American Idol - Randy Jackson

Randall “Randy” Darius Jackson is a talented musician, record producer, and part of the trio of well-known “American Idol” judges. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1956. He attended Southern University to study music briefly after high school, but left quickly when he became a bassist for Billy Cobham. He went on to play with such musical talents as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Jerry Garcia, Journey (he performed on the LP recordings Frontiers and Raised on Radio), Carlos Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, Tracy Chapman, Richard Marx, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Madonna (he played on “Like a Prayer”), Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Elton John, and the Charlie Daniels Band.

Randy moved to San Francisco and became in demand as a record producer. He also spent eight year as vice president of A&R (artists and repertoire) at Columbia Records, then four years at MCA Records.

Randy was chosen as one of the original “American Idol” judges when it began in 2002. The comments Randy gives to the contestants usually fall somewhere between the usually supportive Paula Abdul and the usually abrasive Simon Cowell. Randy is well know for telling contestants they are “pitchy” and also throwing in slang terms like “dawg,” “it was just awight,” “yo,” and “dude.” He often refers to the group of semifinalists (usually the males) as his “Dawg Pound” and seeks their praise for deserving contestants.

Last week, Randy was shown visiting still-devastated New Orleans in his home state of Louisiana. It was part of the Idol Gives Back promotion to help raise funds for those still suffering the after effects of Hurricane Katrina as well as the underprivileged in other areas of America and Africa. Over $60 million dollars have been raised so far, thanks to the efforts of Randy, Paula, and Simon.

In 2003, Randy underwent a well-publicized gastric bypass surgery in which he subsequently lost 100 pounds. Randy talked about his experience on the Oprah Winfrey show and gave many interviews about it. He said the surgery and desire to lose weight had nothing to do with vanity, but with the fact that he was borderline diabetic and wanted to take care of his health. While he said it worked for him, he would not recommend the procedure for everyone, stating it was a personal decision each person would have to make as it alters your life. In 2003, Randy also released his book “What’s Up Dawg? How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business.”

In addition to his weekly duties on “American Idol,” Randy hosts a Top 40 countdown radio show called “Randy Jackson’s Hit List.” He recently appeared at the 14th annual charity event “Dancing to Erase MS” as a guest auctioneer. Randy is also a popular award show presenter, having present awards at the Teen Choice Awards, the MTV Music Awards, the Soul Train Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards. He has started making a few acting appearances and can be seen in an episode of “Kevin Hill” and “Dr. Vegas.”

Bookmark to: