By Boynextdoor (4.165.165.35) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 09:03 pm:

Does anyone know where Janet Jackson got the name for her new CD? Wasn't there a singer once called Damito Jo?

By Weldon A. Mc Dougal III (68.80.162.3) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 09:21 pm:

yes
WELDON

By DyvaNaye (64.12.117.14) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 09:56 pm:

Its her middle name...

By Dinelle (66.157.75.90) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:32 pm:

You took the words right out of my mouth, Dyva.

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:47 pm:

I used to have a big news clipping of "Damita Jo and James Brown" performing together from mid-60's, in a "JB scrapbook" I had put together in 1965-66 that I gave to his son Teddy. She was pretty big at one time.
S.S.

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:59 pm:

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is Janet's full name. For years she used her initials for her JDJ Productions logo.

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 11:21 pm:

Perhaps Katherine or Joseph named Janet after the singer "Damita Jo"(?). Does anyone know?

S.S.

By nikki (65.206.46.218) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 12:20 am:

The 1950's Damita Jo is Damita Jo DuBlanc who was the vocalist with husband Steve Gibson's Red Caps. Most of her recordings in the 50's to early 60s were on RCA Victor.

Nikki

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 12:28 am:

Hi Nikki;
Thanks for the recap. You confirmed some of what I vaguely remembered.
S.S.

By Ju (205.188.117.14) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 03:18 am:

Soul Sister, that is exactly who she is named after. I saw an interview this week and that is what she said.

By Jim G (152.163.253.70) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 07:58 am:

Detroit pianist Charles Boles worked with Damita Jo in 1968 - 69.

By Lynn Bruce (68.41.110.49) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 12:00 pm:

Nicki,I remember Steve Gibson and the Red Caps. They played a lot in Las Vegas and were quite the show band. I think between them and Lois Prima with Sam Buterra and the Witnesses--all the rock bands of the early 60s wanted to be like both of them.
Both of those bands could really PLAY.
Lynn

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 12:50 pm:

Ju;
Thanks for the confirmation, I thought as much.
S.S.

By NYC Diva (205.184.164.18) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 02:26 pm:

Well, I had known that Janet's middle name was Damita, but the "Jo" following it is something new to me. This is the first time I heard that added to her middle name.

There was also a Damita Jo (Freeman) on Soul Train, she was one of the most popular dancers on the show.

By LeLe (64.12.117.14) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 12:53 am:

What ever happened to Damita Jo Freeman? Is she still alive?

By STONEWALL (68.237.107.94) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 02:39 am:

Attention: The Boy Next Door, Dinelle, Dyva Naye and Mr. Weldon,

Lil' Janet's middle name is DamitA Jo (not DamitO Jo). As I caught the original title error and was reading the entries, I said to myself who is gonna realize that is wrong? After all, Damit-O for a female? No! Soul Sister wins! She caught it. Yeah, I first heard it at least 25 years ago, when Janet was on "Good Times", that her middle name is after the singer Damita Jo. The daughter on "Good Times" was/is a friend of mine. In fact, I got her on the show! That's who Janet bonded with then. The "Good Times" cast joke was that whenever they yelled out "J.J.", two people would respond. "J.J." the ugly, obnoxious stage brother frequently yelling out "Dy-no-mite!"; and Janet Jackson, whose initials are "J.J." So, her middle name is a very nice tribute to a singer.

By KevGo (64.115.136.66) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 01:28 pm:

Singer Damita Jo was one of her parents' favorite singers.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Nosey (66.153.113.238) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 02:50 pm:

I remember Damita Jo and there are prolly many young women Janet's and Damita Jo Freeman's age whose name is Damita. I just found Ms. DuBlanc's picture on the web and she is pretty just like I remembered her.

By Soul Sister (68.73.160.101) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 03:45 pm:

STONEWALL;
OK! Baaabeee, I checked it out, thank YOU for the nice follow-up!
S.S.

By Tony Russi (66.21.232.51) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 03:48 pm:

The only record I remember by Damita Jo on the radio was "I'll Save The Last Dance For You" the answer to the Drifters song. I do remember seeing pix of her in the early 60's and she was real pretty.

By STONEWALL (68.237.107.94) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 04:32 pm:

Damita Jo Freeman is alive and well. After "Soul Train", I remember her with Goldie Hawn in the funny movie "Private Benjamin". She also did the t.v. show "P.B." Damita Jo did parts in several movies throughout the 1980s and some t.v. Workwise, I understand now she occasionally does choreography for various productions. All aboard the "Soul Train". Imagine, the train first got on track over 33 years ago!

By KevGo (64.115.136.66) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 06:57 pm:

Here's Damita Jo:
http://www.oldies.com/images/boxart/large/5/090431584224.jpg
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By STONEWALL (68.237.107.94) on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 07:39 pm:

"Come And Get These Memories"....

Now that I see some song listings, I do recall D-Jo's song "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" as it was such an unusual, clever type title. And like Tony R., I definitely remember on the car radio hearing "I'll Save The Last Dance For You". I think it would have been nice if Janet-Jo had recreated one of these songs on J.J.'s new "Damita Jo" album -- as a tribute to the legend and to her own middle name!!