Squandering The Legacy: Worst Artists' Kids

Just heard Martha Wainwright's "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole," nice work.

it's weird to me to think that having rich, famous parents heavily connected to the music industry could only "help" you in terms of it being a promotional hook. it's about having doors opened for you, having all your family friends and well-wishing adults who watched you grow up being music industry people who want to help you succeed. just as much as if your parents owned a car dealership, you're probably in good with all the Chamber of Commerce folks in your town and are not going to have a problem getting a nice gig right out of school, if you want it. music-wise, you're getting into meetings and lunches and parties and conversations that other people, of similar or perhaps greater 'talent,' aren't going to get access to. it's not something we can exactly 'fix' or control for, and it's not by itself a slight against the music... but let's not pretend Norah Jones or Eagle Eye Cherry is just humbly sending in a demo, an exec hears it and goes "who is this kid?? find them and sign them!"

minor fact-check: i believe Neneh Cherry is Don Cherry's step-daughter. and he and her mother had Eagle Eye together, so he's her half-brother.

I'd sooner relisten to "Save Tonight" than anything by anyone else on the list ("Blue Moon with Heartache" is close).

uhhh what

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ZxQyaWScE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QCLGWTNZak

They're fine, don't really stand out for me?

let's not pretend Norah Jones or Eagle Eye Cherry is just humbly sending in a demo, an exec hears it and goes "who is this kid?? find them and sign them!"

I don't know Eagle Eye's story, but I think Jones got signed on her own merits.

Yeah, iirc Ravi wasn't even really a part of NJ's life growing up and she made her bones for years before anyone connected the dots.

Yeah, and she very very much went out of her way not to make the connection or talk about him.

She even legally changed her name from Geethali Norah Jones Shankar to Norah Jones.

Kip Beethoven

The musician Moby is following in the footsteps of his long-distant ancestor Herman Melville and turning to the literary arena, with a ...

huh, okay, did not realize Jones was that far distant from Shankar.

Also as someone whose dad is *technically* a stepdad and whose sister is *technically* a half sister I don’t see much value in those corrections tbh

Appreciate that - definitely don't mean to suggest that they are not meaningfully "his" kids. I should have represented that as additional biographical detail rather than a fact-check.

Shame Mabel didn't feature in the poll to see how she'd do against her mum.

don't really know where to slot Caspar Brotzmann, he does his own thing but in that small niche world I'm sure his dad's name rang bells esp early on

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 15:05 (five hours ago) link

The family connection was def a thing when I first became aware of him in the mid-90s, but yeah not sure where to slot him since other than been "intense" and "loud" he really isn't anything like P Broztmann musically.

I think you could make the case he would be roughly the same level of renown if his name were Joe Bag'O'Doughnuts. I mean I'd probably buy a Bag'O'Doughnuts Massakar record

Personal story, untold until now...

Back when I was trying to start or join a band based on my freshly written songs, one guy told me that one of my songs was very similar to a demo tape he'd heard of Julian Lennon's. Five years later, I got to hear his tune in the chart. My song was called "Too Late". And yes, it does sound like one or other of us was copying.

Nor does Hank, Jr.

Ew, no

Sean Lennon's politics aren't necessarily better than Hank Jr's!

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, January 12, 2022 1:53 PM (yesterday)

not gonna defend sean who seems like a pretty annoying bitcoin bro but i dunno, hank seems significantly worse to me

Hank's decent as long as his rowdy friends stay at home.

well they have settled down

listening to Hank Jr, "OD'd in Denver" rules

yeah not to be corny indie dude but i heard the Oldham/Callahan cover of that in 2020 and it really made me rethink my opinions on Hank Jr, hell of a song.