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There are fewer bonds that are stronger than family. It’s what keeps you together, despite the fact that you fight half the time. It’s the kind of love that makes you feel like you belong more than anything else. It’s the concept that launched seven Fast and Furious films. You get the idea.
There’s been a long and storied history of family members in bands, but most of those have been siblings – from some of the greatest groups of all-time like The Jackson 5, The Beach Boys, and The Allman Brothers to more modern marvels like The Clipse and Haim. But it’s not that often that parents and their kids get together to make meaningful music. Perhaps that rarity is what makes something like Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear so special. But there have been a small handful of other cases when a proud mom or dad teamed up with their kid to hit the road or record together. Here’s a few of the best parent and kid collaborations.
Van Halen
A group that is no stranger to lineup changes, Van Halen already featured a sibling connection with guitarist/songwriter Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen. When longtime bassist Michael Anthony left the group in 2006, the legendary hard rock band decided to make things a full-on family affair by adding Eddie’s son (and Alex’s nephew) Wolfgang to the fold. He now tours with the group and played on their most recent studio album, A Different Kind of Truth.
The Staple Singers
Led by Roebuck “Pops” Staples, The Staple Singers were one of the strongest and most recognizable names in soul, R&B, and gospel roots music. These days, as the patriarch of the family has passed on, daughter Mavis has taken it upon herself to continue the family band with her powerful voice leading the charge (she’s also frequently appeared on Stephen Colbert’s television shows).
Led Zeppelin
While an unorthodox example, it’s impossible to ignore Jason Bonham filling in for his late father John Bonham in the iconic rock band. While the two unfortunately never got the chance to share the stage, the younger Bonham stepped into his dad’s role in Led Zeppelin on the very rare occasion that the group reunites, most notably for the reunion concert and live album Celebration Day.
Frank Zappa
Weirdo genius Frank Zappa was probably best known by his fans for his twisted sense of humor and incredible merging of prog rock, jazz, electronic, and experimental music. But the world over most likely knows him from his tongue-in-cheek collaboration with his daughter Moon Unit Zappa on “Valley Girl.” Like most parodies, the initial bite in the humor eventually wore off when the riff on Southern California Valley Girl culture eventually was absorbed into it, but Frank probably didn’t mind, as he got to share his only Top 40 hit with his daughter.
Jay Z
It’s ironic that both Jay Z and Kanye West rhymed about having potential sons on the track “New Day” from the hit album Watch the Throne and both ended up having daughters. While Nori hasn’t appeared on wax yet, Blue Ivy has, on the track “Glory.” In fact, in doing so, she and Jay broke a record for having the youngest person to ever chart on Billboard. Time will tell if these two kids ever become true musicians like their dads, but having a credit on a hit song before you can walk is pretty impressive, regardless.
Natalie Cole
Everyone is familiar with the iconic ’50s and ’60s crooner Nat “King” Cole. He roasts chestnuts on an open fire and has Jack Frost nip at your nose every winter. But his daughter Natalie was famous in her own right, with classic hits like “This Will Be” (thanks a lot, eHarmony, for jamming that song into our heads for eternity). Unfortunately, the two never got to work together in person, as Nat passed away from lung cancer in 1965, but after a rocky period of drug abuse for Natalie in the ’80s, she re-emerged singing the classics, one of which included a re-cut duet with her father of “Unforgettable,” which earned her three Grammys.
