Woman Who Inspired Greta Van Fleet’s Name Passes Away at 95

Greta Van Fleet’s namesake has died. Gretna Van Fleet, the Michigan woman who inspired the rock band’s name, died on May 18. She was 95.

The band, which was formed in 2012, got its unlikely name courtesy of its original drummer, Kyle Hauck.

“They were at breakfast and his grandpa told him that he needed to go cut wood for Gretna Van Fleet,” bassist-keyboardist Sam Kiszka told Billboard of Hauck in 2018. “He heard it thought, ‘That’s an interesting name.’ He brought it to the rest of us and I think it was Josh [Kiszka] who said, ‘Let’s drop the n out of Gretna.’ So it was Greta Van Fleet, and that rolls off the tongue better.”

“I think it’s an interesting name because it’s different,” he continued. “You don’t really know what kind of music is going to be produced by this group. I really like that aspect of the name.”

Van Fleet gave the band her blessing to use the modified version of her name, though she told the outlet she initially “laughed it off.”

“When I found out they really did it I thought, ‘That won’t last long. That’s not a name for a band,’” she said. “But they just kept growing and more people ask me about it and I’ve been far more involved than I expected.”

Overall, Van Fleet called the experience “fun,” though she admitted, “It’s not really my kind of music.”

“People enjoy it and the boys did a good job of presenting it,” she said. “… I just wish the boys well and keep doing what they’re doing.”

Greta Van Fleet has done that. The Grammy-winning band has put out three LPs and two EPs and delivered five No. 1 hits on the Mainstream Rock Airplay charts.

What to Know About Gretna Van Fleet

There’s plenty more to Van Fleet than the band that borrowed her name. According to her obituary, Van Fleet was married to Dale Van Fleet for more than 76 years. Throughout their relationship, the Van Fleets welcomed four daughters.

Outside of her family life, Van Fleet, a college graduate, primarily worked as an office manager. In her free time, she enjoyed working with the community theater and participating in the pinochle card club and square dance club. Van Fleet, who later established a bed & breakfast, was also an avid quilter and an active member of her church.

She also had musical talent. In her 20s, Van Fleet and her brothers started a dance band named the Allenaires. On her own, Van Fleet, who was involved with her church’s choir, played drums, tuba, coronet, saxophone, standup bass, violin, dulcimer, psaltery, organ, and piano.

Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns