Chris Rene – “Jack and Jill” World Premiere – Arrivals – Regency Village Theatre – Westwood, CA, USA – Photo Credit: Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Birth Name: Christopher Noel Maurice René
Place of Birth: Santa Cruz, Riverside, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 25, 1982
Ethnicity:
*Louisiana Creole [African, French, German, Swiss-German, possibly other] (father)
*German, Swiss-German, English (mother)
Chris Rene is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He is known for being a contestant on the first season of The X Factor USA.
Chris is the son of Joan G. (Sampson) and musician Rafael/Raphael Leon “Googie” René. His siblings are Mike, Gabriel, and Gina.
Chris’ father, who had been described as a Louisiana Creole, was of African-American, French, German, and Swiss-German descent. He was also said to have had Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented.
Chris’ mother is pictured here. She has German, Swiss-German, and English ancestry.
Chris has stated:
Fun facts… about my heritage, which is Creole – that’s black and French. And German, Indian, Swiss. Not everybody knows that about me.
Chris’ paternal grandfather was music composer Leon T. René (the son of Otis Joseph René and Lelia Baumann). Otis was the son of Joseph René and Mary Caroline Plaisance/Pleasant. Lelia was the daughter of James Connor Baumann, whose parents were from Switzerland and Germany, and of Matilda/Madilda Johnson, who was listed as “Black” on the 1880 U.S. Census.
Chris’ paternal grandmother was Irma J. Jahncke (the daughter of Solomon Z. Thomas and Jennie). Irma was also from Louisiana. She was listed as “Mulatto” on the 1910 U.S. Census.
Chris’ maternal grandfather was Maurice Bradley Sampson (the son of Maurice/Morris B. Sampson and Annabel Bradley). Chris’ great-grandfather Maurice was the son of Henry J. Sampson and Josephine Barr. Annabel was the daughter of Watson Bradley and Eliza Lanker.
Chris’ maternal grandmother was Lois Bernice Schini (the daughter of Jacob Jay Schini and Edith Ellen Grayburn). Jacob was the son of Jacob Schini, whose parents were from Alsace-Lorraine, and of Elizabeth Schueller/Schneller, whose parents were from Felsberg, Switzerland. Edith was the daughter of Charles Frederick Grayburn and Praxcy Ann Garlick.
Sources: Genealogy of Chris Rene – http://www.geni.com
Birth record of Chris Rene – http://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Chris’ parents – http://www.familysearch.org
Chris’ mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Chris’ maternal grandmother, Lois Bernice Schini – https://www.geni.com