Who are you related to? Any Musicians?

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: menzze
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 06:35 AM

Ella, take my sympathy. A good friend of mine left us two weeks ago, totally unexpected, at the age of 49. These losses are hard, I know, but it has to be this way. On the other hand, is death really a loss or a step forward into something new?

The most important musical person in my life was my mom coz she taught me to sing, she brought me into music. Though she never played an instrument at all nor new how to read notes she had a wonderful voice and never missed a single note.

We had no money to afford any musical education for my and my two sisters then , but we had our mother who taught us more than any school can.

Today I play guitar, mandoline, bodhran and I sing without beeing able to read notes. I do it all by hearing, that's the way my mother taught me to do and it works out fine.

menzze

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: artbrooks
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 09:16 AM

The music in my family apparently arrived with my marriage. Jenn's uncle was supposed to be in the Titanic's orchestra, but traded with another violinist at the last minute. Does that count?

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,Louisa
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 09:32 AM

My dad, who died last year, was Len Davies, the bones player. He was well known on the English festival scene for playing the bones in sessions and teaching bones workshops. He played with lots of well-known musicians like Dave Swarbrick and Ron Kavana. He used to be good friends with Alan Sillitoe (the author) when he lived Majorca after the war.

Also my grandmother's cousin was an actress called Avis Bunnage. She had a leading role in the first production of the musical 'Oh What a Lovely War'. Her last role was in the film about The Krays - she played their grandmother.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: black walnut
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 10:15 AM

Rick...

Charles Dickens camped out at my grandmother's house on a stormy night.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Kim C
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:09 AM

One of my multiple-great grandfathers was Jacob Van Meter, F&I War/RevWar veteran who was one of the first people to settle Hardin Co, KY. There is a DAR chapter named after him in Elizabethtown, KY.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:34 AM

Ickle Dorritt - if you're related to 'Black Tom' third Baron Fairfax, you may be interested in his dad, who was Governor of Hull after we kicked Sir John Hotham out for sneaking out with a spare set of keys for King Charles. His first name was Ferdinando - could be a name for the V 'Dubya'?

Les

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 01:00 PM

Walnut, did she have any stories about "Uncle Charle"?

Buggsy. I just heard a rumour that I may be related to Helmut Kohl. Now checking to see if I may also be a "Kohlman"

Rick

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 03:40 AM

Twice, this week, because of Mudcat threads, I have found out very interesting info on ancients in my family! The one I mentioned earlier, who was in the Bahamas, then the Carolinas? I just found a website featuring a mansion he briefly claimed, after chasing a married woman, killing her husband in a duel, marrying her and taking over St. Nicholas Abbey on Barbados!

This is so kewl! Thanks, Rick!

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Willie-O
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 09:49 AM

Weyelll...For some reason a number of my cousins from both sides of the family turned out to be musicians...maybe its the times we were born in. Another cousin is stepmother to Dave Bidini, of the Toronto band the Rheostatics, who wrote a book a year or two ago about the Canadian music scene, war stories as it were. Haven't read it and I've never met him, actually. Don't see much of my cousins.

In the mid-nineteenth century a Cameron ancestor of mine was an up-and-coming academic in Edinburgh, but did something scandalous which derailed his career and caused him to have to be exiled to Skye where he was a highly regarded and I suppose overqualified country schoolteacher. He was known locally as "The Scholar" and apparently "they" bought him a house in some little place there (possibly Applecross). I am very curious about the provenance of the Scottish fiddle tune "The Scholar".

Also, my Scottish grandmother, a McCorquodale, was listening to CBC radio one day and became very excited at hearing some Gaelic song, she started shouting, "That's the one about me father's sheep dog, Pilot!!!" (Might have been from Tiree.)

I have no idea, I just pass on rumours and hearsay...

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:34 AM

Sorry to hear about your dad, Len Davies, Louisa. I went to Len's bones workshops at Fylde a few times and still (occasionaly) play a pair of Len Davies bones - best bones I have ever heard. Are they still available anywhere? A sad loss to the world indeed and a gap not easy to fill. My condolences and hoping that your memories of him help to fill the void.

Back to the relations theme. I am related to my Dad, who plays the guitar and, funnily enough, also related to my son, who also plays guitar. Mind you, neither of them are very famous! I must have a resesive (sp?) gene or something coz I play anglo concertina. Well, sort of...

My uncle by marriage (mums sisters husband) is also a Fielding, Rick. Ronald Rushton Fielding. The Rushton bit is a family name and he is a cousin (second I think) of Willie Rushton - who may not be musical but looks like he should be and was certainly one of the funniest men on the planet.

