Synyster Gates

Birth Name: Brian Elwin Haner, Jr.

Place of Birth: Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: July 7, 1981

Ethnicity:
*father – English, German, Creek Native American, remote Jersey Channel Islander

Synyster Gates is an American guitarist. He is lead guitarist and backing vocalist of heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Other members of the band also include/have included Johnny Christ, Arin Ilejay, The Rev, M. Shadows, and Zacky Vengeance. He is also known as Syn and Gates.

Synyster is the son of Jan and musician Brian Haner. He is married to Michelle DiBenedetto, with whom he has two children. Michelle’s sister, Valary, is married to his bandmate M. Shadows.

Synyster’s paternal grandfather was Dustin Gaffron Haner (the son of Fred Jacob Haner and Martha Otelia Gaffron). Dustin was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Fred was the son of Frank Edmond Haner and Fannie Burnham Dustin. Martha was the daughter of Otto Gaffron and Lois Mae Martin. Otto’s parents, Anton “Anthony” Gaffron and Anna Birkner, were German immigrants.

Synyster’s paternal grandmother was Florence Naoma West (the daughter of William Logan West and Florence Mahala Davis). Synyster’s grandmother Florence was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Synyster’s great-grandmother Florence was the daughter of Lewis Henry Davis and Susanna Williams. Lewis was of Creek Native American descent.

Synyster’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Smith.

Source: Marriage record of Synyster’s paternal grandparents, Dustin Gaffron Haner and Florence Naoma West – https://familysearch.org