Profile Text
Birth Name: *Eleanor Balkcom *Lily Balkcom *Powell Balkcom
Place of Birth: Georgetown, Quitman County, Georgia, U.S.
Date of Birth: *April 2003 (Eleanor, Powell) *October 7, 2004 (Lily)
Ethnicity: English, German, Scottish, French, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, Irish, Swiss, Czech, Slovak, 1/16th Ashkenazi Jewish, distant Spanish and Native American
The Castellows, or The Balkcom Sisters, is an American neotraditional country music trio, consisting of sisters Eleanor, Lily, and Powell Balkcom. Their first EP, “A Little Goes a Long Way,” was released on February 9, 2024. Eleanor is on acoustic guitar, piano, and backing vocals. Lily is on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and harmonica. Powell is on banjo and backing vocals.
Their stage name comes from their great-grandmother Frances, whose maiden name was Castellow.
The Castellows’ paternal grandfather was Henry Lewis Balkcom III (the son of Henry Lewis Balkcom, Jr. and Frances Hortense Castellow). The Castellows’ grandfather Henry was born in Georgetown, Georgia. The name Balkcom comes from Balcombe, Sussex, England. The Castellows’ great-grandfather Henry was the son of Henry Lewis Balkcom and Leila Cole “Lea” Wash. The Castellows’ great-grandmother Frances was the daughter of John Frederick “Fred” Castellow and Eva/Exa Mullins.
The Castellows’ paternal grandmother was named Cynthia Alice Carter.
The Castellows’ maternal grandfather was Mike Dixon (the son of Mack Clyde Dixon and Janie Mae Dickert). Mike was born in Eufaula, Alabama. Mack was the son of James Franklin Dixon and Nancy B. Segler. The Castellows’ great-grandmother Janie was the daughter of James Washington Dickert and Beulah Van Jackson Bostick.
The Castellows’ maternal grandmother was Nancy Barr (the daughter of James William Barr and Gloria Martin). Nancy was born in Eufaula. James was born in Alabama, the son of James Barr and Daisy Oppenheimer, who was Jewish, with paternal German Jewish ancestors, and maternal grandparents who were Jewish emigrants from Alsace. The Castellows’ great-grandmother Gloria was born in Wrightsville, Georgia, the daughter of Shellman Roe Martin and Lila Christine Claxton.
Sources: Genealogies of The Castellows’ paternal great-grandparents, Henry Lewis Balkcom, Jr. and Frances Hortense (Castellow) Balkcom – https://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of The Castellows’ maternal great-uncle (grandfather’s brother) – https://www.legacy.com
Obituary of The Castellows’ maternal great-grandmother, Gloria (Martin) Barr – https://www.legacy.com