The name Austin Brown may not ring any bells, but he is the youngest son of Rebbie “Centipede” Jackson, and, of course, the nephew of the late Michael Jackson. Brown, a talented and versatile singer, songwriter, producer and dancer, is ready to carry on the Jackson family business for the next generation. But he isn’t necessarily looking to live off the family’s fame.
“Music is in my heart,” Brown said. “It’s what I love to do. I can’t help where I come from, but I love where I come from, so I just do music and I create.”
Brown also loves to perform, which he said started when his mom first took him onstage. “She was doing a show in Japan and I was about 3,” said Brown. “When I first looked up, there was all of these things onstage — gargoyles and all this weird stuff at the club. And I got scared and kind of ran off, but I paused when I ran off. So my mom tried it again the next day, and I danced my heart off after that.”
Some 20 years later, Brown has teamed up with super-producer Rodney Jerkins and is set to release his debut album, 85. The title represents what Brown has learned from music throughout his life.
Brown said he grew up listening to everything from Boyz II Men and George Michael to the Beatles. And while such a diverse musical taste isn’t uncommon with the iPod generation of today, the singer said he loved to sit around and dissect what makes each artist special. He’d listen and wonder what about the Beatles inspired Brian Wilson’s (of the Beach Boys) work, which in turn inspired the Beatles.
Read entire article at MTV.com