The most musically gifted children of musicians have inherited their famous parents' natural abilities, and they've also been able to channel them into some great music. Having a musically talented mother or father doesn't automatically ensure that kids will grow up to be equally as talented. Sometimes, though, they do, and that's what this list is about. Vote for the artists that you believe are truly the most musically gifted, and vote down any artists that you don't think make the cut. Also, feel free to add any great talents whose parents are/were famous musicians, too.
The musicians on this list are the children who show enough promise to get noticed in the industry -- not just because their parents are famous musicians, but because they have enough musical talent that they don't have to just rely on their dad or mom's well-known name.
Some of the musicians on this list have not one, but two famous musical parents. Among them: singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, whose parents are Loudon Wainwright III and the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle. Musician and actor Ben Taylor is the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon (his sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician). Amazingly, none of the famous parents rank among MTV's best voices in music ever, but they don't really do music anymore, do they?
Another interesting observation: Many of the musically gifted kids of famous musicians on this list are the eldest children in their families, including Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny Cash), Natalie Cole (daughter of Nat King Cole), Adam Cohen (son of Leonard Cohen), Nancy Sinatra (daughter of Frank Sinatra) and. Liza Minnelli (daughter of Judy Garland) while others are famous only children like Lisa Marie Presley whose dad Elvis Presley was also an only child.
It's almost possible to compile a separate list of musically gifted children of The Beatles and considering they produced many of the best albums of all time, it's no surprise they'd have talented musical offspring as well. Julian Lennon and his younger half-brother, Sean Lennon (sons of John Lennon), have each enjoyed some success in the music industry. Dhani Harrison, the son of George Harrison, is a gifted musician, singer and songwriter and Paul McCartney's son, James McCartney, has released several EPs in recent years. Zak Starkey, son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, apparently inherited his dad's talents: Starkey has worked as a drummer for Oasis and The Who, among others.
And no list of musically gifted children of musicians would be complete without mentioning reggae legend Bob Marley's four talented sons: Ziggy, Damian, Stephen, Julian and Ky-mani Marley. Impressive legacy, no?1
649570Liza Minnelli
Pop musicAlbums: Results, Paris — Palais des Congrès: Intégrale du spectacle, Liza Minnelli, Come Saturday Morning, The Rink (1984 original Broadway cast)
Daughter of Judy Garland2
528385Rosanne Cash
Rock music, Folk musicAlbums: King's Record Shop, Seven Year Ache, Black Cadillac, 10 Song Demo, The Wheel
Daughter of Johnny Cash- 3512269
Bonnie Raitt
Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soulAlbums: Nick of Time, Nine Lives, Fundamental, Silver Lining, Longing in Their Hearts
Daughter of John Raitt. - 4974104
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Opera, BalletAlbums: Symphony Edition, Classical Anthology, Eternal Classics, Concertos for Flute, Harp and Orchestra (Orchestra: Saint Paul's Philharmonic Orchestra; Flute: Ubaldo Rosso; Harp: Ursula Mazurek; Conductor: Silvano Frontalini)
Son of Leopold Mozart 5
615580Natalie Cole
Adult contemporary music, Pop musicAlbums: Christmas With You, Unforgettable: With Love, This Will Be Natalie Cole's Everlasting Love, Dangerous, Ask a Woman Who Knows
Daughter of Nat King Cole6
639638Norah Jones
Vocal jazz, Jazz bluesAlbums: Come Away With Me, Feels Like Home, The Fall, New York City, Not Too Late
Daughter of Ravi Shankar7
596382Hank Williams, Jr.
Outlaw country, Country rockAlbums: Old School New Rules, Three Hanks: Men With Broken Hearts, That's How They Do It in Dixie: The Essential Collection, Rowdy, The Almeria Club Recordings
Son of Hank Williams- 863585
Ricky Nelson
Pop music, Rock musicAlbums: Rick Sings Nelson, Rudy the Fifth, The Rock 'n' Roll Era: Ricky Nelson: 1957-1972, Best of Ricky Nelson, The Lost '60s Recordings
Son of bandleader Ozzie Nelson - 9177197
Stewart Copeland
New Wave, Pop musicAlbums: Kollected Works, Klark Kent: Music Madness From the Kinetic Kid, The Rhythmatist, Orchestralli, The Stewart Copeland Anthology
Son of Miles Copeland, Jr., trumpet player with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. 10
507661Julian Lennon
Rock musicAlbums: Sosv1, Mr. Jordan, Valotte, Help Yourself, Photograph Smile
Son of John Lennon- 1113149
robin taylor zander
12
126134Adam Cohen
Rock musicAlbums: Adam Cohen, Like a Man, Melancolista
Son of Leonard Cohen- 13262166
Prince
Hip hop music, SynthpopAlbums: Purple Rain, Sign 'O' the Times, 1999, Love Symbol Album, Around the World in a Day
14
412496Jeff Buckley
Rock music, Folk musicAlbums: Grace, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, Songs to No One 1991-1992, Live at Sin-é, So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley
Son of Tim Buckley- 15202246
Dweezil Zappa
Pop music, Rock musicAlbums: Music for Pets, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, Havin' a Bad Day, Confessions, Automatic
Son of Frank Zappa - 168032
Daxx Nielsen
- 174316
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Musical theatreAlbums: The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Highlights from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles cast), Excerpts from The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar (Highlights 20th Anniversary)
Son of William Lloyd Webber
- 186238
Pam Tillis
CountryAlbums: Just in Time for Christmas, Homeward Looking Angel, Put Yourself in My Place, Greatest Hits, All of This Love
daughter of Mel Tillis
19
345451Ziggy Marley
ReggaeAlbums: Dragonfly, Love Is My Religion, Wild and Free, In Concert, Family Time
Son of Bob Marley- 203512
Jason Bonham
Blues-rock, Rock music 21
428539Jakob Dylan
Rock music, Alternative rockAlbums: Seeing Things, Women + Country
Son of Bob Dylan22
256343Dhani Harrison
Rock music, Alternative rockSon of George Harrison- 23140168
Keith Moon
Skiffle, Pop musicAlbums: Two Sides of the Moon
- 24139162Daughter of Brian Wilson
- 254964
Thomas Rhett
CountryAlbums: Thomas Rhett, It Goes Like This, Something to Do With My Hands, It Goes Like This