# Did any enormously talented person have an equally enormously talented child? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244 "2012-06-25T14:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/61 "2012-06-26T01:35:47Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Yup, Bush Derangement Syndrome still lives, causing liberals to spew out all the hate and intolerance in their minds. You will notice people like this NEVER rage against the real war criminals like Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-Tung, Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin,etc. None of them were nominated as enormous talents in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/62 "2012-06-26T01:36:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > This is Cafe Society, not Great Debates. Political ranting is not appropriate. Knock it off. > > **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator Missed that. Consider it knocked off. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/63 "2012-06-26T01:42:37Z")
Came here to nominate t[he Huxleys.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huxley_family) What a crew! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/64 "2012-06-26T01:44:33Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I’m surprised someone mentioned the Bach family. While several of JS’s sons were very talented, I don’t think anyone considers any of them to be the absolute once-in-a-millenium genius that their father was. I would think they are what the OP was looking for. Johann Ambrosius Bach was a fine town musician, playing the viola and trumpet and doing a good job keeping the family business a going concern. 4 of his kids became musicians, with his son, JS Bach, undoubtedly the greatest of the Bach’s. So we had a guy, enormously talented who gave birth to children as equally as talented (one who was more talented than the rest, of course). Then JS’s kids were no slouch either. CPE Bach was very well-respected musician and composer who was one of the major players in the transition from baroque to classical styles. Wiki sez: > [@](#): > > Through the later half of the 18th century, the reputation of Emanuel Bach stood very high. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart said of him, “He is the father, we are the children.”[7] The best part of Joseph Haydn’s training was derived from a study of his work. Ludwig van Beethoven expressed for his genius the most cordial admiration and regard.[citation needed] > > His keyboard sonatas, for example, mark an important epoch in the history of musical form. Lucid in style, delicate and tender in expression, they are even more notable for the freedom and variety of their structural design; they break away altogether from both the Italian and the Viennese schools, moving instead toward the cyclical and improvisatory forms that would become common several generations later. > > The content of his work is full of invention and, most importantly, extreme unpredictability, and wide emotional range even within a single work, a style that may be categorized as Empfindsamer Stil. It is no less sincere in thought than polished and felicitous in phrase. > > He was probably the first composer of eminence who made free use of harmonic colour for its own sake since the time of Lassus, Monteverdi, and Gesualdo.[citation needed] In this way, he compares well with the most important representatives of the First Viennese School. In fact he exerted enormous influence on the North German School of composers, in particular Georg Anton Benda, Bernhard Joachim Hagen, Ernst Wilhelm Wolf, Johann Gottfried Müthel, Friedrich Wilhelm Rust and many others. His influence was not limited to his contemporaries, and extended to Felix Mendelssohn and Carl Maria von Weber. [Cite.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Philipp_Emanuel_Bach) In terms of popular support during their respective lifetimes, CPE had it miles over his old man and if you had asked somebody in 1786 who was the greatest composer out of the family, odds were excellent that CPE would’ve gotten the nod. Another of the Old Wig’s sons, Wilhelm Friedemann, wasn’t as famous as his brother, but he was considered one of the best improvisers of his day. So, I don’t know… of course the rest of the family doesn’t equal JSB’s towering achievements, but it seems apparent that his family’s story does match the OP’s request. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Bisector](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Black\_Bisector](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Bisector)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/65 "2012-06-26T01:57:27Z")
All the people in [this Magical Family](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Royal_Family) were practically BORN famous! They never really had to do anything but just be themselves and WHAM O! Famous! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/66 "2012-06-26T02:24:09Z")
Richard Dimbleby, and his sons Jonathon and David. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/67 "2012-06-26T02:39:46Z")
> [@Black\_Bisector](#): > > … [this Magical Family](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Royal_Family) … The phrase made me think of another magi9cal family,. [John Nevil Maskelyne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nevil_Maskelyne) [Nevil Maskelyne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Maskelyne_%28magician%29) [Jasper Maskelyne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Maskelyne) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/68 "2012-06-26T03:40:22Z")
Kim Il-sung was North Korea’s greatest novelist, historian, teacher, general, and architect during his lifetime, and his son arguably surpassed him in many fields of endeavor. For instance, Kim Jong-il wrote 1,500 books and six operas while in college, and he once played a 38-under round of golf, with 11 holes in one. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/69 "2012-06-26T03:47:16Z")
And we all have high expectations for his son. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/70 "2012-06-26T03:54:12Z")
