Randy Jackson Biography

Fast Facts

• Gladys Knight's "At Last," which he co-produced, won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album in 2001
• Started playing bass when he was 13, taking lessons from Sammy Thornton, one of the bass players who used to practice with his band on a front porch in Jackson's neighborhood
• Quote: "Producing, writing and playing are all about the same thing-the song․"
• Many recognize him as a Judge for the "American Idol" singing competition, a role he filled for 12 seasons, a longer tenure than any of the other original judges
• Transitioned from playing bass for artists like Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Blue Oyster Cult to producing and working as a music industry executive with Columbia Records and MCA in the early 1990s
• Met blues musicians Buddy Guy and Junior Wells when he was 14 and didn't realize they were famous at the time
• Helps design bass accessories such as amplifiers and strings