My ex-sister in law (brothers ex wife) is Roy Harpers cousin. I went to her house in Kendal once and it proved to me that the whole family were crackers....!

Cheers, relatively speaking

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:38 AM

Sorry - that should have read Roy Harpers mums house in Kendal - my fingers are too quick (not like the brain)

Oh - and just remembered - my mums dads family, the Stanleys, are related to John Lennons mums family, but I dunno how distantly.

DtG

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 11:31 AM

Kendall: It's hard for me to picture Pavarotti in the same room with an accordion! ? Thought you might like to see this (no picture, unfortunately).

Swedish Accordionist to Perform with Pavarotti in USA

We had a recording of Pavarotti's Neapolitan songs, with accordion- wonderful. You might like it, Kendall!

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: bet
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 03:03 PM

kat, I can't believe you left out our musicial member of the family or maybe you didn't know, on the Youmans side. Vincent Youmans, Tea For Two and a bunch of other Broadway songs is some distent relative. bet

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 11:30 PM

My Mom was a tremendous pianist, concert quality and never pursued it at all. When I first moved, I gave several volumes of manuscript that she played regularly to a friend that graduated from Oberlin as a piano major, truly excellent. she looked through it and her first comment was, "You've got to be kidding!" ITs some of her favorite stuff now. But my Mom was famous only to me and a few others (like my grandparents whom she disappointed no end). In any case, no, I have zilch for famous relatives, musical or otherwise.

Now she hasn't posted here, but Barbara Blessings, a long time 'Catter and the creator of Cleigh O'Possum is married to the grandson of George Leigh Mallory, the extremely famous and legendary climber who went missing on a summit attempt on Everest on June 8, 1924. His body was recently found ('99) and I know Barb had a tough time handling all the publicity at the time, but THAT is a famous relative!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 11:53 PM

Sheesh, bet! I'd never heard of that connection. Now, look at what I found out about him; he wrote a lot more than just Tea For Two! Wow! CLICK HERE

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: roopoo
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 02:47 AM

Louisa - I met your dad on a few occasions and he was my partner for the night at a Whitby Spa ceilidh some years ago. Remember Eleanor from PGL, when you were about 15 or 16? I'm her mum. I was sad to hear of his death last year, because he was such a delightful man.

On the related to musicians bit: well, my 4th cousin was a principal singer in the English National Opera Company (John Brecknock - lyrical tenor). I saw him do the lead in "La Belle Helene" at the Coliseum in London once, and he used to be on radio from time to time. (Friday Night is Music Night on Radio 2). I also have a video of him singing the lead in "La Traviata", which went out on TV in the late 1970s. He lives in Spain now and does charity concerts, I believe. His great-grandma and my great grandma were sisters! Of course, anybody who has heard me sing knows that I get my voice from the OTHER side of the family!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Dan Keding
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 10:25 AM

Neighbors, I'm not really related to anyone but my wife comes from a large family in Kentucky and her father was a first cousin to the late Logan English. His mother, Corilla English, gave me his beautiful Bacon & Day Silver Bell banjo as a gift when Tandy and I were married. Now on m y side of the family there might have been a horse thief and maybe a .....

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Metchosin
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:32 PM

Don't think it counts, but my husband's aunt took voice lessons, along with Paul Robeson and Marion Anderson, from the last student of Jenny Lind.

Most of my ancestors, apart from procreating, were too busy scratching an existance in salt and coal mines, it seems, to do anything of historical merit. Although, my grandfather's musical ability on fiddle, banjo and concertina left him indelibley marked on the hearts and souls of his offspring.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Bedubya
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 01:20 PM

Like several others who have contributed to this thread, I am not related to anyone of import, but the wife is. Seems she's fourth or fifth cousin to Hoagy Carmichael. All the older folks in her family tell stories of all-night jam sessions they remember from their childhoods. Seems that Hoagy didn't have a monopoly on musical talent in the family. There were enough musical uncles and cousins and such that any family gathering was apt to turn into a jam session with Hoagy as just one of the gang.

Unfortunately, the wife inherited just barely enough of the family trait to be a fairly competent bodhrani. Been trying to teach her a F chord for ten years to no avail.

Cheers,

bwl

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: hesperis
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 03:08 PM

Wow, a lot of good stories here.

My mum's dad was a soloist in the Welsh Choirs. One of the famous Choirs, but that's all I know.

My mum isn't bad herself. (Quite good, actually.)

My dad could play any instrument he picked up, but he didn't have much "soul" with it. Too technically perfect, and not enough emotion. But at least that's where I got that skill from.

