Happy birthday to two sisters from the first family of music, Rebbie Jackson (b. May 29, 1950) and LaToya Jackson (b. May 29, 1956), the oldest and fifth children of the legendary Jackson family.
Both sisters grew up in the musical Gary, Indiana household, the children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. And while their brothers and their sister Janet went on to superstardom, each of Rebbie and LaToya had their own day in the musical sun.
Rebbie performed occasionally with her siblings in concert in the 1970s, but spent more time backing other artists in the studio or on stage. She had her coming out as a solo artist in 1984, when she was already a wife and mother. Here debut album, Centipede, boasted a smash title cut written by brother Michael. She issued two more albums and also participated in the family’s 2300 Jackson Street disc, but largely has kept a lower profile than the rest of her siblings.
“Low profile” is not a term that would be used often for LaToya Jackson. LaToya also had a successful singing career, with a number of moderate dance and R&B hits in the 1980s, including “If You Feel The Funk” and “Heart Don’t Lie.” She has been equally famous for being famous, with several stints on reality television, a notorious marriage to empresario Jack Gordon, and a photo spread in Playboy. But she continues to be a compelling public figure, decades after first coming to the world’s attention.
Happy birthday to these two talented sisters.
