Janet Jackson back home again at the fair

[Reyna ♔]

Janet Jackson was a preschooler when her musical family moved from Indiana to California.

She doesn't remember many things about life in Gary, but she recalls her sister Rebbie getting married in 1968.

"I also remember my friends Rodney and Gregory," Janet said during an email interview.

Now 45, Jackson adds a smiley-face emoticon to her mention of Rodney and Gregory -- a reminder of youthful cheer she brought to TV appearances on "Good Times," "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Fame," as well as breakthrough album "Control" made at age 19.

Jackson hasn't appeared in concert in her home state since October 2001, but she will return Wednesday for a show at the Indiana State Fair.

Her current tour, billed as "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal," began in February in the Philippines. On June 14, Jackson became the first female pop star to perform inside the Louvre's glass pyramid in Paris. Her schedule includes stops at two state fairs in the Midwest; the other is Aug. 21 in Iowa.

"I have had the opportunity to do a few tours, and (this) is my largest one ever," Jackson told The Star. "I'll be performing on every continent, and one place I'm looking forward to is the Indiana State Fair."

The fair has worked to buck any perception that country music is all that's found at the Grandstand.

Hip-hop acts Kanye West, T.I. and Drake played the fair in 2006, 2007 and 2010, respectively. Over-the-top rock band Kiss was part of the Grandstand lineup last year, and this year's Nashville representatives -- Sugarland and Lady Antebellum -- lean heavily to the "pop" side of country-pop.

Nevertheless, is it a sign of a career in decline for Jackson, who's sold more than 100 million recordings, to appear on a stage within earshot of the swine barn and the Still Kickin' Cloggers?

Scott Roddy, listener advocate at WNTR-FM (107.9), doesn't look at it that way.

Roddy said the Grandstand, with capacity for 15,000, will be a treat for fans.

"It's a great venue," Roddy said. "There aren't bad seats there, because you're right there on top of the act. She could play other places, but the State Fair is cool. I think it's relevant for her. Adults 25 to 54 are going to go to the show, but she's also relevant to teenagers. She's a Jackson."

Roddy said he became a fan during Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814" era -- which yielded "Escapade" and "Miss You Much" as chart-topping singles. The 1989 concept album highlighted dance as a mechanism for social change.

Jackson's camaraderie with backup dancers has been documented on past tours and in music videos such as "That's the Way Love Goes." She said she continues to bond with dancers she refers to as "kids."

"When I am on tour, or shooting a video, I love to hang out with the kids," Jackson said. "We go to clubs, dinner, just have fun. It's important to me for the dancers and myself to connect. When you have a close connection, that bond shows on stage. It makes a much better performance for the audience, as well as for us."

The "Number Ones" live show includes a tribute to Jackson's brother, Michael, who died in 2009. Through video and recorded audio, Janet accompanies Michael in a rendition of their 1995 duet "Scream."

"When you see Janet, she carries that mystique of Michael and the whole Jackson family," said WNTR's Roddy. "Your age doesn't matter. Everybody knows the Jackson family."

After the "Number Ones" tour concludes this fall in Australia, Jackson plans her first studio album since 2008's "Discipline." Her film career will expand when she develops and produces a project with Lionsgate.

"I'm reading a lot of material right now," Jackson said of the film of undetermined genre. "It is a fun process."

Jackson wrote her first book, "True You," in 2010, and she acted in the Tyler Perry movies "For Colored Girls" and "Why Did I Get Married Too?"

But the biggest news Jackson made since her last visit to Indianapolis erupted during a Super Bowl halftime show in 2004.

Justin Timberlake and Jackson were singing one of Timberlake's hits, "Rock Your Body," when he grabbed Jackson's bustier and pulled away the material that covered her right breast.

A split-second of nudity resulted in a $550,000 indecency fine for CBS, the network that aired the Super Bowl.

Roddy believes the incident doesn't have a lingering negative effect on Jackson's career.

"Compare (innuendo-filled TV series) 'Family Guy' to what happened at the Super Bowl," Roddy said. "If it happened today, I question if it would be such a big deal. But it did set a precedent inside of media. We're all so careful now."

The Star asked Jackson about Timberlake's role in the halftime incident. In terms of public outcry, did she take the heat and he emerge unscathed?

"I don't really wish to speak about that," Jackson said. "But I will say that there has always been a double standard regarding the sexes, don't you think? Women's rights have come a long way, but we still have so far to go."

Source: http://www.indystar.com/article/20110814/ENTERTAINMENT/108140311/Janet-Jackson-back-home-again-at-the-fair?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CENTERTAINMENT

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Bits of this annoyed me and bits of this were okay. I'll go 50/50 with this

[Reyna ♔]

Btw, I thought her tour was going into 2012?