All About Missy Elliott’s Parents, Mom Patricia, and Dad Richie Elliott

The mother of Missy Elliott Patricia provided unwavering support for the rapper’s career from the outset.

Patricia and Ronnie Elliott, Missy Elliott’s parents, exerted distinct influences on her.

Missy, the Grammy Award-winning vocalist, has referred to Patricia as a “single parent” despite the fact that she grew up around her parents. The songstress has been forthright about the alleged physical violence her mother endured from Ronnie throughout her career.

Missy disclosed on VH1’s Behind the Music that her perspective on life was significantly altered as a result of what she observed. The music was her “outlet” as a result of the difficulties she faced as a child.

“I said, ‘One day I’m gonna be famous, and I’m gonna rescue my mother,’ ” the “Work It” singer recalled. “I’m gonna get my mother out of this situation.”

Patricia consistently supported her daughter’s artistic endeavors, despite the obstacles she faced. According to Facebook, she even permitted Missy to compose tunes on the walls of her chamber.

In 2023, the R&B star disclosed on X (formerly Twitter) that her mother has consistently been there to provide support, even during her most challenging moments. She also stated, “I will always do the same for you, Mama.”

Patricia and Ronnie Elliott are the parents of Missy Elliott.

Missy is Patricia and Ronnie’s only child

On July 1, 1971, Ronnie and Patricia welcomed Melissa Arnette Elliott, also known as Missy Elliott.

The vocalist of “Get Ur Freak On” commented on X in 2022 said she is a “only child” yet she wishes she “had siblings like her cousins.”

When Missy thought back on her early years, she related how her parents taught her to value them and other adults.

“The old school parents always reprimanded us when we did wrong.. We learned respect that way & it made many of us do right,” she elaborated in a different 2015 post.

They raised Missy in Virginia and North Carolina

Missy was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina, following the family’s relocation due to her father’s military career in the Marines. Patricia worked as a dispatcher for a power company, while Ronnie served.

The “Gossip Folks” singer and her mother mentioned lacking a restroom and running water in their North Carolina trailer home in Behind the Music. Patricia also remembered them navigating their poverty by eating bread with butter for dinner and breakfast.

The Guardian claims that once Missy’s father’s time in the Marines ended, they returned to Virginia and lived in a “shack” without heat.

The singer has now moved back to her birthplace, where in 2022 a street will bear her name.

Missy attributes her “vocal style and harmonies” to her parents

Missy began to articulate her desire to become a performer at the age of four. She disclosed in a 2003 interview with The Guardian that she would perform Jackson 5 songs for her relatives and neighbors.

Missy disclosed decades later that her parents’ divergent preferences were the primary factor in their influence on her music.

“The reason my vocal style & harmonies was different is because my mom was from the church & my dad only listened to R&B,” she wrote on X in 2024.

Missy continued, “In a unique way I found a way to blend the feeling of harmonies in Gospel with the vibe of R&B that became a different feel 🙌🏾.”