Randall Darius Jackson was born on June 23,1956 and is an American musician, record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on American Idol from 2002 to 2013.
26 Facts About Randy Jackson
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Randy Jackson is best known from his appearances as the longest-serving judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.
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In May 2020, Randy Jackson was rehired as bassist for Journey following their sudden split with founding member Ross Valory.
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Randy Jackson had previously filled the role on the band's 1986 album Raised on Radio and its tour.
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Randy Jackson was born June 23,1956, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the son of Julia, a homemaker, and Herman Randy Jackson, a plant foreman.
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Randy Jackson graduated from Southern University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in music.
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Randy Jackson moved to Italy in the late 1980s and played on a record by Italian pop star Zucchero.
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The record, Zucchero and the Randy Jackson Band, was produced by Corrado Rustici who played guitar with Jackson on many albums in the early 1980s.
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Randy Jackson was notably on the first solo album by famed session guitarist Steve Lukather.
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Randy Jackson was a featured bass guitarist on five songs on Maze's 1989 "Silky Soul" album.
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Randy Jackson was the bass guitarist on the 1991 self-titled Divinyls album as well as featured bassist on several tracks of Tracy Chapman's 1992 release, Matters of the Heart.
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That same year, Randy Jackson played bass on Bruce Springsteen's song "Human Touch".
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In 2009, Randy Jackson began working with former Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, producing her 4th album.
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In February 2010, Randy Jackson participated in We Are the World 25 for Haiti as part of the chorus.
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Randy Jackson is the manager for the Charlotte-based band Paper Tongues.
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Jackson hosts a radio top 40 countdown known as Randy Jackson's Hit List, which is syndicated by Westwood One.
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Randy Jackson gives behind-the-scenes information on American Idol on the internet radio station Artist Underground.
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Randy Jackson's role was originally going to be reduced to that of a mentor, so the 2013 season would have all new judges, but it was later decided that he would remain as a judge for season 12.
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On May 9,2013, Randy Jackson announced that he would be leaving American Idol after twelve seasons due to him wanting to focus on other business ventures.
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On September 3,2013, it was announced that Randy Jackson would replace Jimmy Iovine as the in-house mentor on American Idol.
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Randy Jackson departed the series for good in November 2014.
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Randy Jackson produced America's Best Dance Crew, an American group dance competition and reality television show, which premiered on February 7,2008, on MTV and was cancelled in 2012 due to declining ratings.
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Randy Jackson serves as bandleader on the revival of Name That Tune.
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In 1995, Randy Jackson married Erika Riker, with whom he has two children, a daughter named Zoe and a son named Jordan.
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In 2003, Randy Jackson lost 114 pounds following gastric bypass surgery.
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Randy Jackson stated in a February 2008 television commercial that he has type 2 diabetes.