With Madonna daughter Lourdes “Lolahol” Leon storming onto the music scene this week, now feels like a good time to revisit the nepotism baby music hall of fame (or infamy, for some).
Music makers who come from fame really run the full gamut. The range is so drastic that it’s hard to even compile a cohesive list. After all, how does one conflate Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be” with Chet Hanx’ “White Boy Summer” and still sleep at night?
Still, we would be remiss as a culture to act like all of these acts happened in a vacuum. So, let’s talk about it!
Here’s a list of some of many heirs who’ve tried their hand at music (to very varying degrees of success):
How about we take this to the next level?
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Lolahol
It’s too early to judge just how well Ms. Leon will endure, but “Lock&Key” is a perfectly fine introduction. It’s no wildfire single drop, but her mother’s debut single “Everybody” wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of her musical potential, so who knows what the next few years have in store? That said, the music industry landscape is a little different these days, so Lolahol may need to bank on a viral TikTok sound if she wants the charts to take notice.
Miley & Noah Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus’ shift from “Achy Breaky Heart singer” to “Hannah Montana’s dad” took a smooth 2.5 seconds after the show debuted. Miley is easily one of the most successful Disney-girl-to-popstar pipeline stories, and even with a hit-or-miss musical career, her peaks go high. Noah definitely plays Dannii to Miley’s Kylie, but her “July” duet with Leon Bridges is cute enough to earn her at least a little credibility. She’s at least better regarded since she stopped dating whatever “Lil Xan” is.
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly’s musical peak being a cover that’s inferior to the original is really all you need to know. Her father was an internationally known rockstar whose controversies included biting the head off a bat on-stage; Kelly’s biggest controversies have just been saying the dumbest possible things. Not quite in the same arena!
Brooke Hogan
Honestly, it’s surprising that “Hulk Hogan’s daughter” was a big enough claim to fame to warrant a spot in the Top 40. “About Us” dropped in ’06, right in the heat of the Paris Hilton craze where folks were seemingly ready to snap up any blonde heiress they could find. Every element of this song was something that had been done better elsewhere in the decade before it. She didn’t see a ton more success with her following show Brooke Knows Best, but it feels like the pivot to reality TV was at least a better fit.
Willow & Jaden Smith
Between being blown up by Karate Kid and “Whip My Hair” in 2010 (before either of them was in middle school), folks seemed ready to drag these two as the biggest examples of fame inheritance in years. Will Smith admitted in recent years that he had been pushing them towards the bigtime before they were ready. It apparently took Willow rebelliously shaving her head in the middle of touring “Whip My Hair” for their father to ease up. They both took a good few years out of the limelight, and even after coming back with their new, more defined artistic styles, neither Willow nor Jaden are commanding tabloid attention.
Whitney Houston
A controversial mention, but the facts must be reported! Cissy Houston was already an accomplished gospel singer before Whitney hit the scene singing background on her records. That said, it’s hard to consider Whitney a legacy act when her own legacy so strongly outshines most others. The difference was even stark as she rose; Whitney got a good five Grammys under her belt before Cissy won her first. Even her cousin Dionne Warwick can’t stand up to her record accolade-for-accolade. Would it be inappropriate to thank nepotism for this one?
Tiffany Trump
Yes, it’s a little cursed that Tiffany Trump dropped a single. It’s even more cursed that it features 2010s hit-maker rapper Logic. Most cursed of all is that it honestly gives Grimes’ Art Angels about half a decade ahead of its time. The track had a full TikTok resurgence last year solely off the comparison. If there absolutely had to be a Trump that the youths started ironically appreciating, Donald’s least favorite child was probably best case scenario here.
Ronbo
Apparently, genetics isn’t necessarily as helpful as wealth and fame. Miley seems to be the only one more talented than her parent.
If we showered kids in any square block in America (hell, anywhere) with money and opportunity, they’d surpass 99% of these people.
If only we could capture and redirect the energy from “football parents” into pushing actual education – education that helps the mind – we’d not have so many brain damaged adults. Maybe then the South could then produce a triple-digit IQ.
Sorry, that was mean. We should probably just make it law that extracurricular activies are only available to those who accurately read, write and understand math. Do we really need more politicians like Herschel Walker, tRump and Reagan?
