Family Ties

Thanks, mom and dad—these celebrities ended up being thrown in the gene pool

By Andy Cheng

Sometimes, you just have to wonder where musicians get their tremendous talent. How about genetics? Many artists inherit their brilliance for music by watching mom and dad on the tube or hearing them on record players. And when your mom’s a former surf-punk rocker (a la Kreayshawn) or your dad’s a heavy metal icon (be glad you weren’t born to the Osbournes), the family doesn’t fall short of filial success. Here are some artists born to fame and/or fortune:

The Marley children—11 in total with a number of different mothers—are all the offspring of renowned reggae legend Bob Marley—which gives new meaning to the song “One Love.” Most of them have carved out careers for themselves in the world of reggae (makin‘ poppa proud I’m sure). Ziggy Marley was leader of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers before going solo and scoring a Grammy. Damian, Julian, Ky-Mani and Stephen Marley are all successful solo artists. Sharon and Cedella Marley performed with the Melody Makers.

Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon are both sons of late Beatles member John Lennon. Julian is a musician and actor, having recently released his sixth album Everything Counts. Sean has worked as a solo artist, but recently formed a duet called The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.

Lisa Marie Presley is the only child of Elvis Presley. She is also known as the “Princess of Rock and Roll,” probably because her father is the “King.” Lisa is a successful solo artist who has covered songs by Don Henley, The Ramones and, of course, her father. Oh, and she was Michael Jackson’s first wife.

Hank Williams Jr. is the son of, you guessed it, country music pioneer Hank Williams. He celebrated his professional career as a solo musician, creating songs such as “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.” Yes, I just went there, but despite his calamitous remarks on Fox and Friends, he’s quite established in the country genre.

Rosanne and John Carter Cash are two of Johnny Cash’s five children who have music careers. They take after their father in the country spirit. Rosanne won a Grammy and penned numerous No. 1 country hits, while brother John is, among other things, a record producer.

Liza Minnelli is the daughter of the original The Wizard of Oz actress, Judy Garland (who also sang the original “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”). Minnelli is a renowned actress and singer, having won Tonys, an Oscar, an Emmy, Golden Globes and a Grammy (Whew!). She definitely found the pot of gold under the rainbow.

Jaden and Willow Smith are the children of Jada Pinkett and Will Smith. Jaden is known for his roles in The Pursuit of Happiness and The Karate Kid, while Willow induces seizures with her hit song “Whip My Hair.” You could say that they are a fresh prince and princess.

Liv Tyler is the daughter of full-lipped Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. For all the nerds out there, she also has Elvish blood, as she played the beautiful Arwen Undómiel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. She should have left for Valinor, in my opinion.