Kristin Chenoweth
Chenoweth in 2012, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Place of Birth: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.
Date of Birth: July 24, 1968
Ethnicity: English, possibly Cherokee Native American, other
Kristin Chenoweth is an American actress and singer. She is known for her vocal range of 4 octaves, and for her roles in the stage musical Wicked, on the shows The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, GCB, and Schmigadoon!, and in the films Bewitched, RV, Deck the Halls, and The Peanuts Movie. She is 4′ 11½″.
The surname Chenoweth is Cornish.
Kristin was adopted and named Kristi Dawn Chenoweth, by Junie (Smith) and Jerry Morris Chenoweth. Jerry is the son of Roy Morris Chenoweth and Mildred Alice Livengood. Junie is the daughter of Doyal Smith and Katherine Hale. Kristin has stated that she is the only person in her family that is not tall, and the only one who is musically talented.
In her book I’m No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts, 2023, page 193, Kristin states that her biological parents were musician Billy Ethridge, who was a bassist for rock band ZZ Top for a time, and Lynn. Billy was from Drew County, Arkansas. Kristin has referred to herself as having one quarter Cherokee ancestry. It is not clear if this Cherokee Native American ancestry has been verified/documented.
Sources: http://www.parade.com
Genealogy of Kristin’s adoptive parents – https://www.geni.com
She revealed in her 2023 book I’m No Philosopher, but I Got Thoughts that her biological parents were bassist Billy Ethridge (briefly a member of ZZ Top) and “Mama Lynn”.
https://musichearts.fm/artist/22025-ethridge-billy/history/
If that site is correct, this is Billy:
https://sv.findagrave.com/memorial/229910822/billy-mack-ethridge
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XB4-GZV8
His biological grandparents would then be James Alfred Ethridge and Velma Sue Haven. The obituary mentions that Billy had Cherokee heritage.
Her biological mother Lynn passed away in August last year. It should be possible to find the obituary.
I searched Billy’s ancestry, and all of his known ancestors were listed as white on census records. Also, it appears that Billy has English, German and Scottish ancestry.
Her unique surname is Cornish: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenoweth
I like her and yes, she does look like a lot people that are part cherokee I know.
really?
She looks more Saami to me. But let’s remember she has had plastic surgery on her face due to an accident on a set that fractured her cheekbone.
Apparently, everyone in Oklahoma is part Cherokee.
I wouldn’t necessarily go by her given surname for her ancestry. She was adopted, and may be Welsh, but possibly not.
She is castiza/harniza like Megan Fox, Anne Hathaway, and Hillary Clinton! She is Cherokee!
All of those are white. Kristin looks like Ama da Holden(British actress).