Born with the powerful Jackson genes, six-year-old Eissa is already starting to show his musical talents and possibly following the footsteps of his musically affluent mom, Janet Jackson.
Here’s an intimate glimpse into the personal life of the young boy:
The youngest of ten Jackson children, Janet, now 57, started her career on the musical variety show The Jacksons, which featured all eight of her siblings. Big brother Brandon, Marlon’s twin, died at birth in March 1957, leaving only nine.
Her brothers–Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Michael–signed with Motown Records in 1968 and owned the charts as the Jackson 5, while sisters Rebbie and LaToya were carving out their own careers in music.
After the family show, that ran from 1976 to 1977, Janet, 10 at the time, then had a leading role in seasons five and six in the popular TV series Good Times, followed by a recurring role on Diff’rent Strokes and Fame.
But it was her musical career that launched her into stardom. The award-winning recording artist is best known as the voice behind many chart-topping hits like, “Together Again,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Nasty,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You).” Boasting several multi-platinum albums, including Control, Rhythm Nation 1814, and Janet, the singing sensation is ranked one of the best-selling artists in contemporary music.
She released her debut album “Janet Jackson” in 1982, but it was her third studio album, “Control” (1986) that gained international recognition as an artist, outside of being known as the baby sister to Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop.” “Control” earned her three Grammy Award nominations and nine American Music Award nominations, two that she won.
Born into a family rich in musical talents, it’s no surprise that the singer of “Again”–the Golden Globe and Oscar nominated song from the film Poetic Justice (1993)–would pass her immense talents to her son, Eissa Al Mana, who was born Jan. 3, 2017.
Janet was 50 when she had the baby with her then-husband, Qatar-born Wissam Al Mana. Only three months after the boy was born, the couple split after five years of marriage, making Wissam Janet’s third divorce.
According to her brother Randy, who accompanied Janet to the divorce courthouse, his sister endured “verbal abuse” by the billionaire Al Mana and felt like “a prisoner in her own home.” A Yahoo article reports that Randy said, “Enough is enough. There’s a lot of pain. Janet’s been through a lot with her divorce…It was quite an abusive situation. It came on later in the relationship.”
In June 2018, Janet called the police, requesting a welfare check while Eissa was in the care of his father. The child was safe, and TMZ reported that Janet was worried her ex was using drugs around the 17-month-old. It all turned out to be a big misunderstanding and neither Janet nor Wissam has addressed the incident.
Shortly after her separation with Al Mana, the “When I Think of You” singer revealed that she’s devoted in being a present mom to her son. “It is hard being a working mother. I don’t have a nanny. I do it all myself. If my mother did it with nine children, there’s no reason I can’t,” Janet said, referring to the Jackson family matriarch, Katherine, who turned 93 in May.
Jackson quickly balanced her hectic work schedule, that includes touring, with being a mom. “I’m in a great space,” she said. “I have a beautiful son.”
She continued to say that her friends have a new nickname for her. “My friends call me Superwoman. God knows I’m not. But I think what they are seeing is the energy and that extra drive I’m getting from the inspiration of Eissa.”
The superstar is notoriously private with her son, keeping him away from the prying eyes of the public. But every now and then, fans get a glimpse into her life with the fast-growing boy.
She earlier shared a group photo with her son and his classmates, indulging in gifts from the kids’ show Paw Patrol. There was also an Instagram clip, where Janet tells fans that she’s about to hop on a plane and is excited to see everyone on tour, when she’s interrupted by Eissa–not shown in the picture–who’s wanting her attention.
When Eissa was only two, Janet gave him an adorable shoutout in her 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speech.
“I just want to thank my baby, my beautiful son,” Janet said. “He wakes me up every single morning singing his own melodies. I want you to know that you are my heart, you are my life, and you have shown me the meaning of real, unconditional love. Mama loves you, Eissa.”
Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2020, Janet shared some very important information on Eissa. “He loves classical music. He’s incredibly musical,” she said. “First day of school, he took the violin to school. Third day of school, he says, ‘Mama I want to take a cello to school.’ I said, ‘Baby, you don’t have a cello.’ He said, ‘Turn my violin into a cello. Please, mama.’”
And though Eissa, now 6, is already demonstrating the unmistakable talents carried through the members of Jackson family, Janet said she wouldn’t encourage her children to follow her path in entertainment, “unless it was something they really wanted to do. If they knew what they were up against.”
Above all else, she is filled with gratitude for the love of her little miracle Eissa.
“[He] has shown me that love, no matter how deeply you believe you have experienced that emotion, can always go deeper. Love is limitless.” Janet added “And for someone like me, raised in show business where self-concern is always a priority, how fortunate I am now to be concerned, first and foremost, with the welfare of someone else.”
Another musical Jackson family member! Eissa’s uncle Michael–who’s artistry and music still influences genres of music–was about the same age as Eissa when he started, so it will be interesting to see what path Janet’s son follows!
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