Janet sheds tears as she keeps the show on the road for late father Joe

JANET Jackson brought down the house as one of the headline acts at the Essence Festival in New Orleans on Sunday. And during her performance, the 52-year-old singer, right, paid an emotional tribute to her late father Joe, pictured below with Janet, who died aged 89 on June 27 from pancreatic cancer.

As seen in a video shot by an audience member, she had tears in her eyes as she admitted: ‘I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to move forward, if I should cancel this festival or the entire tour.’

Janet revealed that one of her brothers asked her to imagine what their father would tell her in this difficult moment.

‘I think my father would have said, “Janet, please. Finish what you’ve started. And I will be there with you every step of the way in your heart.” So here I am,’ she said onstage to loud applause from the crowd.

Janet then pointed to the sky and said, ‘I love you so much. This one’s for you’, as her band kicked into her song Together Again.

Throughout the tune, a montage of photos featuring Joe appeared on the screens.

The Rhythm Nation singer looked and performed like the Janet of old, wearing a black lace top and black bagging pants.

She also wore a black fingerless glove on her right hand and had her long brown tresses crimped in a top ponytail.

Janet’s State Of The World Tour will wind down with a performance in San Francisco on August 12.

Joe Jackson rose to fame as the manager of The Jackson Five. He is also credited with helping launch the solo careers of both Janet and her late brother Michael, but was also known to have often been a violent taskmaster with his children.

Janet went on to become one of the most influential entertainers of the modern era.

The pop diva, who is also an actress, has sold over 100million records and won dozens of music awards, including six Grammys.