Janet Jackson may be mourning the death of her father Joe Jackson, but that isn’t going to stop her from seeing her fans. On Wednesday, July 4, the pop icon took to Instagram to reveal she will still perform her headlining gig at the 2018 Essence Music Festival Sunday (July 8).
In the short video, Jackson—who was recently honored with Billboard’s 2018 Icon Award—thanked fans for their continued support while her 19-month old son can be heard in the distance.
“It’s been a pretty rough week, but we’re excited, I’m excited and I cannot wait to see you,” Jackson said.
On June 27, her father Joe Jackson died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 89. Although he ruled with an iron fist, Jackson was responsible for assembling the Jackson 5 and bringing their talent to the American stage. The Jackson 5 would help launch the iconic careers of Michael and later Janet.
The Jackson family held a private funeral in Glendale, California on Monday, July 2. Joe Jackson is survived by his wife Katherine, children Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Randy and Janet along with countless grandchildren.
A source close to Jackson tells TMZ she’s already en route to New Orleans and has other dates for her State of The World Tour lined up through August, which she plans to carry out.
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