Latoya entered the music business in 1976 when the Jacksons Variety Show opened in Las Vegas, but she didn't emerge as a solo artist until 1980. Her self-titled debut album did fairly well with a number of memorable singles, like "If You feel The Funk" and "Night Time Lover", the latter featuring her brother Michael. Latoya, who was raised as a Jehova's Witness, didn't want to record that first single because of the lyrics "If you feel the funk, shake your rump", but was convinced by her father who was also her manager.

Her second album "My Special Love", co-produced by her brother Randy, was released two years later. In 1983 Latoya appread in the video for Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's duet "Say Say Say" and released another single entitled "Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin".

1984 was a busy year for Latoya. Her third album "Heart Don't Lie" entered the billboard Hot 100 albums chart and she appeared at the Grammy Awards, where she presented her brother Michael with one of the 8th Grammys he won that night. That night, Jack Gordon also approached Joe Jackson for the first time. He needed a girl to host a new show he had in the works called 'Music Vision', and he had Latoya in mind. The show never happened but Jack became Latoya's manager. Latoya's biggest performance that year was on the 4th of July at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC together with the Beach Boys and Julio Iglesias. She also co-wrote a song called "Reaggae Nights" for Jimmy Cliff, which she later recorded and put on her 91 album 'No Relations'. The single stands out as France's best-selling single ever. During that time, fans of the TV Series 'The Unknown Stuntman" had the pleasure of seeing her guest appear on that show, and she also hosted the 'Solid Gold' with Rick Dees in its 5th season.

In 1985, Michael asked Latoya to participate on a single he wrote with Lionel Richie called "We Are The World". The single was recorded in only one night with over 40 superstars participating including the larger part of the Jackson family, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, Bruce Springsteen and many more. The single spent over a decade as the best-selling single ever and raised millions for the people suffering the famine in Africa. Latoya has always supported anti-drug campaigns, so she joined forces with Whitney Houston, David Hasselhoff, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nancy Reagan to record the song "Stop The Madness". The first lady, Mrs. Reagan, later asked Latoya to become the spokesperson for her campaign "Just Say No".

Latoya's 4th album "Imagination" was released in 1986 and as a side project she recorded a single entitled "Oops, Oh No" with an artist called Cerrone. the single was rereleased in 1991. In 1987 Latoya teamed up with producers Stock/Aitken/Waterman for her forthcoming album, "Latoya", also known as "You're Gonna Get Rocked". She recorded the theme song for the Nancy Reagan Anti-Dug Campaign, 'Just Say No' and also appreared with Tatiana Thumbtzen in brother Michael's video for "The Way You Make Me Feel". After the release of her new album, Latoya made a controversial appearance in Playboy magazine, initiated by her new manager Jack Gordon, which became the best-selling issue in the history of the magazine.

In 1989, Latoya embarked on her first international tour, which started out at Bally's Hotel & Casino in Reno, Nevada and performed in other places such as Turkey, Chile, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. On May 9th she married her manager, Jack Gordon.

In late 1989 she went to Germany to start recording her next album, orignally to be titled "On My Own". The recording company TelDec was looking for new artists and Latoya was signed, but her album was postponed due to some differences. The album was instead released as "Bad Girl" in 1990. According to Jack Gordon, Latoya sold 7 million records in 30 days. "Bad Girl" was released under several different name by different records companys, for example "He's My Brother", "Sexual Feeling", "Be My Lover", "Playboy" and so on, most of them named after one of the songs on the album.

In 1990 Latoya was in Italy for the San Remo Music Festival and she was chosen as one of the best dressed women in the world.

In 1991, Latoya released an off-album single called "Why Don't You Want My Love" and her new album "No Relations". She went on a promotional tour, performing her first single "Sexbox" on various European shows. At the same time "Growing Up In The Jackson Family", Latoya's autobiography was released and instantly became a bestseller. Once again, Latoya posed for Playboy, this time in the November issue and she made an appearance in the TV series "Counterstrike".

In the spring of 1992 Latoya kicked off her Moulin Rouge Cabaret Show in Paris, a show which was originally intended to run for 12 months. She got 5 million for two show per night, but after 4 months she tore up the contract.

A year later she had returned to Manhattan and bought an apartment. In April of 1993, Jack was arrested on 2 degree assault for hitting Latoya after an argument, but the case was dismissed on May 18. Latoya was vacationing in Israel when she heard about the child abuse allegations against her brother Michael. Latoya was on her brother's side and wanted the media to "leave our brother Michael alone". A while later she made accusations against Michael saying that she had known about this for an extent period of time and that it was true. The statements, however, turned out to be false and were not made up by Latoya, but by Jack. Apparently, he never got along with Michael and took advantage of Latoya to get him thrown in jail.

Before all of this, Latoya had made her own fitness video, "Step-Up with LaToya Jackson" and lent her name to a phychic network called "Latoya Jackson's Psychic Friends". She sued the promoters of this hotline in 1998, because the contract had been renegotiated by Jack Gordon without her consent.

In 1994, Latoya's celebrity centerfold video from Playboy was released, and sold over 50 000 copies worldwide. Latoya herself had been in Tenessee, recording her first country album, "From Nashville To You", which has been released under different names, such as "My Country Collection".

A dance collection, entitled "Stop! In The Name Of Love", was released in 1995. The album, which was recorded in scandinavia, included covers of old motown hits, such as "Baby Love", "Love Child" and the title track, as well "I'll Be There" made famous by her brothers.

In January 1996, Latoya held a press conference in New York announcing a new phone line, which never was very successful. In this appearance he hair was blonde, exactly the way she wore it when she walked the catwalk in Paris. She also filed for divorce from her manager, which was finalized in June 97. Apparently she had had enough when Jack wanted her to star in a porno movie.

Latoya appeared on Fox's Saturday Night comedy show, 'MADtv!' as herself in 1997, in a sketch about her family.

A year later, a new single was released in Germany called "Don't Break My Heart", a duet with an artist called Tom Beser, which has yet to be included on any album. That year Latoya performed Michael's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', a song he wrote for Latoya, on an awards show in Germany. Latoya also made a special appearance on the Graham Norton Christmas Special, which aired in the UK on Christmas Eve.