Banks

Radio 1045's Summer Block Party at Festival Pier in Philadelphia - May 03, 2015

Banks in 2015, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Jillian Rose Banks

Place of Birth: Orange, California, United States

Date of Birth: June 16, 1988

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)
*possibly English (father)

Banks, also credited as BANKS, is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She has been compared to The Weeknd and Aaliyah for her “dark R&B” sound.

Her mother is Jewish.

Banks’s maternal grandfather was Richard Montgomery Gold (the son of Philip Gold and Rose Cohen). Richard was born in California. Philip was born in Pennsylvania, to parents from Russia. Rose was born in England, to parents from Russia.

Banks’s maternal grandmother is Judith “Judy” Grossman (the daughter of William Abraham Grossman and Rebecca Miller). Judith was born in California. William was born in Colorado, to parents from Russia. Rebecca was born in Colorado, the daughter of Herman Miller, who was from Stropko, Hungary (now Slovakia), and of Frieda/Freida Leiser, who was from Jaśliska, Poland.

Sources: Marriage record of Banks’ maternal grandparents, Richard Montgomery Gold and Judith Grossman – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Banks’ maternal grandfather, Richard Montgomery Gold – http://www.legacy.com

Banks’ maternal great-grandparents, William Abraham Grossman and Rebecca Miller, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

9 Responses

  1. stlucas says:

    Banks’s maternal grandfather was Richard Montgomery Gold (the son of Philip Gold and Rose Cohen). Richard was born in California. Philip was born in Pennsylvania, to parents from Russia. Rose was born in England, to parents from Russia.

    Banks’s maternal grandmother is Judith “Judy” Grossman (the daughter of William Abraham Grossman and Rebecca Miller). Judith was born in California. William was born in Colorado, to parents from Russia. Rebecca was born in Colorado, the daughter of Herman Miller, who was from Stropko, Hungary (now Slovakia), and of Frieda/Freida Leiser, who was from Jaśliska, Poland.

  2. Eisbar_ says:

    Grossman is not necessarily a Jewish last name and she has never stated to be of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. She was born to English parents: https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/shooting-star-jillian-banks-plans-to-stick-around-20150117-12s1xt.html
    Grossman is a family name of Germanic origin:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grossman

    • madman says:

      Like it or not, her mother, and all her ancestors, are Jewish.

      “Grossman is a family name of Germanic origin”. Yiddish is a Germanic language, so that doesn’t really help your case.

    • Thenabster says:

      The fact that some of her ancestors were from Russia and Poland with last names like Goldman implies she is Jewish

  3. stlucas says:

    Birth Certificate of Banks – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG24-XPN

    I believe her parents are Gail Robin (Gold) and James Louis Banks. Then, her maternal grandmother’s surname would be “Grossman” and her paternal grandmother’s surname would be “Wilson”.

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