Children Who Followed in Their Fathers’ Musical Footsteps

Three legendary singers produced talented progeny

Top left: Nancy Sinatra, 1960s. Reprise Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Top right: Frank Sinatra, Jr. 1972. Solo Cup Productions, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Bottom left: Lisa Marie Presley, 2005. Department of Defense, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Bottom center: Julian Lennon, 2018. Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Bottom right: Sean Lennon, 1998, Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The old adage, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” could apply to the children of musical performers who choose to follow the same path as their parents. But the pressure to succeed as a child of a musical celebrity is intense. Here are three examples of kids who made a name for themselves despite their fathers’ fame.

The Sinatras

Two children of Frank Sinatra — Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra, Jr. — famously followed in their father’s footsteps. The elder Sinatra didn’t hesitate to give them both a significant boost in their careers.

Nancy Sinatra made her first television appearance on her father’s TV show in 1957. In 1961, Nancy signed with Reprise Records, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. She had no hit records in the United States for five years. Her career was foundering when her father asked songwriter and producer Lee Hazlewood to rescue Nancy from obscurity. The result was a top hit record in 1966, “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” a song that was popular in the U.S. and internationally.

Nancy had numerous other hits in the Sixties, including “Somethin’ Stupid,” a duet with her father, and several duets with Lee Hazlewood. She also…