As for the ancestors, I haven't a clue, though someone told me that people related to faeries often have musical talents. (By "faeries", I mean the previous inhabitants of Ireland, before the Milesians. It seems they intermarried quite a bit.)

~*sirepseh*~

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Amergin
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 04:09 PM

Well, I recently found that I am related to the great American poet Nathan Tompkins.....

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 04:49 PM

And, I knew him before he was famous!! Damn good then, too! Wonder if he'll remember me?

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Amergin
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 05:51 PM

Well, I asked him and he goes, "Kat who?"

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 06:26 PM

Yikes, I forgot!

My Mum (Dorothy Fielding) was a music star in Toronto during the thirties. Had her own radio show (on CKEY, I think) and formed Canada's first "All Girls Big Band". T'was called "Dottie and the DEBS". Don't know if they ever recorded, but I've got tons of old posters. One that all my students see when they walk into my music room says "With her million dollar smile and her thousand dollar accordion"!!! A bit of a tacky way to advertise...but it WAS the thirties. I think her favourite band was Guy Lombardo...no wonder she hated my Woody Guthrie records!

Rick

By the way. Thanks folks for all these good stories. I wasn't sure if I should start this thread. Glad I did.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,#1
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 06:37 PM

Yes, but they wish to remain anonymous because they were the one that lost the lost chord, and that's pretty hard to live down.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Philibuster
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 06:46 PM

My grandfather was a trumpet player for Lawrence Welke, in his pre-nursing home orchestra days, at the Corn Palace. Supposedly somewher way back on my mothers side Daniel Boone, but I'm not sure.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,#1
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 06:55 PM

Welk took his orchestra all over the midwest. My parents danced to his music in Omaha before 1930 (dad was from SD). Was Mitchell his home base? What's the corn picture this year at the Corn Palace?

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Philibuster
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 08:23 PM

Not sure. My mother and father, both midwest farm children, migrated to Texas a while back (they were here when they had me, making me the only Texan in the family). My grandfather only played for him at Mitchell. My grandfather died in the 70's, so I can't exactly use him as an accurate source. My grandmother is in her mid-nineties now, and doesn't even remember my name. My father was borne after my grandfathers musician years.

I do have the trumpet though, it's about 101 years old, made in France at the turn of the century. I don't think it's been cleaned in that amount of time either...

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: hesperis
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 08:44 PM

You can get it professionally cleaned by a good instrument repair technician. Brass instrument should actually be professionally cleaned twice per year, and cleaned at home every week, with a more stringent monthly cleaning.

Oh, and Rick? Glad you started this thread.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: hesperis
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 11:31 PM

(That's if they're actually being played. If they're not, then an occasional professional cleaning is all that's necessary.)

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,Hutzul
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 03:46 AM

On my mother's side, Aunt Angie used to stay with the long-ailing wife of Jethro, when Homer and Jethro went "on the road".

A more serious note:

On my father's side, his uncles (6) and their cousins (2) formed a band in Ukraine in 1938. They played weddings and other shindigs and began inching their way west across Eastern Europe finally escaping to England. Two sisters were then sent to Siberia as family punishment for the escape of their brothers.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 07:24 AM

Although there's not a lot of musical heritage traceable in my family, I ought to point out that my paternal grandmother's maiden name was Windsor!

Les

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Bugsy
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 10:36 PM

Les, was her first name Barbara????

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 11:50 PM

I'd like to think that I might be related to "Hawker," who noted a relationship to Robbie Burns somewhere back on this thread. Burns' first illegitimate child was born to Elizabeth Paton. Burns supported the child all her life. Decent of him, wouldn't you agree? My Paton family came from Galston in Ayrshire, not far from Burns' home territory. My father was too straight-laced to pursue the possibility when he did a little genealogical exploration.

Whaddya think, cousin Hawker? Could we be kin?

Sandy

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,Louisa
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 11:42 AM

Thanks to mouldy and dave the gnome for the messages about my dad, Len Davies.

Unfortunately the learner bones that my dad used to make in his garden shed are no longer available anywhere. Dad used to sell them through Dave Mallinson but they used to go quite quickly. I've got a couple of pairs (child's size) that I still play regularly. I'm not as good as my Dad was but I do my best.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the workshops - he really loved teaching so I hope you go on playing.

Yes I do remember Eleanor from PGL - I would have been 15 - and I remember my Dad dancing with you at Whitby festival in 1993!

Anyway thanks again

Louisa

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Robo
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 07:30 PM

My grandfather was the great Miner Cole. More recently, I am brother to Clifton53, musical rapscalion and renowned member of the WOGs, biggest stars to hit South Amboy since the Profit$, the legends behind the film Eddie and the Cruisers, of which I was a founding member. The lost tapes are still out there . . . .

