# What famous musicians have even more famous musician children? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 7, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092 "2026-04-07T13:42:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/41 "2026-04-07T15:50:18Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Jennifer Aniston? If, by “famous musician,” you mean “famous actor,” sure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/42 "2026-04-07T16:08:23Z")
Check the last line of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/43 "2026-04-07T16:14:43Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Check the last line of the OP Ah, fair, I did not see that. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/44 "2026-04-07T16:19:47Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I give the nod to June as more famous, but Maybelle as more influential. You could make the same case - either way around - for Arturo Toscanini and his son-in-law Vladimir Horowitz. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/45 "2026-04-07T16:57:24Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful had a father also named John Sebastian that was a classical harmonica player. He had some recording and a successful musical career. I’m not sure what your threshold for a famous parent would be, but I’d think being known as “the master of the chromatic harmonica” might count? Great example. JS Junior is undoubtedly more famous (well known) than his father was. Junior is also a dead ringer for his Dad. (I used to have one of Senior’s albums.) ---
**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:** [April 7, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/46 "2026-04-07T17:00:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Gonna go _way_ back: > > Johann Sebastian Bach’s music went out of style by the 1730s and was seen as stodgy and old-fashioned. While his skill as an organist was noted, as a composer his reputation was far overshadowed by first his second son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and later by his youngest son Johann Christian Bach, to the point where anyone in the music biz referring to “Bach” in the latter half of the 18th century meant one of the sons (usually CPE unless they were in England where JC lived and worked). > > It was really only in the 19th century with the Bach revival and Felix Mendelssohn’s championing of JS’s music that it made a comeback at all. The rest is literally history, and of course now the father overshadows his sons again. Another excellent example. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/47 "2026-04-07T17:01:10Z")
Another TIL - the guy who wrote the theme to _Welcome Back, Kotter_ was the same guy from The Lovin’ Spoonful. > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Another excellent example. I should add that the Bach family goes the other way too - JS Bach is a lot more famous than his dad Johann Ambrosius Bach, also a musician, ever was. And his grandfather Christoph Bach, also a musician. And… ---
**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:** [April 7, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/48 "2026-04-07T17:07:06Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I should add that the Bach family goes the other way too - JS Bach is a lot more famous than his dad Johann Ambrosius Bach, also a musician, ever was. And his grandfather Christoph Bach, also a musician. And… Whoa, I never knew this. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/49 "2026-04-07T17:09:51Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > Arlo Guthrie, son of Woodie I’d say Woody is the bigger one. Arlo had 2 hits his entire life. Woody was more influential in his day. His song about Old Man Trump is even back in fashion. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2026, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/50 "2026-04-07T17:16:36Z")
Came back to post this example of just how good John Sebastian Jr. is on harmonica. ```auto [type or paste code here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADYFJhdrR2Q) ``` ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/51 "2026-04-07T17:34:10Z")
Ricky Nelson was more famous as a musician than his father Ozzie. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/52 "2026-04-07T17:36:40Z")
Reginald Leonard Smith, as Marty Wilde, had multiple U.K. top 10 songs. His daughter, Kim, had multiple international hits, beginning with “Kids in America”. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/53 "2026-04-07T17:41:37Z")
David and Jack Cassidy? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/54 "2026-04-07T17:42:49Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Alfred in particular won 9 Oscars. I wouldn’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/55 "2026-04-07T17:46:01Z")
Is Wynnona Judd more famous in her own right than her mom Naomi? I know they are probably most famous for performing together, so maybe that doesn’t count. TIL while searching that Liza Minnelli is Judy Garland’s daughter. Not sure how to compare their fame… probably Garland was bigger. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/56 "2026-04-07T17:47:05Z")
Sorry. Can’t get link to work ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/57 "2026-04-07T17:50:09Z")
The Yankovics: Frankie was The Polka King, and his son, Al, is just weird. Or should I say, Weird. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/58 "2026-04-07T17:54:28Z")
Psst: Weird Al and Frankie weren’t related, though they did do some collaborations. ---
**Author:** ![Varl\_Hobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/91b2a8/32.png) [@Varl\_Hobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Varl_Hobe)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/59 "2026-04-07T17:56:48Z")
> **[John L. Nelson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Nelson)** > > John Lewis Nelson (June 29, 1916 – August 25, 2001), also known by his stage name Prince Rogers, was an American jazz musician and songwriter. He was the father of musicians Prince and Tyka Nelson and a credited co-writer on some of his son's songs. > Nelson was born in Webster Parish, Louisiana, one of five children born to Carrie (née Jenkins) and Clarence Nelson. He traveled to Minneapolis to become a musician in 1948. Playing the piano, Nelson used "Prince Rogers" as a stage name and started... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092/60 "2026-04-07T17:58:42Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > David and Jack Cassidy? And, for that matter, David’s half-brother Shaun. Jack was a popular and prolific actor, particularly in the 1960s and early '70s; he also won a Grammy and a Tony Award (for the Broadway musical _She Loves Me_). But, both David and Shaun were massive teen idols in the 1970s, and at least for that peak, they very likely eclipsed their father’s fame. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-musicians-have-even-more-famous-musician-children/1029092.md?page=4)