Born Randall Matthew Jackson on June 23, 1956, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, music industry veteran Randy Jackson has become a famous television personality from his work as a judge on the popular singing competition American Idol. He first started playing bass guitar at the age of 13. The youngest of three children, Jackson used to slip out of his family's home at night to play at local clubs.

Jackson went to nearby Southern University to study music. Graduating in 1979, he pursued his dream of being a professional musician, playing with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Bob Dylan. He was even a temporary member of the 80s rock band Journey in 1983 and 1986. Jackson also recorded and toured with such well-known artists as Jerry Garcia, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna. Working behind the scenes, Jackson spent years as as a record producer and an executive with Columbia Records and MCA Records.

Jackson became one of the judges on the hit FOX talent search series American Idol in 2002, along with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Highly regarded within the music industry, Jackson quickly became respected among contestants and fans for his constructive criticism. Sharing his secrets of success, Jackson wrote the 2004 book What's Up Dawg? How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business.

In March 2012, Jackson launched a syndicated radio program, Randy Jackson's Hit List, for Westwood One. Around this same time, he branched out into eyewear. Known for his distinctive glasses, Jackson has his own line of frames through Zyloware eyewear. In May 2013, Jackson—by this time the last original judge on American Idol—announced that he was leaving the popular singing-competition show after season 12.

In his personal life, Jackson found out that he had type 2 diabetes in 1999. He changed his diet and exercise routine to combat the illness, and he also underwent gastric-bypass surgery in 2003. These efforts led to a more than 100-pound weight loss. In 2008, he offered readers advice on how to improve their health with "Body with Soul: Slash Sugar, Cut Cholesterol and Get a Jump on Your Best Health Ever." He wrote the book, he said, "to share my story, what I went though, and to talk to people about how to prevent diabetes," according to Diabetes Forecast.

A supporter of many charitable organizations, Jackson has served as the spokesperson for the American Heart Association's "Heart of Diabetes" campaign. He also established the Randy Jackson Childhood Obesity Foundation.

Television Personalities, Reality TV, Entertainers, Musician, Health & Wellness, Diabetes, Celebrity & Entertainment Broadcast Journalism, Obesity, Obesity Prevention, Nutrition,