La Toya Jackson
The fifth Jackson sibling carved her own defiant path through pop music, reality TV, and memoir, emerging as a resilient voice from a legendary shadow.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American singer·Birthday: May 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Growing up in the world's most famous musical family, La Toya Jackson's life has been a public negotiation between dynasty and individuality. Initially stepping into the spotlight on the family's variety show, she launched a solo career in the 1980s with a string of dance-pop records that found success in clubs and overseas. Her journey, however, took dramatic and often painful turns, marked by a controversial marriage and management that led her into estrangement from her family and a series of sensationalized public appearances. In the 2000s, she reclaimed her narrative, reconciling with her siblings and rebuilding her image through candid memoirs and reality television, most notably on 'Celebrity Big Brother' and 'Life with La Toya.' Her story is one of survival and reinvention, a testament to navigating immense fame and personal turmoil on her own terms.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
La was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When La Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
La's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Released nine studio albums over a 15-year solo career, with her self-titled debut reaching the Top 40 on the R&B charts.
- Authored two revealing memoirs, 'La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family' and 'Starting Over,' which detailed her life and struggles.
- Won the UK edition of 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2009, showcasing her personality to a new generation of fans.
- Had a successful residency show in Las Vegas, performing at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
Did You Know?
She was the first Jackson sibling to pose for Playboy magazine, appearing on the cover in 1989.
Jackson is a trained jewelry designer and once ran her own jewelry business.
She is an advocate for animal rights and has posed for anti-fur campaigns with PETA.
In the 1990s, she recorded a duet with fellow pop star Milli Vanilli's Rob Pilatus.
“I'm not afraid of the truth. I'm only afraid of what people will do to keep the truth from coming out.”
