Birth Name: Joseph Stanley Williams
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: September 1, 1960
Ethnicity: English, Irish, 1/16th French-Canadian, more distant German, Dutch, and Welsh
Joseph Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and film composer. He is the lead singer of the rock band Toto. The band’s members also include or previously included Bobby Kimball, Steve Lukather, David Paich, and Steve Pocaro.
Joseph is the son of actress and singer Barbara Ruick (born Barbara Joan Ruick) and composer John Towner Williams.
Joseph’s paternal grandparents were John Francis Williams and Esther Towner (the daughter of David John Towner and Ada B. Hennessey). Esther was born in Massachusetts, to Canadian parents. David was the son of David Towner and Emillie Robitaille, who was probably French-Canadian. Ada was likely of Irish ancestry.
Joseph’s maternal grandfather was Melville Hughes Ruick (the son of Norman Melville Ruick and Amanda Deborah Hughes). Norman was the son of William Orson Rewick and Temperance Coleman Hutchinson. Amanda was the daughter of Conrad Kurtz Hughes and Adocia Purcell.
Joseph’s maternal grandmother was Lurene “Susie” Tuttle (the daughter of Clair Vivian/Vivien Tuttle and Verna Sylvia Long). Clair was the daughter of Francis Frank Marion Tuttle and Dora L. Lower. Verna was the daughter of Albert William Long and Susie Ingalls.
Sources: Genealogy of Joseph Williams – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogies of Joseph’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Joseph’s paternal grandmother, Esther Towner, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Esther Towner on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Joseph Williams (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogies of Joseph’s mother – http://findagrave.com
https://familysearch.org
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Joseph’s maternal great-grandmother, Amanda Deborah Hughes (focusing on her own father’s side) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com