The Jackson family’s best kept secret: Rebbie Jackson

By Derek Torres

Music Journalist

Music comes and goes, along with the names that make it. Often found in bands, groups and families of musicians, are artists that are less prevalent than their mainstream counterparts. The Jackson family is an amazing example of this phenomenon, but who is not as big as Micheal, Janet, or La Toya? None other than Rebbie Jackson. Having a short-lived career, we will be analyzing the musical history of one of the Jackson family’s underrated artists, Rebbie Jackson.

Rebbie Jackson would get her start by performing with her siblings in Vegas shows. After the Jackson Five formed and left Motown, Rebbie Jackson began producing backing vocals for artists such as The Emotions, Sonny Bono, Betty Wright and cabaret performances. These slow steps to branch out into her musical journey led to the creation of her first album titled Centipede.

Centipede was released on Oct. 10, 1984, and showcased Rebbie Jackson’s break into the recording scene and became the last Jackson to release music. Centipede captures the electronic 80’s pop essence but experiments with arrangements and instruments throughout the album. The title track “Centipede” remains Jackson’s highest charting song, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100, which her younger brother Michael Jackson helped write, as well as The Weather Girls and La Toya Jackson provided backing vocals that contributed to its success. Rebbie Jackson had established herself as a prominent force with wild and different sounds that expand with each track. Personally, the title track “Centipede” is one of the more memorable songs in the album and is a base for the album to build.

Now a musical entity and having momentum from her debut album, Rebbie Jackson released two more albums titled Reaction and R U Tuff Enuff within four years of her previous work. Reaction had begun to polish and refine her style, mixing elements of pop and R&B to create her sophomore album. It wasn’t until the release of R U Tuff Enuff that Rebbie Jackson started to be consistent across her upbeat dance tracks. Although Rebbie Jackson had consistency, it had not progressed into something new which affected the album’s success. After the release of R U Tuff Enuff, she took a ten-year hiatus from music until her last album.

Rebbie Jackson’s last album Yours Faithfully would be released on March 31, 1998, becoming a full circle moment in her musical career. Rebbie Jackson had come back strong from her break with production topping previous works. Several family members had helped in production, including the return of Micheal Jackson and daughters Stacee and Yashi Brown offering backing vocals. Each track offers a variety of music ranging from covers to a re-release yet remains connected to the new decade’s sound. Although not charting as high as other entries, the album is a representation of Rebbie Jackson’s evolution. Yours Faithfully came bittersweet as afterward Rebbie Jackson had discontinued making music and remains as caretaker of the Jackson name. Rebbie Jackson’s short-lived musical career is another Jackson family accomplishment.