Photo: Motown publicity · public domain
The family · the youngest brother
Randy Jackson
The youngest brother — the percussionist who stepped into the group when Jermaine left, co-wrote one of its biggest hits at sixteen, and fought his way back from a crash that nearly cost him his legs.
This is Steven Randall Jackson, Michael's brother — not the American Idol judge and bassist Randy Jackson (Randall Darius Jackson), who is unrelated and merely shares the name.
Early life
The baby brother
Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson was born October 29, 1961, in Gary, Indiana — the ninth of the ten Jackson children and the youngest brother (only Janet, born 1966, is younger). He was a toddler when the Jackson 5 formed, so he wasn't an original member — but the stage was always his birthright.
The group
Stepping in for Jermaine
Randy began appearing live with his brothers as a young child — on congas and percussion from around 1972 — and officially joined the group in 1975, when the move to Epic prompted Jermaine to stay at Motown. Randy took his place, and the act became The Jacksons. A genuine multi-instrumentalist (congas, percussion, keyboards, piano, bass, guitar), he shared lead vocals with Michael on some later material, including verses of "Can You Feel It." (He was not among the five inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.)
Songwriting
“Shake Your Body” at sixteen
At about sixteen, Randy co-wrote "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" with Michael, for the 1978 album Destiny. Released as a single in early 1979, it became the Jacksons' most successful Epic single — #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the R&B chart — selling over two million copies and earning RIAA Platinum certification. A decade later he sang lead on several tracks of the group's final album, 2300 Jackson Street (1989), whose title song — a tribute to the family's Gary childhood home — also featured Rebbie and Janet.
1980
The crash — and the comeback
On March 3, 1980, Randy was seriously injured in a car crash in Hollywood; his legs and feet were badly crushed, and he was told he might never walk again. He fought back through a long recovery — Jet magazine ran a June 1980 feature, "Randy Jackson Walks Again" — and returned to perform with his brothers.
Later years
Behind the scenes
After the group went their separate ways around 1990, Randy formed the band Randy & the Gypsys (one self-titled album) and moved into music and media ventures, including Modern Records. He has children — among them Genevieve and Steven Randall Jr. — and has kept a notably low public profile relative to his siblings, facing personal and financial difficulties over the years. He took part in "We Are the World" (1985) and was a pallbearer at Michael's 2009 memorial.
In brief
Notable facts
- He replaced Jermaine when the group moved to Epic in 1975.
- He co-wrote the Platinum #7 hit "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" at about sixteen.
- He survived a near-catastrophic 1980 car crash that doctors feared would end his ability to walk.
- He is not the American Idol judge of the same name.
Sources