Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and pop icon. She is ranked by Billboard magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history. According to The Island Def Jam Music Group, Jackson has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Guinness World Records lists her as the world's most searched-for person in Internet history. Her recent film Why Did I Get Married? became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, following Poetic Justice (1993) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000).

Since 1986, Jackson has scored ten number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and sixteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She is also the second musician with the largest amount of number ones on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, with seventeen dance chart-toppers in total. In addition to her commercial accomplishments, Jackson has won five Grammy Awards, received a nomination at the 66th Academy Awards, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990, and was honored with the first "mtvICON" tribute from MTV in 2001. In 2007, Jackson was named by Forbes and E! Entertainment Television as one of the twenty richest women in entertainment, coming in at #7.

Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the daughter of Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson. She is the youngest of the nine Jackson children. The family was of lower-middle-class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses. By the time she was a toddler, Janet's older brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael had already begun to perform on stage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5. In March 1969, the group had a record deal with Motown Records, and by the end of the year the group recorded the first of their four consecutive number-one singles. The Jackson 5's success allowed the entire family to move to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California in 1971. The Jacksons settled in a gated mansion that they referred to as "Hayvenhurst."

As a young child, Janet's career aspiration was to be a jockey. However, after the Jackson 5's success began to diminish, Joseph decided to bring the rest of the children into the act. On April 9, 1974, Janet made her debut performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, alongside her eight older siblings. Janet quickly became a standout in the show, winning over crowds and critics with impersonations of Cher, Marie Osmond, Toni Tennille and Mae West.

In 1976, the Jackson family's Vegas act had caught the attention of CBS president Fred Silverman. The network was desperately trying to find a new variety act to replace its recently defunct The Sonny & Cher Show. Debuting on June 16, 1976, The Jacksons became the first television variety show starring an African-American family. The series lasted two seasons. As the 1980s began, Janet continued her career in television, in the sitcoms: Good Times, A New Kind of Family and Different Strokes, as well as the primetime drama Fame.

Jackson starred in Tyler Perry's film, Why Did I Get Married?. Filming began on March 5, 2007 and the film was released on October 12, 2007. The movie opened at number one at the box office, grossing $21.4 million in its first week, and in total, $55 million. Jackson is also working on a new book that chronicles the yo-yo weight struggle that has been a major issue in her life.

In July 2007, Jackson signed a new record contract with Island Records (ironically under the same ownership as her first label A&M Records, the label she left for Virgin. Island is also the label that picked up Mariah Carey after she was dropped by Virgin). Janet's 10th studio album, Discipline, will be released on February 26, 2008, under the supervision of label head Antonio " L.A." Reid. The album is currently being recorded in North Miami, Florida. She is accompanied by Reid and Jermaine Dupri. It will be her first album for the Island Def Jam Music Group. On VH-1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown, Maroon 5 has confirmed to be working with Janet on a song for her next album.

n December 12, 2007, the first single from Jackson's tenth studio album, "Feedback", was "leaked" to select radio stations in the United States, with advertisements on some radio station websites allowing you to hear the full version of the song on demand. On December 26, 2007, the single was released on iTunes. The music video for "Feedback" premiered on BET's 106th & Park and on-line on January 8, 2008. The video debuted on MTV's TRL January 14, 2008. In January 2008, Jackson was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her acclaimed role in Why Did I Get Married?. On the 16th of January email addresses subscribed to Janet's official website were sent a copy of the album cover.