Randy Jackson Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American bassist, singer, record producer, entrepreneur and television personality. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bass guitar for an array of jazz, pop, rock and R&B performers. He moved on to work in music production and as A&R at Columbia Records and MCA Records. Jackson is best known from his appearances as a judge on "American Idol" and executive producer for MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew". Jackson has won a Grammy Award as a producer. Jackson was born on June 23, 1956, in
American Idol positive, Michael Slezak, again of "Entertainment Weekly", thought that "for all its bloated, synthetic, product-shilling, money-making trappings, "Idol" provides a once-a-year chance for the average American to combat the evils of today's music business." Singer Sheryl Crow, who was later to act as a mentor on the show, however took the view that the show "undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism". Pop music critic Ann Powers nevertheless suggested that Idol has "reshaped the American songbook", "led us toward a new way of viewing ourselves in relationship to mainstream popular culture", and connects "the classic Hollywood dream to the