Boney James

James in 2014, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: James Allan Oppenheim

Place of Birth: Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.

Date of Birth: September 1, 1961

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, possibly other

Boney James is an American saxophonist, songwriter, and record producer.

Boney spent his teen years in New Rochelle, New York. Boney is married to television director, filmmaker, and actress Lily Mariye.

Boney’s paternal grandfather was Leo Harry Oppenheim (the son of Abraham “Abe” Oppenheim and Hellen Nathanson). Leo was born in Illinois, to Jewish parents from either Lithuania or Poland.

Boney’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Sybil Gershenow/Gershenaw (the daughter of Harry Gershenow and Sophia Rivkin). Dorothy was born in Illinois, to Jewish parents from the Russian Empire. Harry was the son of Morris Gershenow and Bella/Ella Mailis, who was from Odessa, now Ukraine. Sophia was born in Kiev, now Ukraine, the daughter of Nathan A. Rivkin and Rebecca Godesevich/Gotteschevitz.

Source: Genealogy of Boney’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://geni.com