JoJo

JoJo in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque

Place of Birth: Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 20, 1990

Ethnicity:
*father – French-Canadian
*maternal grandfather – Irish, as well as English and Scottish
*maternal grandmother – Polish

JoJo, also credited as Joanna Levesque, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her songs “Leave (Get Out),” “Baby It’s You,” “Too Little Too Late,” and “Man.” She has starred in the films Aquamarine, RV, and G.B.F., on the show All American, and in the made-for-tv movie True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. She competed on America’s Most Talented Kids. She has sold more than seven million records worldwide, and founded record label Clover Music.

JoJo has stated that she has Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. On her Twitter account, she stated that she has “one big gumbo pot of heritage.”

JoJo’s paternal grandfather was Maurice Henri/Henry Levesque (the son of Louis J. Levesque and Wilhelmina/Wilhelmine/Wilhemine D. Cote). Maurice was born in New Hampshire. Louis was French-Canadian, the son of Martial Levesque, from Kamouraska, Québec, and of Thecle/Thadi Dufour, from L’Islet, Québec. Wilhelmina was born in New Hampshire, the daughter of Antoine Cóté, from Les Basques, Québec, and of Victoria Gagnon, from Témiscouata, Québec, Canada.

JoJo’s paternal grandmother was Irene Marion Fortier (the daughter of John Jermiah/I. Fortier and Marion/Mary/Marianne Delia Bedard). Irene was born in Pelham, New Hampshire. John was born in Massachusetts, of French-Canadian descent, and was the son of Joseph F. Fortier and Mary. Marion was French-Canadian, and was the daughter of William Bedard and Lyhdia.

JoJo’s maternal grandfather was Eugene Thomas Blagden (the son of William Albert Thomas Blagden and Irene Elizabeth Cahill). JoJo’s grandfather Eugene was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. William was born in Maine, the son of Thomas B. Blagden and Martha/Maud J. Henderson. Irene was the daughter of Eugene F. Cahill, who was Irish, and of Jennie/Geneva E. Donovan, who was of Irish descent.

JoJo’s maternal grandmother was Sonja J. Granskie (the daughter of Henry Joseph Granskie and Helen J. Rutniski). Sonja was born in Massachusetts, and was of Polish descent.

Sources: JoJo’s tweets about her ancestry – https://mobile.twitter.com
https://mobile.twitter.com

Marriage record of JoJo’s paternal great-grandparents, Louis J. Levesque and Wilhelmina/Wilhelmine/Wilhemine D. Cote – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of JoJo’s paternal grandmother, Irene Marion (Fortier) Levesque – http://nl.newsbank.com

Marriage record of JoJo’s paternal great-grandparents, John Jermiah/I. Fortier and Marion/Mary/Marianne Delia Bedard – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of JoJo’s maternal great-grandparents, William Albert Thomas Blagden and Irene Elizabeth Cahill – https://www.familysearch.org

JoJo’s maternal great-grandfather, William Albert Thomas Blagden, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of JoJo’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Eugene F. Cahill and Jennie/Geneva E. Donovan – https://www.familysearch.org