Rebbie Jackson

Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson-Brown (/ˈriːbi/; born May 29, 1950) is an American singer and the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1974, before appearing in the CBS television series The Jacksons. At age 34, Jackson released her debut album Centipede (1984). The album's title track was written by her younger brother Michael and has been her most successful single release. She released two more albums: Reaction (1986) and R U Tuff Enuff (1988).

After a seven-year hiatus, Jackson returned with a cover of "Forever Young" for the Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home soundtrack before releasing Yours Faithfully (1998), three years later. It was her last album and a collaboration with artists and producers including Men of Vizion's Spanky Williams, Keith Thomas, and Eliot Kennedy. It featured contributions from her children. In 2011, Rebbie Jackson embarked on the Pick Up the Phone Tour, which is dedicated to American teenagers who have died by suicide.

Maureen Reillette Jackson was born at 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family on May 29, 1950. She is the first daughter of Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson (July 26, 1928 – June 27, 2018), and Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse, May 4, 1930) and is the eldest of their 10 children. Her siblings are Jackie, Tito (d. September 15, 2024), Jermaine, La Toya (born on Rebbie's sixth birthday), Marlon, Brandon (d. March 12, 1957), Michael (d. June 25, 2009), Randy, and Janet.

Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in a rhythm and blues (R&B) band called the Falcons with his brother, Luther. Katherine is one of Jehovah's Witnesses; she instructed her children to follow the religion. Rebbie, La Toya, and Michael became the most devout of the children in the faith as time progressed. Reflecting on her early life, Rebbie acknowledged in a 1980s magazine interview that her role within the family had been that of a "second mother" to her younger siblings, whom she would often babysit, along with her eldest brother Jackie. She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary in 1968.

Rebbie Jackson began her singing career in 1974, performing with her siblings in Las Vegas. The Vegas shows had initially begun in April, without Rebbie. Due to a sprained ankle, Rebbie's debut was postponed until June. Her five brothers were the main draw and Rebbie, Randy, Janet, and La Toya served as filler performers for the events.

When the Jackson 5 parted with their record label Motown in 1976, they signed to Epic Records and rebranded themselves The Jacksons. Additionally, the brothers were signed to CBS to star with their family in a variety series called The Jacksons. The show premiered in June 1976 and featured all of the siblings excluding Jermaine, who had chosen to stay with Motown. The initial series run of the 30-minute programs was four weeks. Due to ratings success, more episodes were ordered in January 1977. The show marked the first time that an African-American family had ever starred in a television series. The run of programs concluded shortly afterwards.

Prior to the series, Rebbie Jackson had thought of her singing as merely a private hobby. Her television experience, as well as an early love of musicals, motivated her to become a professional recording artist and the show's producer encouraged her to sing. Jackson served as a backing vocalist for several musicians around this time, as well as a cabaret singer. She contributed her voice for songs by artists including The Emotions, Sonny Bono, and Betty Wright before her second pregnancy stalled her musical career for a short time.

After years of preparation, Jackson's debut album, Centipede, was released in October 1984 by Columbia Records, which had signed her as a solo artist in 1982. The album was only released once Jackson had insured that family life was secure, and that she had spent time with her children during their younger years. Centipede reached No. 13 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 63 on its Top 200 chart. The recording of the album was a family affair. It involved several contributions from her relatives. Her husband Nathaniel Brown (1949–2013) co-wrote the song "Come Alive Saturday Night" with two of his wife's brothers, Randy and Tito. Tito Jackson also penned "Hey Boy" with his wife Dee Dee. The most successful song from the album was the million-selling title track, "Centipede". Written, arranged, and produced by Michael Jackson, the song also featured Michael and The Weather Girls on backing vocals. It reached No. 4 on the Black Singles Chart and was subsequently certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Centipede" marked Michael's first work writing and producing since the release of his successful Thriller album (1982).