The 2017 ESSENCE Festival is fast approaching and we’ve got plenty in store to make this year’s experience one you won’t soon forget.
ESSENCE Festival 2017 ticket packages are on sale now! For more info about tickets, accommodations and the latest news, visit our Festival page here.
But don’t get it twisted, we’re not new to this!
So while you grab your tickets and assemble your squad to get in formation for this year’s extravaganza, here’s a look back at the many music icons who have blessed the ESSENCE Festival stage over the last 23 years.
01
Essence Festival
OttoKrause/Cristina Coppin
02
Prince
03
Destiny’s Child
Erik Umphery/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment
04
Kanye West
05
Patti LaBelle
06
2008: A Badgal On The Rise Brings The House Down
When Rihanna hit the ESSENCE Festival stage in 2008, she was in the early pahse of becoming the global superstar she is today. Her single, ‘Take A Bow’ was at the top of the charts and her 2007 album, Good Girl Gone Bad, had solidified her as a young woman whose inspiring rise would only continue.
Skip Bolen/Getty Images
07
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert performed at ESSENCE Festival in 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2003.
Getty Images
08
Lauryn Hill
The incomparable L Boogie first graced the ESSENCE Festival stages alongside her Fugees group members in 1996, before later returning to headline the Festival as a solo act in 1999.
09
The Temptations
10
Aaliyah
11
Ludacris
Ludacris was awarded the key to Atlanta for his philanthropy and dedication to the city.
12
Gladys Knight
Aaron J. / RedCarpetImages.net
13
Strawberry, Jackson’s sexy alter ego
Move over, Sasha Fierce! After Damita Jo was released, Janet Jackson revealed two alter egos: Damita Jo and Strawberry. In 2004, Jackson described Strawberry to Blender magazine as “the most sexual of them all, the wildest.”
14
Boyz II Men
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
15
Alicia Keys
16
The O’Jays
David Becker/Getty Images for Nu-Opp, Inc
17
Fantasia
Ethan Miller/BET/Getty Images for BET
18
BB King
The late blues icon was given the keys to Cleveland in 1968.
Jordi Vidal/Redferns
19
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Getty
20
Earth, Wind and Fire
Andrew Goetz
21
Erykah Badu
22
Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross played ESSENCE Fest in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002.
23
En Vogue
24
New Edition
25
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
Getty Images
26
Maxwell
Johnny Nunez
27
Chris Brown
28
Kirk Franklin
Michael Rowe
29
Usher
30
Yolanda Adams
Gospel singer Yolanda Adams has won a total of four Grammys, including Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for her album, Mountain High…Valley Low.
31
Brian McKnight
Getty Images
32
Smokey Robinson
Mark Davis/BET/Getty Images for BET
33
LL Cool J
Getty Images
34
Mary J. Blige
35
Dru Hill
36
Babyface
Johnny Nunez
37
Mariah Carey
Michael Rowe Photography
38
Al Green
Getty Image
39
Beyoncé
Getty/Kevin Mazur
40
Mase
startraksphoto.com
41
Brandy
Brandy Norwood aka Brandy performs onstage during the 6th Annual Black Women In Music event held at Avalon in Hollywood, California.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
42
Lionel Richie
Tony Woolliscroft
43
Salt n Pepa
Getty Images
44
Donnie McClurkin
Rick Diamond/Getty Imagesfor Dove Awards
45
Common
getty images
46
The Isley Brothers
Stephen J. Cohen
47
Missy Elliott
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
48
Faith Evans
Faith Evans performing the Main Stage at Essence Festival 2016
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival
49
Kendrick Lamar
Lamar was awarded the key to Compton by the town’s mayor Aja Brown.
Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
50
Diddy
Larry French/Getty Images for Live Nation
51
Monica
Monica performs at ‘Christmas In The City’ Concert at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
