JoJo was born Joanna Noëlle Levesque December 20, 1990 in Vermont. Her family background is a mix of Native American, Irish, Polish and French. JoJo spent her early years living with her family in a one bedroom apartment in the suburbs of Boston. Both of JoJo's parents are singers. Her father sings blues, and her mother performed in the church choir and in musical theater. It was not a surprise when JoJo began singing at the age of 2.
Describing her singing as a young child on the official JoJo site:
"When I was two years old, I would sing nursery rhymes. I would do riffs on them and make them jazzy."
JoJo's first career breakthrough came through an audition for the Kids Say the Darndest Things: On the Road in Boston television show. When she was given a spot to perform Aretha Franklin's "Respect" on the show, the audience and host Bill Cosby were blown away. JoJo soon appeared on Oprah and competed on America's Most Talented Kids where she ultimately lost the title to Cheyenne Kimball.
Following the America's Most Talented Kids contest, JoJo received an offer for a recording contract from Blackground Records. Her debut single "Leave (Get Out)" was released in 2004. It was a major pop hit reaching #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 and topping the Top 40 Mainstream Radio Airplay chart. The full-length self-titled album appeared in June, 2004 reaching #4 on the album chart and ultimately going platinum.
JoJo is a good student regularly receiving A's and B's in her school work.
JoJo is not only a singer, but also an actress with a promising career. She has appeared on the TV shows The Bernie Mac Show and American Dreams. In spring 2006 she appeared in her first two feature films Aquamarine and RV. Onscreen credits list JoJo's name as Joanna JoJo Levesque.
For her second album JoJo has worked in the studio with producers Scott Storch, Jermaine Dupri, and Timbaland, among others. The first single is "Too Little, Too Late." The album The High Road is due in stores September 19, 2006.
