Its A Family Affair - Stereoboard Look At The Most Popular & Successful Families In Music
Monday, 28 May 2012
Written by Heather McDaid
In many cases, a certain business or trade can run in the family and that is certainly no different when it comes to the music industry. While some families in the spotlight try to shelter their relatives and keep them from following the same path, others encourage siblings or children to join them in the spotlight. From metal to pop, families tackle many genres of music; this has been the case for many years, and it’s unlikely to change any time soon.
Two household names when it comes to families in music are the Jacksons and the Osmonds. The Jackson family have a host of musical successes, spanning from the Jackson 5, which originally featured Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael – later featuring Randy, Janet and LaToya’s solo careers and, of course, Michael’s journey to becoming the ‘King of Pop’. There have been many criticisms over the years surrounding their parents pushing them into the spotlight, which only heightened following Michael’s untimely death in 2009, yet their family has created a real legacy. Few icons stand the test of time, yet it’s a given fact that the career of Michael Jackson – above all others – will live on.
The Osmonds admittedly lacked the pelvic thrusts and slick dance moves that the Jackson’s honed, yet Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy and Marie all made their way into the music industry. With the majority being part of the Osmond Brothers initially, it was inevitable that at least one would come to the forefront. Jimmy and Marie launched reasonable solo careers – Marie snagged the #1 spot in the country charts at the age of 13 – yet nothing compared to the success of Donny, who went on to become a teen heart throb. Much like the Jacksons, as the years passed one member stands out above the rest of becomes the most successful. Presumably, that is the risk in embarking on a musical career against your family.
A modern day equivalency of parents allowing their children into the spotlight is Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. While she reportedly formed her own metal group back in the early noughties, Will’s career is more notable. Although he’s known for The Fresh Prince and his mammoth filmography, he has a vast discography under his belt too. They’ve often spoken out about Jaden and Willow’s careers, which includes the likes of internet sensation ‘Whip My Hair’, citing that they don’t want to stop their children doing something they love. Will goes so far as to note it’s the business he knows and loves, so feels he can teach them all he knows to do well. Much criticism is thrown at them for their decisions, but when it comes to their children’s career, they are vocal about not stopping them doing something they love, but within reasonable limits.
Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is an acclaimed name for fans of rock and metal and proves a great frontman to watch in a live capacity. Therefore, it’s no surprise that – being exposed to his father’s life in a band – his son Austin would want to follow in his footsteps. Far from latching onto his father’s fame, Austin has made a name for himself in his own acclaimed band Rise To Remain. While he has taken the opportunity to tour with Iron Maiden in countries his band would have otherwise been too small to tour in alone, Austin and Rise To Remain are getting places off their own back. Their debut record ‘City Of Vultures’ was positively received on its release last year and the band show no signs of slowing.
Another prominent metal legend allowed his kids to dabble in music. Kelly Osbourne is a woman who has turned her hand to many trades in the realm of celebrity, the natural addition being that of a solo career. The daughter of the Prince of Darnkess himself, Ozzy Osbourne, has released two full length albums, both of which were moderately well received, although they seemed to be nothing exceptional. It’s almost ten years since she released the duet ‘Changes’ with her dad, but in those years it seems she’s fully abandoned her music career in search of other, more successful career paths.
One of the most tumultuous family relationships in music is that of Liam and Noel Gallagher. For years, they battled each other as they toured in Oasis, often slating each other in the press, on stage, or anywhere that possessed oxygen. Their inability to get along eventually came to a head in 2009 as they announced, after years of managing to cope with their heated issues, that Oasis was no more. This has not stopped the brothers in terms of music, with both embarking on successful careers with their new bands. Noel tours with his High Flying Birds, while Liam tours with Beady Eye. Few anticipate a full reconciliation between the two; even fewer anticipate Oasis will ever reform.
From brothers to sisters, there are notable comparisons between both Kylie and Dannii Minogue’s careers. As is applicable with most siblings in music, one tends to do better than the other when it comes to solo work. While Dannii has had her fair share of successes in music, so much so she was eventually recruited as an X Factor judge, the musical world tends to gravitate more towards Kylie when it comes to popularity. She seems to have had better chart success, the likes of ‘Locomotion’ spending 7 weeks at the #1 slot in Australia upon its release (it was even the highest selling single of the decade), more awards and a generally more favourable response from the public.
Another pop offering, The Jonas Brothers comprises of Nick, Joe and Kevin, who between 2006 and 2009 released one album per year. Noted for pledging abstinence with their purity rings, as well as becoming teen icons through their music and other projects such as Disney’s Camp Rock, the three brothers have toured the world as a successful band and taken steps towards establishing their own external careers. While the two younger brothers have released their own records so far, it seems that Kevin is more settled into the home life as the only married sibling at present.
Turning back from pop to metal, classics of the genre AC/DC was formed by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young who are the only two members to remain constant through numerous line-up changes. With the band being so successful for decades, they’ve had no real requirement to establish big solo careers. While some may propose there to be a sibling rivalry due to Angus being more visible and known, many also claim that Malcolm is more the brains of the organisation. Either way, it’s almost 40 years since their inception and the brothers of metal are still going strong together. Perhaps the Gallaghers could take some tips from them.
There are countless families who work in music to varying degrees, some more successful than others. What’s more is that in many cases one member will usually outshine the rest of their relatives, which is likely the case in most forms of keeping a business in the family. Sometimes being related to someone in the industry proves to give some more attention than they deserve, but sometimes real talents are found.
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