Originally published on September 23, 2005
Randy Jackson
Musician, Music Executive, TV Personality,
Host of Randy Jackson’s Hit List

Randy Jackson has become a household name. With a rich music-industry background as an artist and an executive, for the last four years Jackson has proven himself to be the one judge on American Idol who gets it.

Jackson debuted last week as radio’s newest personality, hosting Westwood One’s Randy Jackson’s Hit List, which counts down the top 30 songs each week in the Hot AC and Urban formats.

Getting into the business: “I grew up in Baton Rouge and started as a musician. I was basically a kid who loved music. In my neighborhood there were often musicians and local bands practicing on their front porches. We had these impromptu neighborhood gatherings. As I look back now, after having traveled the world quite a bit, I had no idea that Louisiana was the greatest place on earth to grow up. It is a state that has its own brand of music. I experienced everything from blues to country to R&B to pop.

“My brother was a drummer in a band, so I started playing drums, because you kind of pattern your life after your siblings’ a little bit. Then I started playing guitar. I played saxophone for a while and wound up playing bass.”

His first break: “There’s that saying, ‘The harder you work, the luckier you become.’ I worked really hard and listened and paid attention. It paid off, and I got some very good breaks playing with some rather large people. The first big thing I did was playing with some local heroes, John Fred And His Playboy Band, who had had a hit with the song ‘Judy in Disguise.’ I played with them in the mid-’70s. When you get those kinds of gigs, if you’re good, you meet scores of people. It started snowballing from there.”

Moving to the business side: “I lived in New York for a while, working with Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock and Jean-Luc Ponty. I was doing the jazz fusion circuit. Then I moved to San Francisco with a producer, Narada Michael Walden. We became a production team and worked with Stacy Lattisaw and Angela Bofill. We did about 40 records and got some breaks. We started working on the comeback Aretha Franklin record and Whitney Houston albums and started having huge success, so I started paying attention to the business side.

“I was in Journey during the last couple of years of the band and made maybe a hundred records for various artists. Then I moved to Los Angeles. I was working like crazy as a session guy, and a friend of mine, David Kahn, who had been a producer in the San Francisco Bay Area, was working at Columbia Records. I had a meeting with them, and they were like, ‘Dude, did you ever think about doing A&R?’ And I was like, ‘Dude, I don’t want to do A&R. I hate those people. They are responsible for the horrible music on the radio.’

“So I became one of those guys. What a way to eat your words, right? I became an A&R guy for Columbia Records. I was a VP and a staff producer there for about eight years, then spent about four years at MCA Records as Sr. VP of the A&R staff producers.”

Becoming a judge on American Idol: “Simon Fuller, who owns the show, owned 19 Management until recently, when he sold to Bob Sillerman. Simon and I had the same agent. The agent approached me about this show that was going gangbusters in the U.K. He said, ‘They’re thinking about bringing it to the States. I don’t know if this is something you would ever think about doing, but I think it could be really cool, and I think you would be good for it.’ I go, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘It’s a music show on TV, kind of like a judging kind of thing,’ and I was like, ‘This sounds crazy, dude.’

“I went to the audition on a whim. I’m always looking for interesting, different things to do, and you know what they say about keeping the extensions of a man or a person growing. I laugh that I’m on a music show judging musical talent and it also happens to be what I actually do in real life.”

Sitting through the auditions: “We see a cross section of people in each city, so by the end of the auditions — let’s say it’s seven cities — we will probably see 3,000 people. We’re looking for the best undiscovered talent in America, which is what Idol is about. I think we and the public — who have really helped us — have been able to find that every season. Carrie and Bo this year are amazing. We love that we had a country pop singer and a Southern rock guy. That’s what’s great about this show.”

On the show’s success: “We had no idea how to do it, and that’s one of the things that helped it become successful. I have this thing that humans, if they know too much, they’ll mess up anything. It’s really, really cool that we didn’t know much and just felt our way through it. And, lo and behold, we have a very exciting show on our hands. We’re heading into season five, dude.”

On debuting his radio show: “What’s amazing about it is that I love radio. Radio’s been my friend my whole life. I’m a producer and I’m a manager, so I actually make records for the radio. It’s perfect synergy to me to have something going on in radio.”