Rob-o

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Clifton53
Date: 11 Apr 01 - 08:07 PM

" Rob-O killed the thread, Rob-O killed the thread"!

Ah yes, Miner Cole, finest swingin',,, well, finest gent to come down from Canada in the last hunnerd years, put his 'foot agin yer ass' as soon as look at 'ya.

And indeed, "The Lost Profit$ Tapes" are still lurking about in someone's steamer trunk, Oh to hear the youthful Rob-O's soulful renditions once more. But then, the current versions are better still.

"We are the WOGs, We were your children"

Clifton53

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,ChaosCat
Date: 11 Apr 01 - 08:33 PM

Hmmm. Almost all of my relatives are or were musicians, though none really famous. But I'm a cousin to Michael McKean, who played the lead singer of Spinal Tap... Does that count?

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 11 Apr 01 - 08:38 PM

According to my uncle, Bill Cremin of Brosna, Co. Kerry, who had a discussion with "The Weaver" himself about it, we are related in some way to Denis Murphy and Julia Murphy Clifford, the Sliabh Luachra fiddlers.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,fe
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 05:36 AM

Brigham Young

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 08:36 AM

About famous ancestors:
Due to intermarriage between different family lines in earlier times a lot of families share common ancestors; the more you go back the more famous ancestors you find.
E.g. Nearly every German is related to our first Emperor Charlemagne.
So I also am related to the famous poet Goethe. But what about? Nothing to be proud of.
My grandmother was a well trained soprano, and my daughter is doing well in the same discipline.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 09:22 AM

John Lennons sisters uncles brothers wife is married to the nephew of the brother who lived next door to my cousins sister.......... but they don't see a lot of each other.

doc.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:05 AM

My Dad's stepmum was married to John Barry's brother (the guy who writes music for the James Bond movies!!) I have a very complicated family but I have blood related cousins and aunts and uncles who are directly related to him. Sadly Im not related to any folk musicians.

cat x

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Joe in the'pool
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:59 AM

I've been nosing along a couple of threads then came to this one..I talked to my wife (we're both at work right now) and she said her Great-grandfather was a poet of some sort.. Well, I just checked the web and guess what, he is, his name is William Brighty Rands 1823-1882 and he appears to have been quite an active writer during his lifetime.

If anyone has any info. I would be greatful.

I piece of tittle-tattle I can mention is that he 'got off' with Charles Royce's (he of Rolls Royce) daughter, Mr Royce was a bit pissed-off and disinherited her from his will. But true love won and she gave birth to my wifes grandad (Mr Rands). Unfortunately! none of the Rands side benefitted from those 'Musical engines' (see! there was a link to this thread)financial windfalls.

ahh well such is life.. Joe

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: GUEST,Foe
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 11:28 AM

The Society of Mayflower descendants estimates that the original 28 males on that boat have 35,000,000 (yes million!)descendants, so a better question would be, who is not descended from the Mayflower. There's a lot of info on the web. The LDS web page at www.familysearch.org allows you to find people and their ancestors (may not all be completely accurate considering all the hanky-panky that went on among the Royals in the past) but I've traced a few lines back to Old King Cole (a jolly sort) and Fonjontor, King of Kvenland (AD 30). Other sites say that 80% of europeans are related to each other. I believe I'm a third cousin, seven times removed from John Adams - not close enough to get a discount on his biography at the bookstore. The vocal jazz group, New York Voices, was started by my nephew.

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Nemesis
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 12:30 PM

We are all completely unmusical in our family - but My great -grandfather worked at the Woolwich Arsenal in London and started a works football team which has subsequently become famous........

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: InOBU
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 04:23 PM

I am related to the great song writer and tallented Uilleann piper Larry Otway
Cheers Larry Otway

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 06:23 PM

Don't know if this counts but my great-great-uncle Ludwig was First Violinist to the last Russian Czar for several years. I'd have loved to be there, too!

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: The Walrus
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 06:53 PM

I don't know if this counts. My Aunt (Mother's Sister) is married to Wally Whyton's Brother.
I only ever met him once, when I was a sprog, I was most surprised that he didn't have Ollie Beak or Pussy Cat Willum [1] with him (Hey- I was only 5 or so)

Walrus

[1] A couple of names (along with Fred Barker)from the past for UK catters of a certain vintage

Subject: RE: Who are you related to? Any Musicians?
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 08:23 PM

All Bontragers are related to each other, so I must be some kind of relation to the Bontrager Bike people. To bring in a wider element, no doubt they used to clip cards to the spokes, just for the music of it.

:)

Ebbie