Early in his career, Randy Jackson made it big as a bassist of the band, ‘Journey.’ He also jammed with other well-known artists like Jerry Garcia and Carlos Santana. For eight years, he became the vice president of A&R at the Columbia Records and moved up as a Senior V.P. of A&R at MCA Records in the next four years. For both Columbia and MCA Records, Randy Jackson served as a producer and musician. He has worked with big names of the music industry, including Whitney Houston, Elton John, Madonna, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, *NSYNC and Mariah Carey, among others. Jackson has also helped 1,000 albums reach gold and multi-platinum status as well as selling over 200 million albums worldwide.
Randy Jackson also hosts a radio ‘Top 40 Countdown’ called “Randy Jackson’s Hit List,” wherein he counts down his top 30 Urban AC and Mainstream AC Hits. Also on the show, Jackson gives behind-the-scenes details on what’s happening on American Idol with the segment, “American Idol Underground.” Following Simon Cowell’s footsteps, Randy Jackson also produces his own TV show – America’s Best Dance Crew, a dancing contest that started its first season on February 2008.
Randy Jackson is highly regarded for his expertise on the music industry. With his musical talent, performing experience, studio knowledge, touring and recording familiarity, Jackson adds an insider view for the American Idol contestants. From 2002 to 2008, Randy Jackson has served as the mediator between Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, but with Kara DioGuardi joining the show in 2009, Jackson became the diplomat between the four judges.
Jackson is famous for using the slang term “dawg,” particularly when putting ‘Idol’ contestants at ease while being criticized for their performance. He often gears his comments by taking the sting out from harsh comments made by fellow-judge Cowell and soothing hurt feelings with encouraging words. Being the least controversial of the original American Idol judges and providing helpful criticisms on the show, Randy Jackson remains well loved by both viewers and contestants.
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