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Gretna Van Fleet, whose name inspired the rock band Greta Van Fleet, died on Monday, May 18, at the age of 95. The band got its name after original drummer Kyle Hauck said his grandfather was driving him “chopping wood for Gretna Van Fleet.” Singer Josh Kiszka then insisted on removing the “n” from Gretna, which eventually gave rise to the band name Greta Van Fleet. Gretna herself gave her blessing.
“They probably checked my background first”
“I think they checked my background first to make sure I wasn’t on some top 10 most wanted list or something, and then they just moved on,” Gretna joked in a 2019 interview with The Saginaw News.
According to her obituary, Gretna was a founding member of her church congregation’s “Bag Ladies.” There she helped sew and repair clothing for community members and soldiers.
Gretna was also a musician herself. Over the course of her life she played drums, tuba, cornet, saxophone, double bass, violin, dulcimer, psaltery, organ and piano. In her twenties, she and her brothers formed a band called The Allenaires. What’s remarkable is that three quarters of Greta Van Fleet are also made up of brothers.
Greta Van Fleet announce comeback concert
The news of Gretna Van Fleet’s death coincides with the announcement of a Greta Van Fleet comeback concert. The band will perform at the Bowery Ballroom in New York on May 27th.
Tickets will only be sold directly at the box office on May 26th. This is the band’s first concert in almost two years. The last appearance to date took place on September 29, 2024.
