Keith Jarrett
Place of Birth: Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 8, 1945
Ethnicity:
*father – German, Swiss-German
*mother – Slovenian
Keith Jarrett is an American jazz and classical music pianist, and composer.
Keith is the son of Irma and Daniel Jarrett.
Keith’s paternal grandfather was Roscoe Quay Jarrett, Sr. (the son of John Henry Benjamin Jarrett and Maggie Jane Wieder). Roscoe was born in Pennsylvania. John was the son of Benjamin Jarrett and Tevilia/Twvilla Knappenberger. Maggie was the daughter of Stephen Weider and Matilda.
Keith’s paternal grandmother was Helen M. Scherer (the daughter of John Sherer and Minnie Eckert).
Keith’s maternal grandfather was named Joseph Kuzma.
Keith’s maternal grandmother was named Anna Temlin (the daughter of Louis Temlin and Clara).
Keith has been perceived as African-American, because of his appearance and music style. He has been described as “Irish and Hungarian” (New York Times) and “French-Hungarian” (Rolling Stone). His maternal grandparents were from the Austria-Hungarian Empire, but were evidently not ethnic Hungarians. According to Chris Jarrett (Keith’s brother), they were from Murska Sobota, Slovenia.
Sources: Keith’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Keith’s paternal grandfather, Roscoe Quay Jarrett, Sr. – http://articles.mcall.com
Obituary of Keith’s paternal great-grandfather, John Henry Benjamin Jarrett – https://old.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Keith’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Benjamin Jarrett and Tevilia/Twvilla Knappenberger – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Keith’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents, John Philip Knappenberger and Maria Barbara Stettler – https://findagrave.com
Keith’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
* John Henry (J.H.) Benjamin Jarrett was the son of Benjamin Jarrett and Tevilia Knappenberger
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=85942182
https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/benjamin-jarrett_71192376
https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/http%22//http///fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44641463
correction:
Keith’s paternal grandfather: http://articles.mcall.com
Delete this link.
Add: https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=77465785
Interestingly “Jarrett” family is described as Black Dutch (ambiguous term), according to oral family histories
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/topics.ethnic.melungeon.melungeon/123.1/mb.ashx
https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.jarrett/850.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx
You should add that he has been often perceived as African-American, because of his appearence and music style. He has been described as “Irish and Hungarian” (NYT), ” French-Hungarian” (Rolling Stone), “of either French or Scots-Irish descent” (Wikipedia). His maternal grandparents were from Austria-Hungary Empire but they weren’t ethnic Hungarians. According to Chris Jarrett, (Keith’s brother), they were from Murska Sobota, Slovenia.
http://www.vendvidek.com/contactd.php
I’ve Seen this guy before. He reminds me of this women whose entire family was from Turkey. She took a DNA test, and it showed that she was 17% SSA. She Kept insisting her family was from Turkey. I’m not saying this guy and his brothers are part black, Just saying I suspect something else in the bloodline
His paternal family is of wealthy stock (the first link is the obituary of his paternal grandfather). His maternal grandparents are recent immigrants from Hungary (who knows, maybe they were Jews of Gypsies, but I don’t think so)
IMO Keith looks a bit like Rihanna’s father. But I believe that he just has some atypical features, he could be fully Caucasian.
http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2435243.1447870434!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg