Gotye
02/10/2013 – Gotye – 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards – Arrivals – Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Keywords: Orientation: Portrait Face Count: 1 – False – Photo Credit: Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Birth Name: Wouter André De Backer
Place of Birth: Bruges, Belgium
Date of Birth: 21 May, 1980
Ethnicity: Belgian [Flemish, possibly other], German
Gotye is a Belgian and Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his hit single, “Somebody That I Used to Know,” which was the highest-selling song of 2012. He is a founding member of Melbourne indie-pop trio The Basics. He is also known as Wally De Backer.
Gotye was born in Bruges, Belgium. He has said, at 1:21, “dad’s mom was from Germany, and I’m pretty sure both mom’s parents were from Belgium.” His family moved to Australia when he was two, living in Sydney, and then Montmorency, Melbourne. He was nicknamed “Gotye,” the French version of the Dutch name Gauthier.
Gotye’s paternal grandmother’s surname was Kurtz.
Gotye is Belgian (Flemish), and his paternal grandmother was German, making him 1/4th German. Her Surname was Kurtz.
Source: https://soundcloud.com/nfsaaustralia/gotye-interviewed-by-graham-1
“Dad’s mom was from Germany, and I’m pretty sure both mom’s parents were from Belgium” (on 1:21)
He also states his maternal grandparents’ surnames, but it is hard to spell them out.
His Genealogy: http://www.geni.com/people/Gotye/6000000016301796871