[Tex Ritter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Ritter) [John Ritter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ritter) [Jason Ritter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Ritter) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/71 "2012-06-26T04:02:59Z")
Mother: [Marie Curie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie) (Nobel Prize physics 1903; Nobel Prize chemistry 1911) Daughter: [Irene Joliot-Curie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ir%C3%A8ne_Joliot-Curie) (Nobel Prize chemistry 1935) Father: [William Henry Bragg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Bragg) (Nobel Prize physics 1915) Son: [William Lawrence Bragg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lawrence_Bragg) (Nobel Prize physics 1915 - shared with papa) Grandfather: Christian Bohr (certain Nobelist had the prize been available in his time) Father: [Nils Bohr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Bohr) (Nobel Prize physics 1922) Son: [Aage Bohr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aage_Bohr) (Nobel Prize physics 1975) Father: [Arthur Kornberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Kornberg) (Nobel Prize medicine 1959) Son: [Roger Kornberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_D._Kornberg) (Nobel Prize chemistry 2006) ETA: [Lionel Penrose](Father: "[Lionel Penrose - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Penrose)) (groundbreaking medical geneticist) Son: [Roger Penrose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Penrose) (physicist and polymath) Son: [Oliver Penrose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Penrose) (mathematician) Son: [Jonathan Penrose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Penrose) (UK Chess Champion and chess International Grandmaster) I know there are other father/son Nobel exactas, but can’t think of them at the moment. All the above notwithstanding, it is hard to conceive of a family more endowed with geniuses than [The Bernoullis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli_family); one and hundred and fifty years of generation-to-generation of the world’s premier mathematicians and physicists. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/72 "2012-06-26T04:04:44Z")
Pro wrestling is almost as nepotistic as NASCAR. Off the top of my head: The whole damn McMahon dynasty, which is, what, four generations strong now? Dusty Rhodes and his sons Dustin (Goldust) and Cody Rhodes. The Hart family, which includes members and in-laws such as Bret Hart, his deceased brother Owen, WWE Diva Natalya, Davey Boy Smith the British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, and more. The Guerreros are now in their third generation of wrestlers with Shaul (the late Eddie’s daughter) working for the WWE in FCW. What with the wrestler’s propensity to marry within their ranks and for sons (and now daughters) following in their parent’s footsteps, we may see even more second, third, fourth, and even FIFTH generation wrestlers in the ring in coming years. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/73 "2012-06-26T04:06:46Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I would think they are what the OP was looking for. > \So, I don’t know… of course the rest of the family doesn’t equal JSB’s towering achievements, but it seems apparent that his family’s story does match the OP’s request. The OP specified: “Equally enormously talented child.” ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/74 "2012-06-26T04:28:33Z")
I just learned who [Ronan Farrow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_Farrow) was. Mia’s and Woody Allen’s son. Freaking brilliant kid. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/75 "2012-06-26T07:22:56Z")
Mia’s mother of course being Maureen O’Sullivan, Tarzan’s Jane. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/76 "2012-06-26T09:29:07Z")
Jef Raskin was on the UI team for the original Apple Macintosh and wrote the seminal book, “The Humane Interface”. Aza Raskin was the creative lead on Firefox and is now the CEO of a healthcare startup. Both were influential on designs that have touched hundreds of millions of people. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/77 "2012-06-26T10:29:08Z")
Bob Elliot (of Bob and Ray fame) begat Chris Elliot, and we have high hopes for Chris’s daughter Abby Elliot. And really, it’s not a surprise that someone raised in a household where the arts are taken seriously would excel at them, even if it doesn’t happen all that regularly. Rufus Wainwright is at the nexus of three famous musical families (Wainwrights, McGonigles, Roches), and his grandfather was a respected journalist. Bridget Fonda? Not quite as durable as her grandfather or her aunt, but nothing to sneeze at. I’d say her career is pretty comparable to her daddy’s, with some high marks and a few dry stretches. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/78 "2012-06-26T10:35:48Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Bridget Fonda? Not quite as durable as her grandfather or her aunt, but nothing to sneeze at. I’d say her career is pretty comparable to her daddy’s, with some high marks and a few dry stretches. I wrote this not knowing that she retired from show biz ten years ago following a rather bad traffic accident, subsequently marrying Danny Elfman and raising a family. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/79 "2012-06-26T10:38:25Z")
Art Donovan Jr was a Hall of Fame football player back in the 1950s and a great guest on late night talk shows telling funny stories about the game. His father, Art Sr, was a highly respected boxing official. His grandfather, Professor Thomas Donovan, was middleweight boxing champion in the 19th century. From the 17th century, you have Admiral Sir William Penn and his pacifist Quaker son William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. In Formula 1 both Graham Hill and his son Damon were world champions ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244/80 "2012-06-26T10:43:59Z")
Carl Ripken jr/sr? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-enormously-talented-person-have-an-equally-enormously-talented-child/626244.md?page=5)