Rebbie Jackson

Rebbie Jackson, like her siblings <a href="spotify:artist:4qwGe91Bz9K2T8jXTZ815W">Janet</a>, LaToya, and Randy, was out of the public eye when her brothers stormed the music world as <a href="spotify:artist:2iE18Oxc8YSumAU232n4rW">the Jackson 5</a>. Though she sang and was taught clarinet and piano by her mother, it wasn't until 1976, after <a href="spotify:artist:2iE18Oxc8YSumAU232n4rW">the Jackson 5</a> had left <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Motown%22">Motown</a> and signed with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22CBS%22">CBS</a>, that Rebbie began a professional singing career, becoming a cabaret singer and background vocalist. She was credited on LPs by <a href="spotify:artist:64CuUOOirKmdAYLQSfaOyr">the Emotions</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0PDqlUGugF5Jt6DZyATvfz">Betty Wright</a>, and others during the '70s and '80s; she also appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:2yrbLiuBmc9j81lTX3XUuI">the Jacksons</a>' short-lived 1976 variety show.

Roughly ten years later, her brother <a href="spotify:artist:3fMbdgg4jU18AjLCKBhRSm">Michael</a> was given the chance to write and produce, and his first project was Rebbie's first single, "Centipede," which hit number four on the Billboard R&B chart in fall 1984. The Centipede LP, released that October, also featured input from <a href="spotify:artist:3Bhgbs9kIwl8SuU0eIqN6b">Crusaders</a> member <a href="spotify:artist:55PU5eP7Ndxn5T3TvBdXZ2">Wayne Henderson</a>, as well as her brothers <a href="spotify:artist:1laENy18mrm9kaI9BJUbdP">Tito</a> and Randy. Her next album, Reaction, was issued two years later and included tracks produced by David "Pic" Conley and David Townsend of the group <a href="spotify:artist:7dXeJ8kAqTqtvNWQNV3sdU">Surface</a>. The title track single hit number 16 on the R&B charts in summer 1986, while the follow-up, "You Send the Rain Away" (a duet with <a href="spotify:artist:1LB8qB5BPb3MHQrfkvifXU">Cheap Trick</a> lead singer <a href="spotify:artist:5IH6Xg8ILCVJIiGVIYklK2">Robin Zander</a>), made it to number 50 R&B in late 1986. Another fine duet, "Tonight I'm Yours" with <a href="spotify:artist:3IKV7o6WPphDB7cCWXaG3E">Isaac Hayes</a>, received substantial airplay as an album track but curiously was never released as a single.

R U Tuff Enuff was the title of her third <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a> album, issued in February 1988, featuring one single ("Plaything") that reached the R&B Top Ten. After a hiatus from show business in which she moved to Virginia, Rebbie signed with <a href="spotify:artist:3fMbdgg4jU18AjLCKBhRSm">Michael Jackson</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22MJJ%22">MJJ</a> label and released Yours Faithfully in March 1998. ~ Ed Hogan, Rovi