Fearless conservatives have little shame for their sub-par work with everything from monkeys to SIX bankruptcies; the irony is that Republicans condemn Hollywood types while pushing the most toxic: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fred Thompson, Steven Seagal, Ronald Reagan, Don tRump, etc….
Kangol2
Whitney Houston’s talent far surpassed her mother’s gifts as a singer. Far, far, far surpassed them. Not even close.
barryaksarben
you obviously never heard a cissy Houston gospel song so making that comment shows just how ignorant someone can be
Kangol2
Miss @barryaksarben, girl, don’t come for me today! I have heard Cissy Houston sing her heart out and like I said, there is NO comparison. Whitney blows her homophobic mother back into the dust whence she came. Whitney could sing pop, R&B, rock & roll, opera (watch the clip of her with Pavarotti), and more. She could hold and carry notes and take it to another level. One of the tragedies of her career is that far too often she did not have material that made the best use of her gifts. But they were ample, as even her mother and her aunt, Dionne (love her!) would attest.
ScottOnEarth
@ barryaksarben – you might want to try growing up a bit….or a lot. Calling someone ignorant for their *opinion* is just childish and lazy. Besides, I’m pretty sure that the majority of the world would agree with Kangol2, given how technically-perfect and diverse Whitney’s incredible voice was. Cissy’s not so much.
ScottOnEarth
Considering Lourdes Leon’s mother is the most famous, beautiful, successful and worshipped female entertainer in history, I cannot imagine how hard it is for her to do anything that won’t be compared to her mother’s astounding accomplishments. I wish her the very best.
kish
Regardless of personal opinions, it’s hard to deny that stepping out of Madonna’s shadow is a difficult task. I’m surprised that Lola is attempting a music career. I would not bother.
JTinToronto
Barbra Streisand is NOT Lourdes’ mother, Madonna is.
Den
The song Lourdes recorded is actually pretty interesting. Her appearance and level of talent, not so much.
As for her mother, yes she is famous and successful (and, oddly, worshipped), but “the most beautiful”? There are any number of female singers both past and present possessed of more physical beauty, greater vocal talent, and more highly developed songwriting skill. Madonna was a very important entertainer as she enabled the women who came after her to have a greater voice in their own production and marketing.
Den
Miley and her sister are the only ones in this line up who amount to anything. Miley has greater vocal talent than her dad (much like Natalie Cole did), and having Dolly Parton as a Godmother and presence in your life growing up had to have helped. Listen to her “backyard sessions”, especially her recording of Lilac Wine (not an easy song), and you get an appreciation of her grasp of American roots music (Appalachian/country/folk).
Den
What the Trump, Smith and Hogan recordings show is how much can be done with mixing, filters, pitch correction, production and so on when the featured talent actually has little or no talent. Osborn’s offering is decent karaoke at best.
Kudos to them for having the balls (however misplaced) to put that stuff out there: but nonetheless sad to see the effects of privilege, second hand celebrity and indulgent parents on self awareness.
Fahd
Some skills and abilities have an inherited component. So, some NBA basketball players whose parents were basketball players have been better players than their parents, others not so much.
Similarly, musical talent usually has a big inherited component, and some musicians/singers are better or at least as good as their parents. However, to me, you can’t blame them for trying, but this list seems to be about those who lost out in the inheritance lottery. So, therefore, Whitney Houston shouldn’t be on the list. I love Cissy Houston and her music, but Whitney’s voice, while it lasted, was certainly once in a lifetime if not century and Whitney had the producers. [I can’t comment on the Madonna/Lourdes situation.]
Jack
A friend played Lola’s song for me without telling me who it was. I was underwhelmed. I wouldn’t say she couldn’t sing…but she has no emotion or depth in her voice at all. I give her props for making a record though. She probably knew she’s be ripped to shreds by many. I say…do you boo. I think David is going to be the star in the family in some form of entertainment.
CNY1983
ill take a pass on all of them. especially “ill rub my cooch on everything i see” leon.
no thank you.
ffxv
Including whitney on this list with these young lil white women and the smiths is thoroughly offensive. Plus i think theres a debate about the nepotism aspects of it
PhillyProud
I finally listened to Lourdes’ song. Egads, she has her mother’s talent for not being able to sing. While Whitney is clearly the most talented in this lineup, Miley is pretty good.
Notably missing is Lola Lennox. She even used her mother’s last name. Her work is not groundbreaking like Eurythmics but she has pipes!