After performing a great number of dance hits, Jackson broke it down with her slew of R&B records while demanding everyone’s attention with every move, lyric, and hair flip. While performing her set as Essence Festival, Janet Jackson got emotion talking about her father, his passing, and possibly passing this performance and canceling her tour. 

“You know, it’s always difficult when you lose a loved one,” says Jackson. “And ugh, to be quite honest it was really hard for me. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to move forward. If I should cancel this festival, or cancel the entire tour? I talked to my brother, and we started to speak about my father’s strength. He was very strong. If it wasn’t.. Without his drive, his strength, we wouldn’t have this success. We’re a black family that came from Gary, Indiana, and we broke all kinds of records across the globe, that’s truth. But my father was a great man, and my bother, he asked me, ‘If he was here right now listening to this conversation right now, what do you think he would say to you?’ And, I think my father, I think my father would’ve said, ‘Janet please, finish what you started, and I will be there with you every step of the way with you in your heart. And here I am.”

Joe Jackson, passed away at the age of 89 after a battle with pancreatic cancer on June 27, 2018.

Watch the video below.