John Linnell

Birth Name: John Sidney Linnell

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 12, 1959

Ethnicity: English, Irish, German, one eighth Greek, small amounts of Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh, distant French-Canadian

John Linnell is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is a member, and co-founder, of alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, with John Flansburgh. He also plays keyboard, accordion, baritone and bass saxophone, and clarinet for the band.

He is the son of Kathleen and Zenos McPherson Linnell. John is married to Karen Brown, with whom he has a son.

John’s paternal grandfather was Bird McPherson Linnell (the son of Lewis Thomas Linnell and Isabelle Augusta Longley). Bird was born in Union, Illinois, and was of Colonial American (English) descent, with deep roots in New England. Lewis was born in Lyme, New York, the son of Samuel Linnell and Mahila Mitchell. John’s great-grandmother Isabelle was born in Cobden, Union, Illinois, the daughter of William Ferguson Longley and Lydia Sears Bassett.

John’s paternal grandmother was Julia Glance Zenos (the daughter of Andrew Constantinides/Constantine Zenos and Ruth Josephine Schlager). Julia was born in Lake Forest, Lake, Illinois. Andrew was born in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, now Istanbul, Turkey, of Greek descent. He was a minister, author, and professor. John’s great-grandmother Ruth was born in Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, the daughter of German parents, Charles Louis/Louie Schlager, from Baden; and Salome Fritch.

John’s maternal grandfather was Sidney Erwin Glenn (the son of Archibald Glenn and Margaret Argath Cornelius). Sidney was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Archibald was born in Mississippi, the son of John Wilson Glenn, whose grandfathers were from Scotland, his paternal grandfather from Edinburgh, and his maternal grandfather from Gadgirth, Ayrshire; and of Sarah Jane Erwin. John’s great-grandmother Margaret was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Irish parents, John Patrick Cornelia and Mary Burke, with roots in County Donegal.

John’s maternal grandmother was Margery Westerman (the daughter of Frederick Westerman and Kathleen Supple). Margery was born in New York. Frederick was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of German parents, Henry Westerman and Margaret Hoffman, who was from Hessen. John’s great-grandmother Kathleen was born in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of Edmond Supple and Mary Ann Miller.