Later this month, on October 29, Randy Jackson turns 65. He’s the youngest of the Jackson brothers, born in 1961 in Gary, Indiana, the same small city where the whole family story began.
Randy was around the group long before he was officially part of it. He played congas on tour with the Jackson 5 starting in 1972, when he was still a boy. Then in 1975 he became a full member, stepping in when his brother Jermaine chose to stay behind at Motown.
But here’s the part a lot of casual fans don’t know.
When Randy was just 16 years old, he sat down with Michael and the two of them wrote a song together. It came out on the Jacksons’ 1978 album “Destiny.”
And it was no small thing. The song reached No. 7 in the US and No. 4 in the UK. It went Platinum and became the most successful of all the records the Jacksons made for their label, Epic.
Not bad for a teenager.
Can you name the song two brothers wrote in the very house they grew up in?
First, here’s a track that shows Randy’s voice standing right next to Michael’s.
The Jacksons song where Randy sings the verses
This is “Can You Feel It.” Randy sings the verses here, sharing the lead with his big brother. A lot of people have heard this song a hundred times and never realized two brothers were trading lines.
Now for the one Randy helped write.
The song is “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).” If you’ve ever been to a wedding or a backyard party, chances are you’ve danced to it without ever knowing a 16-year-old helped put it together.
Here it is.
The song Randy co-wrote with Michael at 16
Turn it up and try to sit still through it. That’s the one.
It’s funny to think about. While most 16-year-olds were worrying about homework, Randy was in the studio helping write a song that millions of people would be dancing to for the next 50 years.
For a man who spent his whole life as the baby of one of the most famous families in music, Randy quietly made his own real mark on their sound. Happy early birthday to him.