The Wordsmith Member since Aug 13th 2002 17071 posts
Fri Apr-28-17 01:24 PM
"Steven and Liv Tyler: American Negroes? (Swipe/Link)"
Liv and Steven Tyler Discover African-American Ancestors Who Were Musicians
SuperfanSuperfan TV•April 25, 2017
On Who Do You Think You Are?, Liv Tyler was elated to discover that her great-great-great-great-grandfather Robert Elliot was part African-American, or what was then called “mulatto,” according to a newspaper story and census stats. However, she was floored to learn that he was a drummer boy during the Siege of Plattsburgh, a battle that occurred during the War of 1812.
Liv’s father, Steven Tyler got his start as a drummer, and she was moved by the musical connection. She went on to learn that the musical skills were passed down to Robert’s son, George, who was a drummer during the Civil War. At the Smithsonian, a drummer played for her one of the rhythms that George Elliot likely played on the battlefield, and it stirred her to tears.
After she found a picture of George, she couldn’t wait to tell her dad about his ancestors. When Steven learned of their African descent he said, “I always felt akin to black people, always.”