Michael Trent Reznor was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 1965, the son of Nancy Lou ("née" Clark) and Michael Reznor. He grew up in Mercer, Pennsylvania, and is of German and Irish descent. His great-grandfather, George Reznor, founded the heating and air conditioning manufacturer The Reznor Company in 1888. After his parents divorced when he was six years old, Reznor's sister Tera lived with their mother while he went to live with his maternal grandparents. He began playing the piano at the age of 12 and showed an early aptitude for music. His grandfather, Bill Clark, told "People" in February 1995, "was a good kid [... a Boy Scout who loved to skateboard, build model planes, and play the piano. Music was his life, from the time he was a wee boy. He was so gifted."