b. Maureen Reilette Jackson, 29th May 1950, Gary, Indiana, U.S.A.
The first of nine children born to the union of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Rebbie was born Maureen Jackson on 29th May, 1950, in Gary, Indiana.
As a youngster, Rebbie (pronounced ree-bee) was taught clarinet and piano by her mother.
She and LaToya sang in church with their mother.Like most eldest children, she often played a caretaker role, looking after baby sister Janet and baby brother Randy while her mother continued her education as an adult student and her famous brothers toured.
It wasn't until after the Jackson 5 had left Motown and signed with CBS Records as the Jacksons in 1976, that Rebbie began a professional singing career, becoming a cabaret singer and background vocalist, credited on LPs by the Emotions, Betty Wright, and others during the '70's and '80's.
She also appeared on the Jacksons' 1976 short-lived CBS-TV variety show.
After the family moved to Hollywood, she started acting, taking a guest role opposite series star Lynda Carter in an episode of ABC-TV's 'Wonder Woman'.
After brother Michael's historic success with the mega-selling 'Thriller', he was given the chance to write and produce.
His first project was Rebbie's first single 'Centipede', released on Columbia Records.
Featuring synthesizer chores by John Barnes, the single was a million-seller, hitting number four R & B, number 24 pop on Billboard's charts in the autumn of 1984.
The 'Centipede' LP, released in October 1984 was produced by former Crusaders member Wayne Henderson, who produced the follow-up single 'Fork in the Road' (number 40 R & B, early 1985), a cover of the song that was the B-side of the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 1965 hit, 'The Tracks of My Tears.'
Her next album 'Reaction' was issued October 1986 and included tracks produced by David 'Pic' Conley and David Townsend of the group Surface, Rebbie's brother Tito Jackson, Vassal Benford, and Reggie Lucas.
The title track single hit number 16 R & B, summer 1986.
The follow-up was 'You Send the Rain Away,' a duet ballad with Cheap Trick lead singer Robin Zander that made it to number 50 R & B in late 1986.
Another duet ballad, 'Tonight I'm Yours' with Isaac Hayes, received substantial airplay as an album track but curiously was not released as a single.
'R U Tuff Enuff' was the title of her third Columbia album, issued February 1988.
The first single, 'Plaything' b / w 'Distant Conversation,' went to number eight R & B in early 1988.
The second single was the title track, which included a rap by Melle Mel and peaked at number 78 R & B in summer 1988.
Her records' popularity with followers of the U.K.'s rare groove and two step scene, prompted the release of 'The Rebbie Jackson Collection' by U.K. label Expansion in July 1996.
After a break from show business in which she moved to Virginia, Rebbie signed with Michael Jackson's MJJ label (distributed through Sony) in the late '90's.
Her label debut album 'Yours Faithfully' was released in March 1998.
Rebbie can also be heard on 'Forever Young' from 'Free Willy 2: Adventure Home', a 1995 Sony Music movie soundtrack.
Albums:
Centipede (Columbia Records 1984)
Reaction (Columbia Records 1986)
R U Tuff Enuff (Columbia Records 1988)
Yours Faithfully (MJJ Records 1998)
