Questlove Pays Tribute To His Late Father In Moving Instagram Post

Questlove, the drummer and frontman for The Roots, announced his father’s passing on Instagram Wednesday with a moving tribute.

Questlove Remembers Father

Questlove’s father, Lee Andrews of the Philadelphia doo-wop group Lee Andrews and the Hearts, died Wednesday at 79. In his Instagram post, Questlove referred to Andrews as “the greatest teacher in my life” and shared the ups and downs of a relationship that ended with two conversations for which the musician and producer is eternally grateful.

“The Greatest Teacher in my life, my dad Lee Andrews June 2nd 1936-March 16 2016. I love you,” Questlove wrote. “For every backstage experience. For every drum lesson. For giving me your tireless work ethic. For our father & son record binging expeditions. For our arguments over the summer I discovered #ItTakesANationOfMillions. For the look on your face when I told you ‘imma give this rap thing a try.'”

“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!,'” Questlove added. “For bringing my mom & my sister into my life. For the years we fell out. For the years we put it back together. But really, for the last 2 conversations we had. I understand why you were so hard on me praying I didn’t succumb to a fate not meant for a teenager in west philly in the mid 80s. I didn’t understand it at the time. But I appreciate it now.”

Lee Andrews and the Hearts had a string of successful singles in the late 50s – “Teardrops”, “Long Lonely Nights” and “Try the Impossible,” on which Andrews sang lead vocals. Questlove has often cited his father and doo-wop as a major influence in his music. He co-founded The Roots with Black Thought in 1987, and the band now includes Malik B., Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, and Josh Abrams. The Roots, which serves as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, have released 10 studio albums and have won three Grammys.