When Jo Dee Messina told the world her father, Vincent, had died at 95, it wasn’t with polished statements or distant formality. It was with a trembling memory: her dad, eyes wet, singing “Daddy’s Little Girl” as if he already knew how sacred that moment would become. His dates — “November 28, 1931 – January 23, 2026” — were all she needed to write before admitting what every grieving child knows: it never feels like enough time.
Vincent was more than the father of a country star. He was a factory worker, a beloved Massachusetts basketball coach, a husband who outlived his wife Mary by six years, and a quiet force behind Jo Dee’s success. While Mary ran the fan club and lived next door, Vincent anchored the family with work, faith, and presence. Now, with both parents gone, Jo Dee stands between memory and legacy, sharing her pain so others can feel less alone in theirs.
