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From Nancy Sinatra in the ’60s to Julian Lennon in the ’80s to Jakob Dylan in the ’90s, children of star musicians have long followed in their parents’ footsteps to the stage. That trend continues today. A look at some of the latest next-gen musicians:
Eddie and Wolfgang Van Halen
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Son of a Guitar God
Band: Mammoth WVH
Lineage: Front man Wolfgang Van Halen is the son of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who died from cancer in 2020.
Latest release: Debut album Mammoth WVH (2021). A follow-up may be recorded this year.
Comparison: Wolfgang started his career as the touring bassist in Eddie’s band, Van Halen, but Mammoth’s solid, straight-ahead hard rock is closer in sound and spirit to the music of the Foo Fighters. Like the Foo’s Dave Grohl did for his debut album, Wolfgang not only sang all the songs but played all the instruments on Mammoth WVH. He has since hired musicians to fill out the band.
Fresh Princess?
Artist: Willow
Lineage: The singer-guitarist is the daughter of Will Smith, who began his career as a hip-hop artist.
Latest release: Lately I Feel Everything (2021). “Memories,” a joint single with Yungblud, was released in May.
Comparison: She’s fresher (with explicit language) and more musically adventurous than her Fresh Prince father, exploring rock and pop.
Bono and Elijah Hewson
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP; Per Ole Hagen/Redferns
Bono’s Boy
Band: Inhaler
Lineage: Singer-guitarist Elijah Hewson is a son of U2 front man Bono.
Latest release: It Won’t Always Be Like This (2021). The band is on tour this year.
Comparison: At times Elijah sounds like a young version of his father, though not an imitation. This is a promising alt-rock band with chiming guitars and melodic hooks (sound familiar?).
Annie and Lola Lennox
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Who’s That Girl?
Artist: Lola Lennox
Lineage: A daughter of 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Annie Lennox of Eurythmics.
Latest release: “Love Like That” single (2021). An EP is expected soon.
Comparison: The classically trained singer-songwriter-model has a strong voice reminiscent of her mother’s. Annie has served as Lola’s coproducer.
Hank Williams Jr. and Sam Williams
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ACM
Hank’s Kin
Artist: Sam Williams
Lineage: A son of Hank Williams Jr. and a grandson of the late Hank Williams. (Hank Jr. has three other children with music careers.)
Latest release: Glasshouse Children (2021)
Comparison: His work is more polished than that of his relatives, with hip-hop and pop influences.
Phil and Nic Collins
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A Re-Genesis
Band: Better Strangers
Lineage: Drummer Nic Collins is a son of the Genesis singer-drummer and solo artist Phil Collins.
Latest release: “But I Don’t Know Your Name” single (2022)
Comparison: After filling in for his ailing father on drums during Phil’s solo tour and the Genesis farewell tour, Nic is trying to make a name for his own band, Better Strangers, whose modern alt-rock sounds nothing like Genesis or Phil’s solo material.
James and Castor Hetfield
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images; Miikka Skaffari/FilmMagic
Children of Metal
Band: Bastardane
Lineage: Drummer and backing vocalist Castor Hetfield is the son of Metallica singer-guitarist James Hetfield.
Latest release: Is This Rage? (2022)
Comparison: The Savannah, Georgia–based hard-rock trio specializes in hard-driving metal, like Metallica.