About the show: “It’s called Randy Jackson’s Hit List, and it’s on Westwood One Networks. There’s an Urban and a Hot AC countdown show. They count down the top 30 songs in the nation with a different twist each week. We have some very interesting guests who are spawning new music you probably haven’t heard yet. I want to turn people on to songs that I think they’ll be hearing soon on their radios, things that are bubbling under, things that are coming, things that could be future gems.

“There’s also a throwback section where I try to give listeners a little bit of a musical education, if you will. It’s where I say, ‘Hey, here’s an old song that’s been used again in a new way in Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control.” It was a great song the first time, 20 years ago.’”

State of radio: “The overall state of radio is very interesting. People complain about hearing the same 22 songs, but you can only play what the labels give you, so it’s kind of that chicken-and-egg thing. The music community, as well as radio, should continuously try to challenge themselves to break the mold and play different things. Even if you have a 22-song playlist, take three of those spots and play something radically off the radar that’s going to change people’s lives or show some insight into something else so that it doesn’t become generic.”

State of music: “I often get asked ‘What’s the deal? Music was so great in the ’70s. The bands were incredible, and no two artists sounded alike. What happened?’ Well, the business is now 5,000 times larger, and, unfortunately, there is the same number of great acts. We say with the Idol auditions, ‘If you guys saw a million people, how many good ones do you think you’d find?’ Probably four or five.

“It’s the same thing with the music industry today. You have a trillion artists putting out records and there is still a handful of about 10 or 12 who are really great. That’s just the way it is. I feel for record labels and A&R people making records because I know how hard it is. The same thing goes for finding hit songs. I know how hard those are to find.”

Most influential individual: “I grew up loving a host of musicians: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Sly And The Family Stone, The Beatles, Motown, James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic. Then, being a bass player, there’s Paul McCartney, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Larry Graham — the list goes on.”

Career highlight: “I look back on some of the records I’ve made, and some of them were great. The other day I was listening to a Deon Farris record I made at Columbia. He was an artist I signed, and nine years later it’s still an amazing record. I’m proud of all the work I’ve done with Mariah Carey and proud of having a hand in her new record. She’s an amazing talent.

“One of the things I love most about my career and life is that I’ve been able to work with such talented people. Making records with Bruce Springsteen, working with Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin — legends. Even the Journey guys. I think about times onstage with those guys and in the studio, and it just doesn’t get any better.”

Career disappointment: “I am really happy about all of it. All the mistakes I’ve made have only been lessons that I’ve learned from, so I’m blessed. I’ve gotten more than I ever thought I’d get, and I’m continuing to.”

Favorite radio format: “I listen to all of it — Country, hip-hop, CHR/Pop, Rock.”

Favorite television show: “Entourage.”

Favorite current song: “Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together.’ It’s an amazing, complete record. Rascal Flatts have one of the best songs, ‘God Bless the Broken Road.’ ‘Breakaway’ by Kelly Clarkson is an amazing record. The whole Green Day record is an amazing album. I love The Killers. Ludacris’ new record is amazing. Kanye West’s new album is unbelievable. R. Kelly’s hip-hopera ‘Trapped in the Closet,’ the five-part series, is unbelievable.”

Favorite movie: “Wedding Crashers.”

Favorite book: “What’s Up, Dawg? written by this guy named Randy Jackson. I wrote it a year or so ago. There are so many great insights for the would-be singer, songwriter, musician, entertainment person or businessperson, and friends of mine give shout-outs and tidbits of information.”

Favorite restaurant: “In Los Angeles, Asia De Cuba, Ago and Katana.”

Beverage of choice: “Water.”

Hobbies: “Tennis and hanging with my kids.”

E-mail address: “hitlist@randyjackson.biz.”

Advice for broadcasters: “Try to think outside the box and try to take more chances to personalize your station and what you do so that nothing becomes cookie-cutter. Music shouldn’t be that way, and neither should radio stations. Try to do something different, musically speaking, at least once a day, because people’s ears are open, and you have their respect. The public is depending on you, so take that responsibility seriously.”

Advice for the labels: “Same thing. The public depends on you to feed them the next greatest and latest thing that they should know about, so act accordingly and try to find a good balance between art and commerce. Nothing should be just be commerce because music still is an art form.”