Following the loss of her father, Janet Jackson is forging ahead in the career he helped create.
The triple threat took the stage as the closing act at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on Sunday night, but had to stop to address something that was weighing on her heart—her dad Joe Jackson‘s death.
As Janet explained to the crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, in light of Joe’s passing, she had contemplated canceling that very performance and her ongoing State of the World Tour, which she kicked off again that night for the second and final leg of the tour. The tour currently finishes on August 12 in San Francisco, nearly a year after it began in September 2017.
In thinking of her dad’s work ethic and ceaseless belief in her and her siblings’ talents, she was motivated to carry on.
As for her final decision, her appearance on stage said it all. “So, here I am. I love you so much. This one is for you. Let’s celebrate my father. My father would wante to celebrate his life. That’s what I’m going to do today.”
The Jackson family patriarch passed away while in hospice care in late June following a battle with cancer. He was 89 years old.
The late music mogul has been credited with helping launch Janet’s solo career at 16 years old by working as her manager, helping to negotiate her first recording contract and overseeing her debut album.
Source: News Agencies