Jojo Levesque

Joanna Noëlle Levesque was born on December 20, 1990, in Brattleboro, Vermont, but raised in Keene, New Hampshire, and Foxborough, Massachusetts. She is of Polish, French, Irish, and Native American descent. Her father, Joel Maurice Levesque (January 8, 1955 – November 14, 2015), sang as a hobby, and her mother, Diana Levesque (née Blagden) sang in a Catholic church choir and was trained in musical theater. JoJo's parents divorced when she was four years old, and she was raised as an only child by her mother. The name JoJo was a childhood nickname.

As a child, JoJo listened as her mother practiced hymns. She started singing when she was two years old by imitating everything from nursery rhymes to R&B, jazz, and soul tunes. As a child, JoJo enjoyed attending Native American festivals and acted locally in professional theaters.

In 1998, JoJo appeared on the television show Kids Say the Darndest Things: On the Road in Boston with American comedian and actor Bill Cosby, and she sang a song by singer Cher. In 1999, she auditioned on the television show Destination Stardom, singing Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit "Respect" and "Chain of Fools".

In 2001, JoJo recorded a demo disc titled Joanna Levesque which features covers of soul and R&B songs. The following year, she performed on Maury during a "kids-with-talent" episode.