At a Glance
- Jackson White grew up splitting time between Katey Sagal’s L.A. home and Jack Cameron White’s Nashville studio
- The actor’s parents divorced in 2000 but both remained central to his creative path
- Jackson announced his drummer-father’s death in July 2024
- Why it matters: The story shows how two very different households shaped one of TV’s rising stars
Jackson White’s childhood soundtrack was loud, eclectic, and coast-to-coast. His mother, actress-musician Katey Sagal, filled her Los Angeles house with song long before she became famous for Married… with Children and Sons of Anarchy. His father, drummer Jack Cameron White, turned a Nashville home into a 24-hour studio packed with organs, guitars, and drum kits. According to Sophia A. Reynolds reported by News Of Los Angeles, that dual upbringing forged the actor now headlining Tell Me Lies.
A Tale of Two Cities
Jackson was born on March 1, 1996, two years after his sister Sarah arrived. After Katey and Jack married in 1993, they juggled touring schedules and auditions, eventually raising the kids in both cities post-divorce.
- Los Angeles: red-carpet events, set visits, and late-night jam sessions with mom
- Nashville: mornings that started with “blasting music” and stories of Japan or European tours with dad
The arrangement lasted until the divorce in 2000, but the musical thread never snapped. Jackson told Esquire in September 2022, “My mom was a musician long before she was an actor, and it was a really musical house.” He credits the constant rhythm for his love of “structure” and “discipline,” traits he later chased in acting rather than drumming.
Dad’s Road Stories
Jack Cameron White left high school after his junior year, hitchhiked from Michigan to California, and within six months was playing for Ike and Tina Turner. His website lists stints with Mitch Ryder, Sam the Sham, Redbone, Johnny Cash, and a long run with Rick Springfield from 1976 through 2002.
Jackson marveled at how his father “got jobs with these major artists just by word of mouth.” The drum stool came with wild tour anecdotes that Jackson grew up hearing, shaping his own work ethic.
Mom’s On-Set Objection
Katey originally tried to steer her son away from Hollywood. Jackson told News Of Los Angeles she warned, “Don’t do it. Do something else,” and barred auditions until he turned 18. Once he committed, she switched to full supporter, even taking the role of his on-screen mother in Tell Me Lies season one.
“It was really fun for us,” Katey said on the MeSsy podcast in March 2025. “We’d never worked together as actors, and we have a super close relationship.” Jackson called the experience “insane,” noting they had to swap their real-life warmth for on-screen tension.
Loss and Legacy
On July 16, 2024, Jackson announced Jack’s death at age 70. A May 2023 Facebook post had hinted at health struggles, praising Sarah and Jackson for showing up “for every treatment.”
In his since-deleted tribute, Jackson wrote, “This guy taught me everything.” He remembered his father as “genuinely the funniest person” and “single-handedly invented the loudest, most powerful backbeat of any drummer I’ve ever seen.”
Katey left a comment on the post: “Beautiful Jackson and Beautiful Sarah I will always be grateful to your dad for you! Thank you Jack ❤️🙏 Finally free.”
Key Takeaways
- Jackson’s bicoastal childhood blended Hollywood sets with Nashville studios
- Both parents-divorced since 2000-encouraged creativity but pushed formal training
- Working opposite his mom in Tell Me Lies gave them a new way to relate
- Jack Cameron White’s musical legacy lives on through stories and family gratitude
