The day before his death, Leslie Jordan shared a video of himself singing a hymn about going to heaven. On Sunday, the beloved Will & Grace actor shared a video where he’s singing, “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder” on his Instagram. The hymn’s message takes a more poignant meaning following his death.
In the video, Jordan can be seen seated next to his producer Danny Myrick, who played guitar as Jordan began to sing.
“Sunday Mornin’ Hymn Singin’ with @dannymyrick,” the late actor captioned the post, while teasing new music. “Danny helped me with a new original song that should be comin’ out real soon.”
He ended the message with a sweet goodbye that resonated after his death: “Love. Light. Leslie.”
“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more/And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair,” Jordan sang before being joined by Myrick for the refrain. “When the saved of Earth shall gather over on the other shore/And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
After the rendition, Jordan said, “Went back 13 times, just to make sure I’m going to be there,” before getting up.
Following the news of his death, the post was flooded with comments from fans and celebrities alike, including Nicole Scherzinger, *NSYNC’s Lance Bass, and Mark Wahlberg.
“Leslie I can’t believe! Just broken hearted. You were the Love and Light my friend,” wrote the former Pussycat Doll. “Love you so much and will miss you so much. Rest in Heaven.”
“Now that’s how you say goodbye. Soar high my friend,” added Bass.
“This is messing me up right now,” wrote The War and Treaty.
Mark Wahlberg, J-Woww, and Jason Kennedy all commented broken-heart emojis on the post.
Jordan’s post seemed to suggest that new music was on the way. Last year, he released a gospel album titled Company’s Comin’ featuring A-list stars, including Chris Stapleton, Eddie Vedder, Dolly Parton, and Brandi Carlile. (On “In the Sweet By and By” with TJ Osborne, he ended the song with “I’m going to see my daddy.”
Jordan’s agent, David Shaul, confirmed the actor’s death to Rolling Stone, saying that the world was now a “much darker place” without Jordan in it.
“Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times. What he lacked in height, he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner, and human being,” Shaul wrote. “Knowing that he has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Will & Grace actor was driving a BMW when he crashed into the side of a building in the Hollywood area at around 9:30 a.m. Jordan was declared dead at the scene, though an exact cause of death has yet to be determined: It’s unclear if Jordan died in the crash, or if he suffered a medical emergency right before (the condition of the vehicle suggested Jordan may have lost control of it before the crash).