Which 1950s Rock 'n Roller are you most closely connected to?

Question

The new Elvis Presley biopic is out, so we're looking at 1950's Rock 'n Rollers in the Connection Finder this week.

Here are other rockers to check out: 

• Chuck Berry
• Buddy Holly
• Brenda Lee
• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Little Gerhard
• Johnny O'Keefe
• Carl Perkins
• Tommy Steele
• The Big Bopper
• Ike Turner

Which one is most closely connected to you? If you're one of the 26.4 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

Special Feature: Check out how you're connected to more members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as Famous Musicians of the Twentieth Century and Rock Musicians using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of these category pages.

Let us know how you're related below! If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us with next week's The Godfather feature by helping to choose and improve profiles for it.

Answer 1

I am most closely connected to Johnny O'Keefe and Elvis Presley at 24 degrees.

Answer 2

16 degrees from Jiles Richardson (19th cousins, 1x removed)
17 degrees from Brenda Tarpley (17th cousins, 3x removed)
19 degrees from Elvis Presley (12th cousins, 3x removed)
20 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis (11th cousins, 4x removed)
20 degrees from Buddy Holly (13th cousins, 2x removed)
20 degrees from Carl Perkins (19th cousins, 3x removed)
23 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe
26 degrees from Izear Turner
28 degrees from Thomas Hicks
28 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist
34 degrees from Chuck Berry

Comments

17 degrees from Elvis

Answer 3

14 degrees from Buddy Holly. 16th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA  William Herbert (1423 - 1469).

14 degrees from Carl Perkins. 16th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Anyll (Venables) Brereton (abt 1375 -bef 1405).

15 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis. 9th cousin. MRCA Elizabeth (Maxfield) Taylor (abt 1635 - abt 1694).

17 degrees from Elvis Presley. 8th cousin. MRCA Margaret Elizabeth (Mosby) Wade (abt 1665 - 1729).

18 degrees from Brenda Tarpley. 17th cousin 1 time removed. MRCA Hugh (Francis) Fraunceys (abt 1379 - 1427).

19 degrees from Jiles Richardson. 17th cousin 3 times removed. MRCA Margery (Cotton) de Venables (abt 1345 - 1398).

24 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist.

25 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe.

26 degrees from Thomas Hicks.

31 degrees from Chuck Berry.

39 degrees from Izear Turner.

Answer 4

Carl Perkins - 17th cousins

Buddy Holly - 11th cousins 4x removed

Elvis Presley - 22nd cousins 1x removed

Jerry Lee Lewis - 23rd cousins 5x removed

Jiles (The Big Bopper) - 25th cousins 4x removed

Brenda Tarpley - 25th cousins 4x removed

Comments

I'm related to the same people

Carl Lee Perkins 11th cousins
Elvis Presley 14th cousins 3x removed
Buddy Holly 17th cousins 2x removed
Jerry Lee Lewis 18th cousins 4x removed
Brenda Tarpley 19th cousin 2x removed
Big Bopper 21st cousins

Answer 5

Elvis and Alexis are 10th cousins 

Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) and Alexis (Lovelace) Nelson are both descendants of John Townsend (abt.1608-1668).

Answer 6

Elvis - 8C 5xR

Brenda Lee 10C 1R

Jerry Lee Lewis 9C 2R

Love the actual cousin relationship to Elvis. My parents and I lived about a mile from Graceland when he bought it in the 1950's. His purchase was a huge affair in Whitehaven, Tennessee at the time!

Answer 7

I have no idea who Jiles Richardson was, but my father-in law was a 7th cousin to Jiles wife Adrienne - because she is clearly of Acadian ancestry!!

About half of the others are connected through my spouse - again because they have Acadian or French Canadian ancestry.

Most of the rest of them are connected to me through the Breckenridge  family of Argyll in Scotland.

Comments

Jiles Richardson was also known as J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Probably his best known hit was "Chantilly Lace." Sadly he died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959 along with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the pilot. That was "The Day the Music Died" memorialized by Don McClean in his 1971 hit, "American Pie."

Answer 8

Ancestors and Cousins

• 19 degrees - Elvis Presley, (12th, 3x). MRCA David Carnegie of Colluthie
• 20 degrees - Lisa Murphy, (9th, 1x). MRCA John Maxson, Sr. and Robert Burdick
• 20 degrees - Buddy Holly, (15th, 3x). MRCA Richard Neville KB
• 20 degrees - Jerry Lee Lewis, (14th, 2x). MRCA Maud (FitHugh) Bowes
• 20 degrees - Carl Perkins, (19th, 1x). MRCA Margery (De Domville) Hulse
• 20 degrees - Jiles Richardson, (18th, 1x). MRCA Elizabeth (Harrington) Stanley
• 21 degrees - Brenda Lee, (17th, 1x). MRCA Walter Cotton

Connections

• 26 degrees - Johnny O'Keefe
• 28 degrees - Thomas Hicks
• 29 degrees - Karl Gerhard Lundkvist
• 34 degrees - Chuck Berry
• 40 degrees - Izear Turner

Answer 9

I am most closely connected to Jiles Richardson at 18 degrees of separation.

