John Flansburgh

Birth Name: John Conant Flansburgh

Place of Birth: Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 6, 1960

Ethnicity: English, as well as Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, and German, distant French, remote Danish and Norwegian

John Flansburgh is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is a member, and co-founder, of alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, with John Linnell. He is the lead writer and singer, and plays rhythm guitar, for the band. He is also known as Rolf Conant.

John is the son of Louise and Earl Robert Flansburgh, who was a prominent architect in Boston. His mother founded the non-profit organization Boston By Foot. His brother is writer and activist Paxus Calta (born Earl Schuyler Flansburgh). John is married to singer and playwright Robin Goldwasser.

John’s paternal grandfather was Earl Alvah Flansburgh (the son of Aaron Flansburgh and Elizabeth A. Thompson). Earl was born in Easton, Washington, New York. Aaron was born in New York, and was of mostly Dutch descent, with deep roots in upstate New York. He was the son of John J. Flansburgh, whose maternal grandfather was from Kemnat, Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany; and of Martha Suffia Syber. John’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in New York, the daughter of Cornelia Thompson.

John’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Evans (the daughter of John Evans and Elizabeth Murray). Elizabeth was born in Batavia, Genesee, New York, to Canadian parents. John was the son of an Irish father, Richard J. Evans; and of an English mother, Anne Smith. John’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the daughter of David Murray, who was Scottish; and of Susan McConnell, who was Irish.

John’s maternal grandfather was Ralph Hospital (the son of Charles Hamilton Hospital, Jr. and Nannette Whitehead). Ralph was born in Washington, D.C., and was a Brigadier General of the U.S. Army, having fought in both WWI and WWII. Charles was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Charles Harry Hospital, whose paternal grandfather was born in County Down, Ireland; and of Elizabeth Fisher Gamble. John’s great-grandmother Nannette was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Alfred E. Whitehead, whose parents were English; and of Sarah Frances Cross.

John’s maternal grandmother was Louise Tarbell (the daughter of George Schuyler Tarbell and Grace Louise Jones). Louise was born in Ithaca, Tompkins, New York. George was born in New York, the son of Doctor Tarbell and Mary Lucy Conant. John’s great-grandmother Grace was born in Mattituck, Suffolk, New York, the daughter of a Welsh father and an American mother, from Pennsylvania.