Townes Van Zandt

Birth Name: John Townes Van Zandt

Date of Birth: March 7, 1944

Place of Birth: Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

Date of Death: January 1, 1997

Place of Death: Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, smaller amounts of Welsh, Dutch, German, and French, remote Jersey Channel Islander and Italian

Townes Van Zandt was an American singer and songwriter.

Townes was born into a wealthy family, the son of Dorothy and Harris Williams Van Zandt. He was a great-great-grandson of Isaac Van Zandt, a prominent leader of the Republic of Texas, and a great-great-nephew of Khleber Miller Van Zandt, a major in the Confederate Army, who was one of the founders of the city of Fort Worth. Townes had a son with his former wife Fran Peterson, and two children with his former wife Jeanene Munsell.

Towne’s paternal grandfather was William Lipscomb Van Zandt (the son of Dr. Isaac Lycurgus Van Zandt and Sarah Ellen Henderson). William was born in Tarrant, Texas. Isaac was born in Marshall, Harrison, Texas, the son of Isaac Van Zandt and Frances “Fanny” Cooke Lipscomb. Ellen was born in Shelby, Texas, the daughter of John Moore Henderson and Maria Davis Andrews.

Towne’s paternal grandmother was Katie Belle/Bell Williams (the daughter of Harris P. Williams and Eudora/Dora Beatrice Earp). Katie was born in Texas, to parents from Alabama. Harris was the son of Noah Edgar Williams and Nicey Jane Barbour. Eudora was born in Fayette, the daughter of John Phillip Earp and Sarah/Sallie Angeline Yandrell/Yandell.

Towne’s maternal grandfather was John Charles Townes, Jr. (the son of Judge John Charles Townes and Kate/Katherine Rector Wildbahn). Towne’s grandfather John was born in Georgetown, Williamson, Texas. Towne’s great-grandfather John was born in Tuscumbia, Colbert, Alabama, the son of Eggleston Dick Townes and Martha Cousins Betts. Kate was born in Alabama, the daughter of Isaac Wildbahn and Ann Drucilla/Drusilla Lancaster.

Towne’s maternal grandmother was Helen Burton Daisy Markle (the daughter of Frank Barrows Markle and Carrie Frances/Weaver McDonald). Helen was born in St. Joseph, Buchanan, Missouri. Frank was the son of Samuel McCullough Markle/Markel and Lucy Ann/Brown Gere/Geer. Carrie was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of Wilfred Osler McDonald and Hannah Eleanor Hirst. Hannah’s father, John Hirst, was born in Leeds, Kent, England.

Sources: https://rockandrollparadise.com

Genealogies of Townes Van Zandt – https://www.familysearch.org
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