Jackson White, known for his roles in “Tell Me Lies” and “Pet Sematary: Bloodlines,” shared the sad news of his father Jack Cameron White’s passing. Jack White, an accomplished drummer and actor, was also the ex-husband of actress Katey Sagal, told Page Six.
In an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday, Jackson White expressed his deep love and respect for his father. “This guy taught me everything. We had ups and downs, as a man has with their father. But in the end, it was just love,” he wrote. “He was an open book, a fighter, genuinely the funniest person my sister and I knew, and single-handedly invented the loudest most powerful backbeat of any drummer I’ve ever seen.”
Jackson added, “He’s not in pain anymore. And we get to remember him, 6 foot 4 with a denim shirt and a Starbucks muffin, driving us around, teaching us every important song ever written. I’m wearing his shoes every day. Not a metaphor he had really cool shoes. Big Jack White. 1954-2024. I love you Dad forever.”
The heartfelt post included archival videos and photos of Jack White, who played with many musicians, most notably Rick Springfield in 1976 and again in the early ’80s through the early 2000s. Jack White and Katey Sagal were married in the 1990s and had two children, Sarah and Jackson.
Sagal commented on her son’s post, writing, “Beautiful Jackson and Beautiful Sarah I will always be grateful to your dad for you! Thank you Jack❤️🙏 Finally free”, via US Weekly.
A cause of death was not provided. USA TODAY reached out to representatives for Jackson White and Sagal for comment.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY on Wednesday, Rick Springfield reflected on his time with Jack White. “‘I hit things for a living’ is how Jack described his life as a drummer. We met in 1976 and hit the big time together in 1980. We were young and hungry and up for the challenge and we traveled the world for years,” Springfield said.
“I saw him two days before he passed. He was loving and cracking jokes and high as a kite on morphine. After almost 50 years together there were some things that needed healing and when he took my hand and kissed it, all was forgiven on both sides. As it should be. Thanks for having me in your wild wildlife my brother.”
Jack White had alluded to his health issues in a May 2023 Facebook post, sharing a photo with his children. “Just a beautiful day with the 2 most amazing and important people in my life! Sarah and Jackson have shown up for every treatment! Love heals and lasts forever,” he wrote.
On his now-defunct website, White described himself as a high school dropout who “took my chances” and hitchhiked from Detroit to California to pursue his dreams of being a drummer. Within six months, he wrote, he was playing drums with “the best R&B act in the country, Ike and Tina Turner.”
Jackson White’s tribute to his father highlights the profound impact Jack White had on his life and career, as well as the lasting legacy he leaves behind.