Which rock star are you most closely connected to?

+27 votes
4.3k views

This week's Example Profile of the Week is Eddie van Halen, namesake and member of the rock group Van Halen. 

Featured alongside him are other rock stars:

Who are you most closely connected to? If you're one of the 21,043,000 of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

You can also check for shared ancestors with the Relationship Finder. Are you a cousin to any of them? Your Relationship Finder Quick Links page (see your profile pull-down menu under "Relationships") has quick links for several notable groups.

Let us know below!

P.S. Help us choose and improve profiles for next week's Newspaper Founders feature.

WikiTree profile: Edward Lodewijk van Halen
in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (718k points)
edited by Ellen Smith
I went to the same school as Chrissy Amphlett does that count
28 degrees from Edward Lodewijk van Halen, 38 degrees from Christine Amphlett, 33 degrees from John Bonham, 23 degrees Jimi Hendrix (19th cousins twice removed), 28 degrees from Michael Hutchence, 20 degrees from Janis Joplin (9th cousins twice removed), 29 degrees from Dave McArtney, 27 degrees from Bon Scott, 24 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant (16th cousins four times removed) and 27 degrees from Denise Jarrett.
17 degrees from Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.  Only blood kin is Janis at 8th cousin 3x removed.

Anyone closer than 13 degrees to Edward Lodewijk van Halen?

13 degrees from Edward Lodewijk van Halen38 degrees from Christine Amphlett36 degrees from John Bonham26 degrees from Jimi Hendrix32 degrees from Michael Hutchence24 degrees from Janis Joplin33 degrees from Dave McArtney29 degrees from Bon Scott25 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant and 30 degrees from Denise Jarrett

Janis Joplin my 8th cousin 2x possibly just 8th cousin.
Van Halen wife is like my 15 cousin Janis Joplin my 8th cousin

8th cousin to Janis Joplin.  11th of Ronny Van Zandt and Jim Hendrix.

Not mentioned here but 6th cousin of Chris Cornell https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boyle-2048

21 from Jannis, 20 from jimi, 20 from ronnie van zant, 28 from eddie...
You're their cousin, or you're connected by degrees (like the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon)?

45 Answers

+16 votes
Ronnie Van Zant and Janis Joplin
by Brian Burke G2G1 (1.0k points)
Me, too.

You and I are 16 degrees of connectedness.

Ninth cousin to Ronnie Van Zant

17 degrees from Janis Joplin
Hi Brian! We're 16th cousins thrice removed! But we share about a zillion other ancestors in England.

Same 2 for me Brian!  Makes us 8th cousins 1x removed. smiley

I'm 10th cousins to both of them.
Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix are my 8th cousins

Ronnie Van Zant and I are about 6th cousins

Also 7th cousin to Elvis Presley.
+14 votes
I am most closely connected to David McArtney at 23 degrees.
by Samantha Thomson G2G6 Pilot (252k points)
+14 votes
  • 18 degrees from Janis Joplin
  • 19 degrees from Jimi Hendrix
  • 20 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant
  • 23 degrees from Edward Lodewijk van Halen
  • 23 degrees from Bon Scott
  • 27 degrees from Dave McArtney
  • 28 degrees from Michael Hutchence
  • 30 degrees from John Bonham
  • 32 degrees from Christine Amphlett
by Eric Weddington G2G6 Pilot (511k points)
+15 votes
The closest is Janis Joplin (yay!) at 21 degrees. These rock legends are all so far away from me, unfortunately.
by Isabelle Martin G2G6 Pilot (558k points)

Janis is my closest as well - but 26 degrees.

Counting a different way she is just 2 degrees away because she sat down in the lap of my ex-husband way back when he was very young in California. smiley

Now this comment was actually fun. God bless ya!
+14 votes
Razzle (musician) RIP - drummer with Hanoi Rocks

Dingley-351
by Living Swift G2G6 (8.9k points)
+14 votes
25 degrees from Eddie Van Halen.

32 degrees from Christine Amphlett.

26 degrees from John Bonham.

19 degrees from Jimi Hendrix. 12th cousin. MRCA William Harris (abt. 1522 - abt. 1559)

27 degrees from Michael Hutchense.

17 degrees from Janice Joplin. 9th cousin once removed. MRCA Robert Woodson (abt. 1634 - abt. 1707).

27 degrees from Dave McArtney.

27 degrees from Bon Scott.

18 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant. 9th cousin. MRCA John Lewis Jr. (1635 - abt. 1659).
by Frank Blankenship G2G6 Pilot (123k points)
edited by Frank Blankenship
+14 votes
I am 17 degrees from Dave McArtney.