• 18 degrees from Jiles Richardson • 19C1R
• 19 degrees from Buddy Holly • 16C3R
• 19 degrees from Elvis Presley • 15C1R
• 21 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis • 15C3R
• 21 degrees from Carl Perkins • 18C1R
• 21 degrees from Brenda Tarpley • 16C1R
• 27 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist
• 27 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe
• 28 degrees from Thomas Hicks
• 33 degrees from Izear Turner
• 34 degrees from Chuck Berry

Answer 10

 I am 34 degrees from Chuck Berry, 21 degrees from Buddy Holly (22nd cousins 2xr), 19 degrees from Brenda Tarpley(23rd cousins 1xr), 21 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis(20th cousins 2XR), 28 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist, 24 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe, 21 degrees from Carl Perkins(20th cousins 2xr), 19 degrees from Elvis Presley(15th cousins), 27 degrees from Thomas Hicks, 21 degrees from Jiles Richardson(22nd cousins 1xr), 38 degrees from Izear Turner and 19 degrees from Lisa Murphy(15th cousins 2xr).

Answer 11

Most closely connected at 15 degrees from Elvis Presley, who is also a cousin--8th cousins, twice removed.

More cousins in this group:

Buddy Holly--7th cousin, once removed

Brenda Lee--10th cousins

Carl Perkins--11th cousins, once removed

Jerry Lee Lewis--14th cousins, three times removed

The Big Bopper--16th cousins, three times removed

Answer 12

16 degrees from Elvis Presley.  He's also my 11th cousin, once removed.

More cousins:

Buddy Holly--16th cousins, once removed

Jerry Lee Lewis--16th cousins, three times removed

Brenda Lee--19th cousins

Carl Perkins--19th cousins

The Big Bopper--19th cousins, once removed

Answer 13

16 Degrees from Jiles Perry Richardson Jr., Richardson-23243, 1 branch (17) 16th cousins three times removed MRCA Margery (Venables) de Bulkeley, Venables-1

19 Degrees from Carl Lee Perkins, Perkins-14405, 3 branches (1-9-10) 18th cousins twice removed MRCA William (Brereton) de Brereton Kt, Brereton-51

20 Degrees from Elvis Aaron Presley, Presley-155, 2 branches (11-10) 16th cousins once removed MRCA Margery (Venables) de Bulkeley, Venables-1

20 Degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis, Lewis-16560, 3 branches (9-3-9) 17th cousins MRCA Robert Ogle, Ogle-72

22 Degrees from Charles Hardin (Holley) Holly, Holley-592, 3 branches (8-6-9) 17th cousins four times removed MRCA Reynold Gray, Grey-168

23 Degrees from Brenda Tarpley, Tarpley-486, 4 branches (10-2-3-9) 16th cousins three times removed MRCA Randal Mainwaring, Mainwaring-11

25 Degrees from Johnny O'Keefe 4 branches (5-3-9-9)

29 Degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist 3 branches (6-5-19)

29 Degrees from Sir Thomas Hicks OBE 5 branches (3-10-2-5-10)

33 Degrees from Chuck Berry 5 branches (5-4-9-6-10)

40 Degrees from Izear Luster Turner Jr 9 branches (1-5-1-4-5-4-9-4-8)

Answer 14

18° from Jerry Lee lewis. This is through his Head ancestors. My Aunt Joyce was a Bell, the family was formerly Beall, and one of them married a Head.

Answer 15

I am 15 degrees from Elvis. We are 5th cousins 4x removed.

Answer 16

I am: 39 degrees from Chuck Berry
25 degrees from Buddy Holly
25 degrees from Brenda Tarpley
24 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis
30 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist
29 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe
22 degrees from Carl Perkins
24 degrees from Elvis Presley
31 degrees from Thomas Hicks
25 degrees from Jiles Richardson
43 degrees from Ike Turner
23 degrees from Lisa Murphy.

Answer 17

I'm 14 degrees of Johnny O'Keefe

Answer 18

27 degrees from Elvis Presley

39 degrees from Chuck Berry

23 degrees from Buddy Holly

25 degrees from Brenda Lee

26 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis

33 degrees from Little Gerhard 

19 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe

28 degrees from Carl Perkins 

26 degrees from Tommy Steele

26 degrees from The Big Bopper

48 degrees from Ike Turner 

Answer 19

32 degrees from Chuck Berry
22 degrees from Buddy Holly
21 degrees from Brenda Tarpley
22 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis
25 degrees from Karl Gerhard Lundkvist
24 degrees from Johnny O'Keefe
20 degrees from Carl Perkins
21 degrees from Elvis Presley
27 degrees from Thomas Hicks
19 degrees from Jiles Richardson
43 degrees from Ike Turner
18 degrees from Lisa Murphy

Answer 20

I am 8 degrees from Jerry Lee Lewis, we are 3rd cousins once removed.