Seven singing brothers who were never in bands together
The history of music is littered with brothers who perform together, even if at some point they fight along the way. Fortunately, most of the family acts have avoided the publicized in-house turmoil, like the brother-sister tandem of the Carpenters, the siblings in Van Halen, and the Taylor brothers of Duran Duran.
There’s also a trio of brothers, the Finns, in the 1980s New Wave band Split Enz, who had hits like “One Step Ahead” and “I Got You.” Making hits around the same time were Heart’s sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.
Still, any musician aspiring to form a band with Sis or Bub should beware, as there are a number of family groups that have nearly torn each other apart physically or in litigation. The Beach Boys with the Wilson brothers might be the most famous example, along with the much-publicized feuds between the Davies brothers in the Kinks or the long-standing rivalry between Liam and Noah Gallagher of Oasis.
If such family feuds scare you from taking the stage with someone who shares your parents, you can always opt for a separate career from him. Here are seven examples of musical brothers who haven’t played in a band together.
Jim’s Seals and Dan’s Seals
They each have a singing partner, the youngest (nicknamed England) with John Ford Coley and the eldest with Dash Croft.
Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees
Barry, Robin and Maurice had been around for a decade before peaking with Saturday Night Fever, and their little brother hit number one around the same time with “Thicker Than Water.”
crystal gale and loretta lynn
Coal Miner’s Daughter made her older sister a huge star, but Crystal topped the charts with “Half the Way.”
Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon
They shared a father who was the genius behind The Beatles, so it’s no surprise that the two sons have had diverse recording careers.
Rufus Wainwright and Marta Wainwright
Their folksinger father, Loudon, wrote tunes about these two sons before they each went on to pursue careers in a variety of musical genres.
Shaun Cassidy and David Cassidy
In his role as Keith on The Partridge Family, David sang many hits before his little brother did his enduring version of “Da Do Ron Ron.”
Johnny Van Zandt and Ronny Van Zandt
Lynyrd Sknyrd lost Ronny in a plane crash, only several years later to employ Johnny in the role of lead singer.