Tell Me Lies actor Jackson White says musician father Jack White has died: ‘I love you dad forever’
Actor Jackson White announced Tuesday via an Instagram post that his father Jack White has passed away.
The 28-year-old actor posted a collection of photos of his late drummer father while holding his memorial service in an emotional caption.
“This guy taught me everything,” said White, who plays Stephen DeMarco on the Hulu drama opposite girlfriend Grace Van Patten, 27. “We’ve had ups and downs, like a man has with his father. But at the end of the day, it was just love … he’s not in pain anymore.”
White, whose mother is 70-year-old actress Katey Sagal, then listed some of the memories he shared with his late father and praised his skills as a drummer.
“He was an open book, a fighter, honestly the funniest person my sister and I knew, and he single-handedly came up with the loudest, most powerful backbeat of any drummer I’ve ever seen,” White said.
Actor Jackson White, 28, announced the passing of his father Jack White in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Pictured in LA in 2022
The actor posted a collection of photos of his late drummer father holding a memorial service in an emotional caption
He continued: “And we get to remember him, 6’3″ tall in a denim shirt and a Starbucks muffin, who drove us everywhere and taught us every important song ever written.”
White said he was ‘his [late father’s] “He wore shoes every day,” he added, “not a metaphor, he wore really cool shoes.”
White concluded the emotional message by saying, “Big Jack White. 1954-2024. I love you forever, Dad.”
White’s mother Sagal was married to the musician from 1993 to 2000. She also appeared in the film during her time on the comedy Married… with Children, which ran from 1987 to 1997.
She added in the comments thread, ‘Beautiful Jackson and Beautiful Sarah, I will always be grateful to your father for you! Thank you Jack. Free at last.’
Jessie’s Girl artist Rick Springfield visited the venue on July 7 to pay tribute to White, whom he described as his “longtime friend, colleague, passionate musician, lovable madman, fiery drummer and someone with a deep soul.”
Springfield, 74, said White died “surrounded by his beautiful family” and that he and his wife Barbara Porter had visited White, who was in hospice care, earlier this month.
“He had taken all the medications you’re supposed to take on the way out and thankfully he wasn’t in any pain,” White said. “He was funny and loving and we talked for over two hours. It was such a great conversation and Jack was still the driving force.”
White posted an emotional memorial for his late father, with his mother Katey Sagal offering her support
White shared a series of vintage photos of his father, including one on the water
White and Sagal were photographed at an event in August 1993 in Studio City, California. They were married from 1993 to 2000 and had two children
Rick Springfield paid tribute to White, who he described as his “longtime friend, colleague, passionate musician, lovable crazy kid, fiery drummer and deep soul”
The Jessie’s Girl artist shared his memories of his late friend and bandmate
White said his father “single-handedly invented the loudest, most powerful backbeat of any drummer I’ve ever seen”
White and his mother Sagal were photographed at an event in LA in October 2019
Springfield added that White had been his drummer “between 1976 and 2002” and had encouraged him to tour three times.
“He said, ‘Come on, man! Let’s start a band!'” Springfield said. “One of his many famous sayings was, ‘I punch things for a living.'”
Springfield described his late friend and bandmate as “a complex man, damaged, fierce, grumpy, loving and above all a good soul.”
Springfield concluded his memorial by saying, “Godspeed, dear JDub. I will miss you and know that your life has left a mark on me, in a good way. You are the man.”
In addition to his work on Tell Me Lies, Jack has appeared in series such as SEAL Team, The Middle and Mrs. Fletcher and in films such as Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Ambulance and The Space Between.