Rebbie Jackson

She is first daughter of Joseph Walter "Joe" (July 26, 1928 - June 27, 2018), and Katherine Esther (née Scruse, May 4, 1930), she is the eldest of their 10 children.

Her husband Nathaniel Brown (1949-2013) co-wrote the song "Come Alive Saturday Night" with two of his wife's brothers, Randy and Tito.

The latter 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, the song also featured Jackson's famous brother and The Weather Girls on backing vocals.

Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson-Brown (born May 29, 1950) is an American singer and the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians.

Maureen Reillette Jackson was born at 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family on May 29, 1950.

Her siblings are Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Brandon (d. March 12, 1957), Michael (d. June 25, 2009), Randy, and Janet.

Joseph 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 a Jehovah's Witness and raised her children to follow the religion.

Rebbie, La Toya, and Michael became the most devout of the children as time progressed.

She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High school in Gary in 1968.

She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1974, before subsequently appearing in the television series The Jacksons.

Her sister La Toya was born on her sixth birthday.

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 draws, with Rebbie, Randy, Janet, and La Toya serving as fillers for the performances.

When the Jackson 5 parted with their record label Motown in 1976, they signed to CBS Records and rebranded themselves The Jacksons.

Additionally, the brothers were signed to CBS-TV 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 afterward.

Prior to the series, 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 such artists as The Emotions, Sonny Bono, and Betty Wright before her second pregnancy stalled her musical career for a short time.

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.

At age 34, Jackson released her debut album Centipede (1984).

The album featured songs written by Smokey Robinson, Prince, and Jackson's younger brother Michael, whose contribution (the title track "Centipede") became Rebbie's most successful single release.

Following years of preparation, Jackson's debut album, Centipede, was released in October 1984 by Columbia Records, which had signed her as a solo artist two years previously.

The album was only released once Jackson had ensured that family life was secure, and that she had spent time with her children during their younger years.

Centipede reached number 13 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 63 on its Top 200.

The recording of the album had been a family affair; it involved several contributions from her relatives.

Jackson released two more albums in quick succession: Reaction (1986) and R U Tuff Enuff (1988).

Following a 7-year hiatus, Jackson returned with a cover of "Forever Young" for the Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home soundtrack before the release of the 1998 album Yours Faithfully three years later.

The production of the album, her last to date, was a collaboration with artists and producers such as Men of Vizion's Spanky Williams, Keith Thomas, and Eliot Kennedy.

It also featured contributions from her children.

In 2011, Rebbie embarked on the Pick Up the Phone Tour, which is dedicated to teens from all over the U.S. who have committed suicide.