There's what looks to be an interesting documentary on CBC tonight about the children of rock stars who try their own careers. Singing in the Shadow.
What spices it is that the son of Phil Collins has already whined about being treated as a no-talent never-was who rides on his father's name (I'm surprised he wasn't beaten to death years ago in some pub).
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Fascinating, thanks for the heads up!
2 - TDavid
Interesting that the article mentions Louis Osbourne and not Kelly who has yet to escape musically from her father's shadow, and doubtfully will if she records duets of Sabbath classics like Changes.
3 - Tom Johnson
Phil Collins was a killer drummer with Genesis. I don't want to sound like I'm standing up for the crap he's done lately, but we shouldn't dismiss the man entirely. I'd prefer to erase most of the last twenty years of his musical output, however . . .
4 - Eric Olsen
Collins was/is a great drummer and a very fine singer. I liked his early work replacing PG in Genesis. He became what he pretended to be. His first pop album was done kind of as a joke, but to his amazement it was a huge success and suddenly he was a pop singer and he had to keep it up to justify the $$$, keep the customers satisfied, and the rest is history.
His pop fans have a hard time picturing him drumming for an avant jazz ensemble like Brand X
5 - Tom Johnson
Ah . . . thanks, Eric, that reminded me to pull out Unorthodox Behavior and XCommunication, the only two Brand X discs I have. Haven't heard them in a LONG time . . .
6 - Jim Carruthers
The documentary was very interesting, I hope it gets an airing in the States since most of the people concerned were in the USA.
The son of Phil Collins (who was himself quite good - especially his comment about how music careers now relied on looks rather than talent, and saying he wouldn't succeed today with a face like this) was an example of somebody who specifically exploited his father to get ahead (Phil Collins as much as said so, mainly to keep his ex-wife happy). Simon Collins music is horrid.
In contrast was the son of David Crosby who was adopted as an infant, and didn't know Crosby was his father. James Raymond had a successful career as a musician and only as an adult, when Crosby was undergoing his liver transplant did he contact him.
The Guthrie family provides a view of families as musicians, and treating their music as a heritage.
A really good documentary, and well worth catching if you see it listed locally.
7 - Jim Carruthers
The point with Louis Osbourne (son of Ozzy from his first marriage) was he wanted to make it on his own as a DJ and had a rider in his contract saying they couldn't publize him as the son of Ozzy.
However, with the success of the show, eventually he gave in and started using the connection. Unlike Kelly, he doesn't sing.
And speaking of Kelly, why on earth is some record exec stupid enough to let her make a second album (okay retorical question).
8 - Taloran
Anyone remember Julian Lennon? What a waste of studio time!
I find Jakob Dylan's music with the Wallflowers listenable. I heard a quote from him on a local radio station. Apparently he gets a little miffed when people compare him with his Dad, and someone asked him something like "So, your voice is reminiscent of a singer from a previous generation" to dodge the question of his lineage while simultaneously bringing it up (typical rock-n-roll interview bullshit).
He replied something like, "Yeah, people are always comparing me to Mellencamp."
9 - Jim Carruthers
Both Julian Lennon and Jacob Dylan are in the documentary.
With Julian, the focus was on the pressure on him because he sounded and looked so much like his father (which lead to him dropping out of music because he couldn't live up to the expectations).
In the segment they had on Jacob Dylan they talked about how he started undercover with the band The Wallflowers (funny story, I used to work with a band from Ottawa called the Wallflowers who had to change their name because Dylan's band had bigger lawyers), but after some success, has had to play up his name.
One observation: Sally Taylor -- your mom is _totally_ hot.