by himself, titled Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1. The album will be preceded with single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", performed by fellow American Idol judge Paula Abdul.

Jackson had performed with the Rock band Journey on their 1986 album Raised on Radio.

He currently married Marianna Paradise and they are about to have their first child.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Personal life

Randy Jackson has been married twice. His first marriage, to Elizabeth Jackson, ended in divorce in 1990; they have one child together. Since 1995, he has been married to Erika Riker, with whom he has two children to date. Randy is 5'8.5 feet and has a shoe size of 13.5 (USA size).

Obesity and health

In 2003, Jackson lost over 100 pounds following gastric bypass surgery. He stated in a February 2008 television commercial that he has type 2 diabetes.

Bibliography

• Jackson, Randy. What's Up Dawg?: How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business.. Hyperion, 2003. ISBN 1-4013-0774-4
• Randy Jackson's Hit List

External links

• Randy Jackson Online
• Randy Jackson's Hit List from Westwood One
• Randy Jackson at IMDb

References

1. Erickson, Sturdevant (2006). Stryper: Loud n' Clear (unabridged audio ed.). Maryland: Classic CD Books. ISBN 0976480549.
2. 'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson strives for stardom, The Daily Vidette from AP, 3 February 2005
3. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/02/earlyshow/leisure/main597581.shtml

• 1956 births
• Living people
• African American musicians
• American television personalities
• American radio personalities
• American Idol participants
• American male singers
• American music critics
• Participants in American reality television series
• American record producers
• American rock bass guitarists
• Columbia Records artists
• Grammy Award winners
• Journey members
• Louisiana musicians
• People from Baton Rouge
• Idol series judges
• American session musicians
• A&R people
• People with diabetes