Jackson, Shawne

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Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Born and raised in Toronto, Shawne Jackson is best known for her 1974 single “Just As Bad As You” and for fronting The Majestics with her brother, Jay Jackson. Their 13-piece R&B band helped define the ‘Toronto Sound’ in the late 1960s. Together, they were inspired by the Stax and Motown labels. Their few albums were recorded at Arc Sound in Scarborough. Jay Jackson originally led vocals for The Pharaohs, but Shawne recruited him since his band wasn’t gaining traction.

Her most well-recognized song, “Just As Bad As You”, was written and produced by her husband Domenic Troiano. The song reached #6 in Cashbox’s 1974 Top 10 Songs in Canada, made #9 on the spring Canadian Charts, and earned herself a Juno nomination for Female Artist of the Year. As a Playboy Recording Artist, she toured with Sweet Blindness (another Toronto band) that same year.

Her musical background began when she started singing in her church choir as a young girl, before continuing onto other productions and eventually CBC TV’s Music Hop program. After The Majestics went their ways, she joined the Stone Soul Children before that ended too. She moved to New York, pursuing clothing design and modelling while she disappeared from the limelight other than light TV soundtrack and commercial gigs. In 1973, she returned home to Toronto, performing in clubs around the city and signing a deal with Playboy Records. During this time, she met her husband Troiano. In 1980, she released “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” with El Mocambo Records.

Jackson began to dip her toes into acting during the mid 1980s. She was in Night Heat, Counterstrike, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood. After her husband died of cancer in 2005, she began working with Toronto East General Hospital Foundation, initiating an annual tribute to him.

Shawne and Jay Jackson’s great-grandfather, Albert Jackson, was Toronto’s first Black letter carrier. On the 135th anniversary of his first day of work, he was commemorated by the community with a plaque.

Canadian singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Started her career at the age of 15 and shortly after joined well-known Toronto vocal act The Silhouettes. She went on to join The Majestics. The group brought in Jackson's brother Jay to become Shawne And Jay Jackson And The Majectics. She later joined Sweet Blindness.

Shawne Jackson is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actress.

She had a Canadian Top 10 hit in 1974 with "Just As Bad As You". During her career she has provided the voice for Teacher Harriet in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, contributed backing vocals on "I'm A W.O.M.A.N." for Lydia Taylor, backing vocals on For Those Who Think Young by Rough Trade, backing vocals on the Alice Cooper Goes to Hell album by Alice Cooper, backing vocals on Fret Fever by Domenic Troiano. She was also nominee for the 1976 Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

She is the great-granddaughter of Albert Jackson, Canada's first Black letter carrier.

During the late 1960s, Shawne and her brother Jay Jackson were the lead singers in The Majestics.

In 1974, she was backed by a band called West which included Paul Sanderson who would later become a leading entertainment lawyer in Canada. The group auditioned for the management company, Magic Management who took them along with the group Truck. It was via Magic Management that they ended up auditioning for Jackson who at that time was Domenic Troiano's girlfriend. West backed her for three months and then she had her hit "Just As Bad As You". By that time she had formed her own backing band. West broke up that year.

In May, 1974, "Just As Bad As You" was released. The A side was composed by Domenic Troiano. The B side, "He May Be Your Man" she co-wrote with Troiano. Both sides were produced by Troiano and Keith Olsen. On May 28 a successful reception was held for her at The Generator in Toronto with the help from Quality Records. The single got to #10 in Canada in June. It also got to #98 on the US R&B chart. The Cash Box international bestsellers, Canada chart recorded it at #6 just ahead of the "Time To Cry" single by Don Goodwin in the June 15 issue. Also in June, with her single doing well in Canada, she was touring with the group Sweet Blindness.

The August 9, 1975, issue of Billboard mentioned that Jackson was working on a follow-up to "Just As Bad As You". It also mentioned the side activities of Dominic Troiano who was then part of the new Guess Who line up. He had recently finished producing a session for Jackson.

By February 14th, her single "Get Out of the Kitchen" was at #10 in The Cash Box international bestsellers chart.

It was noted by Billboard in the December 11, 1976, issue that "Just As Bad As You" had been reissued by Quality Records as a first in a series of Playboy Gold reissues.