Born on August 11: Joe Jackson, English music's free spirit

He was born in 1954 in Burton-Jupon-Trent and has been immersed in music since his early childhood.

At a mere three inches tall, he began by learning the violin before finally opting for what would become his instrument of choice: the piano. With his debut album, "Look Sharp!" (1979), he was associated with rock, and even the punk movement. But unlike most of his contemporaries, he had learned music theory and composition techniques, and even earned a diploma from the highly regarded Royal Academy of Music in London.

The singer immediately enjoyed his first hits, notably with "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" (1979). His subsequent albums, "I'm The Man" (1979) and "Beat Crazy" (1980), cultivated the same incisive nervousness with choruses like "On Your Radio" and "Mad At You." However, the musician began to feel overwhelmed. A tribute to 1940s swing, from Louis Armstrong to Cab Calloweay, "Jumpin' Jive" in 1981 marked a pivotal turning point in his career.

From then on, the unblinkered artist takes great pleasure in constantly inhaling new musical scents and thus defying labels. "Night and Day" (1982) and "Body and Soul" two years later were rooted in Latin rhythms. Although more difficult to access, as an inventive melodist, Joe Jackson nevertheless included a few gems that would also achieve popular success: "Steppin' Out," "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)," and "Happy Ending."

Now a free spirit, the artist went on tour in 2024 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Body And Soul" but is also teeming with projects at opposite ends of the spectrum: a tribute to Duke Ellington on the one hand ("The Duke" in 2012) and an ambitious score evoking the life of Dracula.  

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Joe Jackson on stage at the Volksbelang in Mechelen, Belgium, on February 12, 1983