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Jack White announces passing of mother Teresa Gillis: “She was a Saint”
16 March 2026, 14:28 | Updated: 16 March 2026, 14:40
The former White Stripes rocker has shared that his mother has passed away at the age of 95.
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Jack White has shared the news of his mother's death with fans, taking Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute.
First announcing the sad news on Sunday (15th February), The White Stripes wrote: "Teresa Gillis 1930-2026. Rest in peace with the Lord. She smiled and laughed so much, especially in these last few days with her family, who will all miss her dearly. She was the youngest of ten just like me, so we had that special bond together on top of everything else she gave me. They really don’t make them like this anymore, and as George Jones once sang, that tough question lingers, “Who’s gonna fill their shoes?” She was a Saint. -III"
Among the likes and condolences were Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, Queens of The Stone Age, Beck, Garbage, Jack Black, The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. and more.
Sharing a series of photo with the late nonagenarian, the Detroit legend added: "A woman who gave so much of her love, and gave so much of herself, to her family and everyone she met. She prayed for everyone daily. She loved the song “Don’t fence me in”, and loved jigsaw puzzles and good Polish food."
The Seven Nation Army then shared another throwback image of himself with the matriarch in black and white with the caption: "And one more..."
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White, who was Gillis' seventh son and born when she turned 45-years-old recently shared a story about Gillis and her sense of humour.
He captioned an image of the two of them on 27th January: “My 95 year old mother just FaceTimed me from Detroit and said the most hilarious joke; she said “They’re saying on the news that you should check on older people during this ice storm, so I thought I’d give you a call.“ I laughed so loud! Love you Teresa.”
The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll of Fame in 2025 and Jack White accepted the honour at a the induction ceremony on behalf of himself and former bandmate Meg White.
See his full speech below:
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