Everyone else is over 20 degrees.
by Robynne Lozier G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
+15 votes
Janis and I are 9th cousins. But we go way back, much earlier than that. We share a zillion common ancestors over 30 generations, including Henry I of England and William the Conquerer. Who knew??
by Debbie Hubbard G2G1 (1.7k points)
You are my 9th cousin also through Edward Wright (1626-1691) our 8th great grandfather.
+13 votes
This is so awesome:

Janis Joplin: 20 degrees and 10th cousins through common ancestor Sylvester Baldwin

Ronnie Van Zant: 21 degrees and 20th cousins through common ancestor Joane (Holand) Radcliffe

Jimi hendrix: 22degrees and 20th cousins through common ancestor Lucy (Hellesby)Thornton

Plus, what's really cool is that there are degrees (for me) and relationships for other Wikitreers through connections I made for my brother's wife last year! It's a win win for all to Wiki-connect!

Rock on, dudes and dudettes!
by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
+14 votes

My closest connections are Janis Joplin at 18 steps and both Jimi Hendrix and Ronnie Van Zant at 19 steps.

I noticed some weak profiles (and possibly questionable connections) on my connection paths to Jimi and Ronnie, and my connection to Chrissy Amphlett goes through the same cluster of connections that I thought were questionable when they appeared on my connection to Abe Lincoln.  So there are opportunities here to improve the WikiTree!

PS - I edited the question in this thread to correct the spelling of Jimi because it bothered me to see the name misspelled.  frown

by Ellen Smith G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
+13 votes

Jimi Hendrix - 21 degrees

Janis Joplin - 21 degrees

Ronnie Van Zant - 22 degrees (same path as through blood relation)

Dave McArtney - 28 degrees

Eddie Van Halen - 28 degrees 

Bon Scott - 29 degrees 

John Bonham - 30 degrees

Michael Hutchence - 30 degrees

Chrissy Amphlett - 36 degrees


Ronnie Van Zant - 9th cousin 3x removed

Janis Joplin - 15th cousin 3x removed

Jimi Hendrix - 18th cousin 3x removed


William Brereton of England seems to be my relationship to everyone lol

And Albert Bradt is my connection to anyone in my tree with Dutch roots it seems

by Daniel Dickson G2G4 (4.5k points)
+11 votes

My closest ones are:

18 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant (11th cousins once removed)

18 degrees from Janis Joplin (12th cousins once removed)

18 degrees from Jimi Hendrix 

by John Hodson G2G6 Mach 1 (14.4k points)
+10 votes
18 degrees: Dave McArtney
20-29 degrees: Christine Amphlett, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Hutchence, Janis Joplin, Ronnie Van Zant
30+ degrees: John Bonham, Eddie van Halen, Bon Scott
by Anonymous Martin G2G6 Mach 2 (28.5k points)
edited by Anonymous Martin
+10 votes
20 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant, 9th cousins, 2x removed, MRCA Albert Andriessen Bradt b. 1607 (Bradt-2)
20 degrees from Jimi Hendrix, 17th cousins, 2x removed, MRCA John Darrell b. 1386 (Darell-41)
20 degrees from Janis Joplin, 9th cousins, 3x removed, MRCA Philip Sherman b. 1611 (Sherman-1884)
25 degrees from Bon Scott
26 degrees from Edward Lodewijk van Halen
29 degrees from Michael Hutchence
29 degrees from Dave McArtney
31 degrees from John Bonham
33 degrees from Christine Amphlett
by Mike Wells G2G6 Pilot (131k points)
+9 votes
  1. Ronnie Van Zant - 19 degrees
  2. Janis Joplin - 21 degrees.
  3. Jimi Hendrix - 24 degrees
  4. Bon Scott - 28 degrees
  5. Dave McArtney - 28 degrees
  6. Michael Hutchence - 30 degrees
  7. John Bonham - 34 degrees
  8. Christine Amphlett - 39 degrees
Direct relationships:
  1. Janis Joplin - 11th cousins twice removed
  2. Jimi Hendrix - 16th cousins thrice removed. 
  3. Ronnie Van Zant - 19th cousins once removed.
by E. Logan G2G6 Mach 4 (40.7k points)
edited by E. Logan
+10 votes
17 degrees from Ronnie Van Zant and Janis Joplin, in the twenties to everyone else except Christine Amphlett who is 34 degrees.
by Sandi Davis G2G1 (1.4k points)
+10 votes
Janis Joplin - 10th cousin 19 degrees.

Ronnie Van Zant - 10th cousin 1x removed 20 degrees.

No relationship to any of the others.
by Faylene Bailey G2G6 Mach 1 (11.2k points)
+10 votes
15 degrees from Jimi Hendrix, plus we have the same birthday, Nov 27, although 9 years apart.
by Mark Prater G2G Crew (840 points)
Knock me off my chair, but I'm 9C1X with Jimi Hendrix, 10C1X with Janis Joplin, and 13C1X with Ronnie Van Zant. And I once sang in the junior high choir, but otherwise have no musical talent :)
+11 votes
Jimi at 14 degrees (surprisingly).
by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
I wonder if Jimi had a kilt hidden away?!

Just might have! (See the news in my Chat message this week.) smiley

Jimi, Janis, Ronnie and I are all cousins! Distant, but cousins nevertheless!

I'll try to be up early for the chat!

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