Molly Ringwald pens touching tribute to father Robert following his death at age 80
Robert Ringwald co-organized the Sacramento Jazz Festival in 1974.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Molly Ringwald penned a touching tribute to her late father, pianist Robert Ringwald, who died at age 80 on Aug. 3.
On Saturday, the "Breakfast Club" actress took to Instagram where she shared a series of images of herself with her dad when she was younger as well as one of him as a child. The slideshow concludes with the word "father" written in braille, a tribute to the fact that her dad went blind at an early age, forcing him to learn the piano without the use of his sight at age 5.
"It's with a heavy heart that my family says goodbye to my father. I consider myself very lucky to have had in my life as long as I did. Robert Scott Ringwald 1940-2021," the actress wrote before directing her followers to a longer obituary she wrote for The Sacramento Bee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Anyone who knew Bob also knew his mischievous streak, and his ever-present, slightly ribald sense of humor. If you didn’t sufficiently beg to get off of his email joke list, you would have received one just a couple of days before he died," she added in the obituary.
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In this May 26, 2012, file photo, Festival Emperor, Robert Ringwald, of the Fulton Street Jazz Band, rides with his daughter, actress Molly Ringwald, in the Sacramento Music Festival parade in Old Sacramento in Sacramento, Calif. Robert Ringwald, the pianist who played and promoted jazz in California for more than half a century, died Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, according to his daughter. He was 80. (Lezlie Sterling/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File)
At first, drawn to modern jazz, the music of Louis Armstrong instilled in Ringwald a lifelong passion for the performance and preservation of traditional New Orleans jazz.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}By the 1970s, Ringwald was playing piano at clubs seven nights a week.
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In addition to music, Ringwald's passions included ham radio and the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom he once served as a guest announcer, reading the lineup in Braille.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He co-organized the first Sacramento Jazz Festival in 1974, and his band headlined the event, which became an annual city tradition. In 2012, Ringwald was honored by the festival as "The Emperor of Jazz."
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Molly Ringwald penned a touching tribute to her late father, Robert. (Getty Images)
"In 2012, Bob was honored by the festival as ‘The Emperor of Jazz,’ which both touched and embarrassed him. Despite having been a performer for nearly his entire life, he was never comfortable having attention bestowed on him unless he was on stage with a piano," the 53-year-old wrote. "Nevertheless, Bob drew attention wherever he went. His natural charisma, authenticity and sense of humor made people fall in love with him and want to be around him."
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Besides his daughter Molly, Robert Ringwald is survived by Adele, his wife of 60 years; a sister, Renée Angus; another daughter, Beth Ringwald Carnes; a son, Kelly Ringwald; two grandsons; two granddaughters; two step-granddaughters; one great-grandson; and one step-great-grandson.