JoJo has said a difficult goodbye. Her father, Joel Maurice Levesque, passed away on Saturday at the age of 60.
The singer announced the sad news on Instagram and penned a heartfelt tribute in her post.
“I missed you even while you were here. I will miss you infinitely more now that you’re gone,” she wrote, captioning a sweet throwback photo of herself as a young girl in her dad’s embrace.
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“Thank you for holding on as long as you did. I know you tried your best. You are free now,” the 24-year-old continued.
JoJo, whose real name is Joanna Levesque, released her most recent EP in August and launched a new tour earlier this month. In Saturday’s touching message, she alluded to having possibly inherited her musical talent from her late dad.
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“I will love you always, Dad. I can feel you with me. Rest now. In PEACE,” she wrote. “I miss your voice. I wish more people could have heard it. I promise I will keep singing for you.”
On Sunday, the “Aquamarine” and “RV” actress performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a NASCAR race in Phoenix. Ahead of the appearance, she shared another vintage Instagram snap to dedicate the song to her father and his military service.
“Today I will be singing the national anthem to honor my dad. He was a disabled veteran. I wish he was here with me today. He would have cried. I will be crying because I miss him already,” JoJo wrote, also paying tribute to the victims of Friday’s terror attacks in Paris.
“May God help us all to love and understand each other better. To lead with compassion and live in peace on this one planet we are entrusted with,” she added, including the hashtags “RIPJoel,” “#GodBlessAmerica” and “#GodBlessFrance.”
— Erin Biglow
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