Questlove’s Father Lee Andrews Passes Away

Losing a family member is never easy, let alone losing a parent. On Wednesday (March 16) one of hip-hop’s great musicians lost someone very near and dear to his heart. Roots drummer, author and composer Questlove's  father Lee Andrews, lead singer of the doo-wop group Lee Andrews & the Hearts, passed away.

Throughout his career Questlove has always been vocal about his father's musical influence. He took to Instagram to draft an open letter to his dad, thanking him for life lessons and the influence Andrews had on his career in music. “The Greatest Teacher in my life, my dad Lee Andrews June 2nd 1936-March 16 2016. I love you,” the Grammy Award-winning drummer wrote, accompanied by montage video of his father’s bands hits. Andrews founded the group in 1953 in Philadelphia. They were signed to United Artists when their song "Try the Impossible” peaked at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958.

Having a father in the music business clearly impacted Questlove’s passion for art and music. He continued his heartfelt message with a walk down memory lane:

“For every backstage experience. For every drum lesson. For giving me your tireless work ethic. For our father & son record binging expeditions.” He even touched on how his dad took to him following in his footsteps and pursing a rap career. “ For the look on your face when I told you "imma give this rap thing a try" (I waited til our 2nd album to have this convo btw),” he wrote.  “For the look on your face 5 years later when I told you ‘you don't have to work no more.’ For the look on your face when a year later I was like ‘Seriously dad, you don't have to work anymore!’"

Andrews was 79-years-old.Our condolences go out to Questlove and the Andrews/Thompson family.