Here is a pairing, Sheila E. had a number of charting hits in the 80s and later, which would have been known to anyone who listened to top 40 radio stations at the time.
Her most famous musician uncle is Alejandro Escovedo, who has had a very long career in punk and alt country, but never had the mainstream success of his niece.
Cliff Townshend’s son did pretty well for himself
These are the cases I was trying to avoid – like Jan Van Halen.
- The parent must have been successful and achieved some level of fame. Lots of noteworthy musicians have had non-famous musician parents.
If it helps to define it, then the parent needs their own Wikipedia page.
Neneh Cherry is more famous than jazz musician Don Cherry (her stepfather who helped raise her for most of her childhood).
Orchestra conductor Paavo Järvi is at least as famous as his father Neeme Järvi.
Whereas conductor Otto Klemperer’s son Werner, although also a talented conductor and singer, became more famous in a different field…
Jeff Buckley’s father was Tim Buckley, a folk/jazz musician who peaked in 1969 with his album Happy Sad, which reached #81 on the US chart. Though Jeff only produced one album against his father’s nine, Grace easily outsold his father’s combined output.
Violinist Joseph Suk is more famous nowadays than his identically named father.
Possible edge case, but Robin Thicke’s father is Alan Thicke, who is primarily known as an actor but was a successful songwriter as well, penning or co-writing, and sometimes performing on, the TV theme songs for shows like Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. He wrote the original Wheel of Fortune theme.
There’s nothing arguable about this. Miley has had substantially greater success than Billy Ray. I think Billy Ray’s first album sold more copies in the US than any single album Miley has put out, but she has multiple multi-platinum albums, more international fame by far (because the country scene is very US-centric compared to pop), many more top ten singles, and maybe even the bigger top single in “Flowers” compared to “Achy Breaky Heart”.
Not what the OP is asking, but I think Duncan Jones gets an honorable mention for having a far more successful cinematic career than his father David Bowie.
John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin was the son of Vaudeville musicians who toured as a family. Needless to say they never came close to his level of fame
John Raitt, the virile, handsome, strong-voiced leading man of Broadway musicals in the 50’s. Well known, but probably not as well known as his daughter, Bonnie Raitt.
Alan Jones had a 40+ year career as a handsome singer in movies, including A Day at the Races, A Night at the Opera and the first version of Showboat. I’ll wager his equally handsome son, Jack, is better known simply for singing the theme to The Love Boat.
Jarvis Cocker’s (lead singer of Pulp) father, Mac Cocker, is an Australian musician and DJ.
I’m not sure who would be the more famous musician because they both have done a lot, but Mother Maybelle Carter and daughter June Carter Cash. I give the nod to June as more famous, but Maybelle as more influential.
You could also argue her daughter Carlene Carter is a more famous musician than her. If son in laws count the I’d say Carlene’s ex husband Nick Lowe is definitely a more famous musician than his mother in law. June Carter Cash is probably more famous than Nick Lowe, but I’d argue thats more for being Johny Cash’s husband than as musician in her own right (that this is the case is unfair and sexist, but true unfortunately)
Jennifer Aniston?
A couple that I considered and rejected were:
You could make a case that they are more well known among younger generations, but I don’t think they outshine their elders in influence and legacy.
Perhaps that’s true today (or at least in recent decades). June was a huge country and folk music star, starting long before she married Johnny Cash, from the 1940s (when she was part of “The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle”) through at least the 1970s (often recording with Johnny in later years). She recorded music for five decades, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for fifty years, won five Grammy Awards, and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
But, yes, today, in the awareness of the general public, she’s probably mostly known for being Johnny’s wife, and maybe for co-writing “Ring of Fire.” Not to downplay Carlene Carter or even Nick Lowe, who have both had long, successful careers, but I don’t think that they can hold a candle to June, as far as peak fame or enduring fame.
Randy Newman’s uncles Emil, Lionel, and Alfred were all successful composers and musicians who scored Hollywood films and TV shows. Alfred in particular won 9 Oscars.