Who is Danielle Spencer’s brother Jeremy Pelt? All about jazz musician as family mourns 'What’s happening!!' star’s passing

Former child actress, Danielle Spencer, known for playing Dee in the hit TV show What's Happening!!, passed from cancer away on August 11. Per Distractify, she is survived by her mother, writer Cheryl Pelt, and brother Jeremy Pelt, a jazz musician who plays the trumpet.

The news of her untimely death was announced by her co-actor on the show, Haywood Nelson, who posted a statement on Instagram, confirminng that Spencer had been suffering from cancer. Nelson wrote:

"Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer."

Danielle Spencer rose to fame in the 1970s with her role of Deadra "Dee" Thomas on the hit ABC sitcom, What's Happening!! . On the show, she was the younger sister of the protagonist, Raj, and was known for her sarcastic takes on different situations. She worked in a few other acting projects before pursuing a career as a veterinarian.

More about Danielle Spencer's brother, Jeremy Pelt, as the beloved actress passes away

Danielle Spencer was born to Cheryl Pelt and her first husband, whose identity is not known. Danielle was raised by Cheryl and her second husband, actor Tim Pelt. Cheryl and Tim had another child, Jeremy Spencer, born on November 4, 1976.

Jeremy Spencer is a celebrated jazz trumpeteer today. He and his sister Danielle Spencer grew up in Los Angeles, where he was part of a jazz band while in high school. He later attended the Berklee College of Music., where he studied Professional Music/Film Scoring, and graduating in 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.

According to his official website, upon graduation, Danielle Spencer's brother went on to pursue his passion of music, releasing 10 albums. He has also played at major jazz music festivals around the world, and performed alongside notable jazz bands like the Duke Ellington's band, and Roy Hargrove Big Band.

Jeremy Pelt, who was previously voted the Rising Star on the Trumpet by the Jazz Journalist Association, has also released his own book series titled Griot. In a 2024 interview with The New York Times, Pelt talked about how he was inspired to start the series after watching an interview by Arthur Taylor with musician Warren Smith. During the conversation, he said that doing such interviews with other Black jazz musicians helped preserve and pass down the stories of Black jazz music. He said:

"After wondering how come somebody hasn't done, such and such, I said you know what? I am going to go ahead and do it. That's exactly what the project is, is really passing down the culture. It's these stories."

Jeremy Pelt is a currently also a trumpet professor at the Williams Patterson University of New Jersey and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Peltjazz, a company he founded in 1998. In his interview with Mxyplix, Pelt shared his views on the state of jazz music today. He said:

"I’m not sure that it’s ever NOT been relevant or in danger of losing it’s relevance, The true nature of this art form has always been to embody the times we live in. Therefore, it’s always relevant. However that might translate in numbers might be problematic, but EVERY genre is taking a hit, in that regard."

On his sister Danielle Spencer's tragic passing, he took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute. He stated:

"August 11, 2025 will forever be a reminder of the day that I lost a big part of myself. After many years, my big sister, Dr. Danielle Louise Spencer lost her battle with cancer. Many of you knew her as "Dee", but she was more than a child actress. She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter– and in many ways, my mother's best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease. And she was MY sister and protector."

He added:

"My immediate family, of which there were only three of us had an unusual knack for always being connected even if we weren't always in contact with each other. Dani and I– our bond got stronger the older I (in particular) got. She's 11 years older than me. I used to relish our texts back and forth using unfiltered "real" talk. She positively LOVED Milo, Charlie and Amma and constantly dreamed of a time they'd all be visiting her and "Mimi" (grandmother). The times they made it down south, she was always so encouraging. Always so uplifting. I'm rambling...I'm so fucking lost...so fucking gutted... I watched her take her last breath... I'm thankful for that. I love you forever."

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According to a statement released by Sandra Jones, the spokesperson for her family, Danielle Spencer passed away on Monday from the complications of gastric cancer and an eventual cardiac arrest.

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