Listen to La Toya Jackson on Batanga

Born on her sister Rebbie's 6th birthday on May 29, 1956 in Gary, Indiana, La Toya Jackson is the fifth of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson and the middle female child between Rebbie and Janet. Growing up, La Toya was a shy homebody. After her mother became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1966, La Toya, along with her brother Michael, followed. She would spend some of her time (alongside her mother) preaching door-to-door. "Every morning, Michael and I witnessed, knocking on doors around Los Angeles, spreading the word of Jehovah (as the bible commands)." By 1974, at sixteen, La Toya joined her brothers in the spotlight with a tap dancing routine when her father arranged for them to perform shows in Las Vegas, among other cities. Jackson aspired to be an attorney specializing in entertainment law. She attended college for a short time before her father insisted that she pursue a career in show business like the rest of the family.

In 1976 and 1977, La Toya and her sisters Rebbie and Janet appeared in all twelve episodes of "The Jacksons", a variety program on CBS. Along with their brothers, La Toya and her sisters sang, danced and performed skits. In 1978 during the filming of her brothers movie The Wiz La Toya traveled with her brother to New York, the first time either of them had lived elsewhere as adults. The two shared an apartment in New York. La Toya and her brother Michael were very close through younger years. Michael and La Toya did not move out of the family's Encino home until they were 30 and 32 respectively.

By 1979, La Toya and her sisters had formed a short-lived girl group. However, they never performed live and soon separated due to creative differences about the act's future direction. As a consequence no related material was ever released by the trio. The next year she began work on her first solo album.

In 1980, Jackson released her self-titled debut. The first single "If You Feel The Funk", became a modest hit, climbing into the Top 40 of the US R&B chart, narrowly missing out on the Billboard Hot 100 at #101. Her second single, "Night Time Lover", was produced by younger brother Michael who provided backing vocals. In turn, she provided the opening scream on her brothers', The Jacksons, 1980 hit, "This Place Hotel" as well as backing vocals on brother Michael's 1984 solo hit "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). The album peaked at #116 on the Billboard 200, #26 on the Billboard R&B charts, and #178 in the UK Top 200, making it her highest charting album. It spawned two singles: "If You Feel the Funk" and "Night Time Lover".

In order to distinguish herself from her famous brothers, The Jacksons, La Toya only wanted her first name on the album. "I begged just to have it 'La Toya'. But my father said, 'It's your last name. You got to use it.' But I wanted to see what I could do as an individual."

In 1982 Jackson released a follow-up album, My Special Love which generated two singles, "Stay the Night" and "I Don't Want You to Go".

1984 saw the release of Jackson's critically acclaimed album HeartDon't Lie. Jackson scored her biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit with the titular track "HeartDon't Lie", which peaked at number 56. Other singles from this album were "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'", "Hot Potato", and a cover of Prince's "Private Joy." Jackson and Amir Bayyan co-wrote "Reggae Nights" for HeartDon't Lie but the track did not make the cut. Jimmy Cliff's recording of the song was a hit and was nominated for a Grammy. Cliff commissioned Jackson to write two more songs: "Brown Eyes" and "American Sweet."

In 1985 Jackson participated on the single "We Are the World", an appeal for famine relief in Ethiopia. That same year Jackson featured in anti-drug music video "Stop the Madness".

Her 1985 single "Baby Sister" was a notable success, as it received one of three Outstanding Song Awards at the 1986 World Popular Song Festival in Japan. "Baby Sister" was included on the album Imagination, released just before Jackson's record label, Private-I, went bankrupt resulting in poor promotion. Jackson went on to record two duets; "Oops, Oh No!" with Cerrone, and "Yes, I'm Ready" with artist Jed. In 1987 Jackson was featured as a special guest at Minako Honda's DISPA (Disco Party) concert, joining in for the song, "Funkytown".

In 1987, Jackson released the album La Toya, which featured the singles, "You're Gonna Get Rocked!" and "(Ain't Nobody Loves You) Like I Do". The album also included a track titled "Just Say No", which was written for the Reagan administration's anti-drug campaign. The album included four tracks produced by Full Force, and three by Stock Aitken Waterman. The album is notable for being the first one Jackson released after changing her management. Jack Gordon became Jackson's new manager following the departure of her father.

In 1989, Jackson began recording her sixth album Bad Girl. The album is among her easiest acquire of her back catalogue having been re-released numerous times, and can be found under various titles and covers. That year Jackson staged a live pay-per-view concert, A Sizzling Spectacular!, from Bally's theatre in Reno. Jackson's set list included songs from La Toya and Bad Girl. The show featured special guest star Edgar Winter. In 1990, Jackson participated in the Sanremo Music Festival, entering "You and Me" an English-language version of "Verso l'ignoto" by siblings Marcella and Gianni Bella. While "You and Me" did not win Best Song, it entered Italy's hit parade, peaking at number twenty-eight.

After Bad Girl Jackson signed on with German-based BCM Records and released the single "Why Don't You Want My Love?" Jackson recorded other material with BCM, but the label went bankrupt and album plans were scrapped. Jackson signed with Dino Records quickly thereafter. 1991 saw the release of No Relations, an album with strong house and funk influences. This album featured Jackson's top twenty-five Netherlands hit "Sexbox".

In 1992 Jackson signed a contract with the Moulin Rouge in Paris to star in her own revue, Formidable. Jackson was to perform two shows a night, six nights a week. Jackson was highest paid performer in the cabaret's history earning a reported $5 million. Though Formidable was successful, selling out on most nights, Jackson departed half-way into her year-long contract owing the nightclub $550,000 in damages.

In 1993 Jackson held a concert at Poland's Sopot International Song Festival. Jackson later released two cover albums, one of country music, From Nashville To You, and another of Motown hits, Stop in the Name of Love, in the mid-1990s. Jackson's last single of the 1990s was "Don't Break My Heart"

Jackson took a hiatus from music after her divorce from Gordon in 1997, re-appearing in 2003 to announce her first musical project in six years, Startin' Over. The lead single was 2004's "Just Wanna Dance" which La Toya released independently under her pseudonymous nickname "Toy" in order to avoid any prejudices DJs might hold against La Toya Jackson's name. The plan worked, with "Just Wanna Dance" reaching #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance chart. "Free The World" was released later that year to similar success. Jackson's label, Ja-Tail Records secured a deal with Universal Music Group to distribute the album, which was delayed several times due to extenuating circumstances. After a two-year hiatus, "I Don't Play That," a non-album single, was released to radio in January of 2007.

The 2003 promotional copy of Startin' Over leaked online in 2006, however Jackson's management revealed that the entire album was being re-recorded with an all-new track list and updated sound.

The final version of Startin' Over was completed in late 2008, just before Jackson joined the cast of Celebrity Big Brother. A new lead single, "Love, Honor, and Obey," planned for a summer 2009 release, was put on hold due to the death of Jackson's younger brother Michael. Instead, "Home" was released on the 28th of July 2009 in Michael's memory with all proceeds going to AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of his favorite charities.