Randy Jackson

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Lore & Background

Randy Jackson's career is defined by his transition from a young backup musician to an official member of the Jacksons following Jermaine's departure in 1975. He played congas, percussion, keyboards, piano, bass, and guitar on their recordings while touring through the Destiny World Tour (1979–1980), the Triumph Tour (1981), and the Victory Tour (1984). A significant personal turning point occurred on March 3, 1980, when he was seriously injured in a car crash in Hollywood, California; by June, Jet magazine featured him walking again. He expanded his collaborative work by contributing to Michael's Off the Wall album and singing verses on "Can You Feel It." Later, he joined Lionel Richie's projects, participated in "We Are the World," and formed his own band, Randy & the Gypsys, releasing a self-titled album after the Jacksons disbanded in 1990. He also co-founded Total Multimedia Inc. to develop CD-ROM data compression techniques.

In Their Own Story

In August 1989, Randy married Eliza Shaffy, with whom he had one daughter born in 1990 before their divorce in 1992. Their relationship faced severe legal turmoil in January 1991 when Jackson was charged with battery for beating his wife and their infant daughter. He pleaded no contest, received two years' probation, and was ordered to enroll in a domestic violence program. After failing to comply and further arrests in November 1991, he was sentenced to 30 days at Pine Grove Hospital in Canoga Park. Disappointed by the lack of jail time, Shaffy filed for divorce. Jackson also faced financial legal issues, filing for bankruptcy in 1996 and pleading guilty to fraud in 2001 for failing to list vehicular assets. Despite these struggles, he remained deeply involved in family dynamics, serving as a pallbearer at Michael's memorial on July 7, 2009, and later attempting to unseat Michael's will executors alongside Jermaine and Janet.

Reader's Guide

Randy Jackson is best known for his multi-instrumental talents, specifically playing congas, percussion, keyboards, piano, bass, and guitar. He officially joined the family band in 1975 at age 13 (born 1961) after Jermaine left Motown, replacing him as the youngest brother. Key milestones include co-writing "Shake Your Body" at 16 for Destiny, surviving a serious car crash in March 1980, and earning a Grammy nomination for Triumph in 1981. Post-Jacksons, he formed Randy & the Gypsys, opened Modern Records on June 28, 1998, and currently partners with Janet at Rhythm Nation Records. He contributed backing vocals to Michael's "This Is It" in 2009 and co-wrote Janet's 2018 single "Made for Now." His legal history includes a 1991 battery conviction involving his first wife Eliza Shaffy, a 1996 bankruptcy filing, and involvement in the custody dispute over Michael's children in 2011.

Did You Know?

• Randy was only three years old when the Jackson 5 formed in 1965 and did not officially join until 1975.
• He survived a serious car crash on March 3, 1980, and appeared on the cover of Jet magazine in June 1980 with the headline 'Randy Jackson Walks Again.'
• At age 16, he co-wrote the Jacksons' hit 'Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)' with Michael for the album Destiny.
• He was left out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1997 because only the five original members were included.
• Randy, along with Jermaine and Janet, attempted to take Michael's children to Arizona during a 2011 custody dispute involving their mother Katherine.