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Genetics don’t guarantee hit records, but they can certainly set the stage for the next generation’s interest in a music career. Often, this inspiration starts at home; Latin pop stars Julio Iglesias and his son, Enrique Iglesias, are just one example of how enthusiasm not only for music but for a specific genre can be homegrown. For other famous music dads, while the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it sometimes rolls into an entirely different genre, as it has for country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughters, Miley and Noah.

Music is full of iconic lineages, like jazz trumpeter Olu Dara and his son, hip-hop wordsmith Nas, but the idea of talent running in the family isn’t limited to the stage. While some families have music in their DNA, creative dynasties form across pop culture, bringing familiar surnames to other industries ranging from television and film to sports and everything in between. Take Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and his daughter, accomplished actress Liv Tyler, or Major League Baseball pitcher Tug McGraw and his son, country sensation Tim McGraw, as examples.

These are far from the only examples of superstars who’ve followed their famous father’s footsteps into the spotlight, and they won’t be the last. This Father’s Day, GRAMMY.com celebrates some of music’s most prominent dads, across different genres and decades in music, who changed the sound of their generation — and raised the next one.

Rhett Atkins was part of the mid-90s wave of country radio staples, scoring smashes like “That Ain’t My Truck” (1995), but his biggest impact came from behind the scenes, as a chart-topping Nashville songwriter with credits for contemporary country standouts like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and his own son, Thomas Rhett. In his teenage years, Thomas learned how to play the drums and later joined his father on stage. Between this early experience and his father’s musical roots, it’s hardly any surprise that Thomas grew up to become a modern country juggernaut with crossover appeal — one who’s arguably surpassed his father, at least in mainstream terms.

Since his 2013 debut, It Goes Like This, Thomas Rhett has won fans with his earnest blend of heartland storytelling and pop-savvy hooks, notching 20 No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart while balancing writing and producing his own music with penning singles for other country acts, such as Jason Aldean, Lee Brice and Florida Georgia Line. With his dad as both inspiration and co-writer — the pair have written several songs together, including “Things Dads Do” — Thomas has bridged generations of country while pushing the genre forward, proving that in this family, the hits just keep coming.

Travis Barker & Landon Barker

As blink-182‘s drummer, triple-threat singer/songwriter/producer Travis Barker helped bring pop-punk into the mainstream with razor-sharp skill, fiery stage presence and a knack for turning angst into anthems. Cult-favorite blink-182 albums like 1999’s Enema of the State made Barker a respected rocker, recognized by Rolling Stone not only as “punk’s first superstar drummer” but also one of the 100 greatest drummers of all time. Though he’s best known for his role in blink-182, the native Californian has been a bandmate of other groups — including the rap-rock outfit Transplants — and has also released solo music (like his 2011 debut LP, Give the Drummer Some). As is often the case with visionary artists, Barker’s influence has transcended genre, leading him to work with prominent voices in hip-hop and produce for both Machine Gun Kelly and Willow Smith. 

Since making his first major strides into the music industry in 2022 (on Machine Gun Kelly’s “Die in California”), Travis’ son Landon has shown that musical talent runs in the Barker family blood. But unlike his father, the Gen Z up-and-comer has traded the drums for the mic and pop-punk for alternative/indie, adopting a vocal cadence and overall style not unlike Machine Gun Kelly’s on Tickets to My Downfall (produced by Travis). He’s currently signed to his father’s record label, Elektra Imprint DTA Records, where he’s released the first two official singles of his career. In a true full-circle moment, Travis plays the drummer on Landon’s debut offering, “Friends With Your EX.”

Few voices are as timeless as Nat “King” Cole‘s. The jazz pianist, pop vocalist and civil rights ally rose to prominence in the late 1930s as the founding member of the King Cole Trio, which went on to become the best-selling group and sole Black act on Capitol Records a decade later. Come 1950, he would launch his solo career, continuing to break racial barriers while delivering the velvety numbers, like “Unforgettable” and “L-O-V-E,” that made him a household name.

Natalie Cole‘s career is inextricably linked to her father’s not just by blood, but by shared artistry. Her debut single, “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” from her first album, 1975’s Inseparable, introduced her dulcet R&B sound and earned her the GRAMMY for Best New Artist the following year. Like her father, Natalie made history in her own way, becoming the first Black artist and the first from the R&B genre to receive the award.

Over time, Natalie moved away from R&B and toward pop, eventually releasing Unforgettable…with Love. The tribute to her father finds Natalie covering some of his songs and even dueting with him on the album’s namesake song, “Unforgettable.” In 1992, Natalie became the first Black woman to win the coveted Album Of The Year golden gramophone for Unforgettable…with Love, which also won for Record Of The Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance that year. The LP bridged their two inimitable yet interwoven sonic legacies, striking a sense of magic that has permeated Natalie’s career since.

Billy Ray Cyrus & Miley, Noah, Trace, and Brandi Cyrus 

With his signature mullet and career-making hit, “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus popularized line dancing as he formalized his place in country music’s hall of fame. From a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 credit (for his feature on Lil Nas X‘s 2019 record-breaking single, “Old Town Road”) to a nine-times multi-platinum album (his debut LP, Some Gave All), Cyrus has stacked accolades since he broke out in 1992, solidifying his status as a defining voice in country music. But his most enduring cultural imprint might be his role as the father and creative launchpad of Miley, Noah and Trace Cyrus. 

Many 90s kids’ first exposure to Billy Ray and Miley was the Disney Channel TV series “Hannah Montana,” which blossomed into the 2009 Walt Disney Pictures theatrical film of the same name. After co-starring with her father, Miley transcended Disney stardom to become one of the most polarizing and chameleonic artists of her generation, fluidly working across country, pop, rock and even hip-hop. Last year, she won her first solo GRAMMYs (Record Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for her 2024 single, “Flowers”), and added to her total at the 2025 GRAMMYs thanks to her Beyoncé collab, “II MOST WANTED,” which took home Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Noah celebrated a GRAMMY nomination of her own at the 2021 GRAMMYs, where she was nominated for Best New Artist. Since her official debut as a singer/songwriter with 2016’s “Make Me (Cry),” Noah has increasingly carved her folk-pop lane while maintaining a flexibility evident in her genre-fluid collaborations with acts like Fleet Foxes, Diplo, XXXTENTACION, and Leon Bridges.

Miley and Noah’s older brother, Trace, has also enjoyed musical success as the frontman of Metro Station. The pop-rock outfit scored a few radio hits in the late 2000s, including the party-starting track “Shake It.” Outside of his work with Metro Station, Trace has also formed the pop group Ashland HIGH, and has most recently pursued a solo career that taps into his father’s country roots (though, as recent social media posts have indicated, their relationship is strained).

Even the eldest Cyrus sister, Brandi, has dabbled in the music industry. Known for her work as a DJ, Brandi has landed residencies at the Wynn in Las Vegas, where she is also serving as the opening act for Kenny Chesney‘s shows at the Sphere in May and June.

Bob Dylan & Jakob Dylan

Jakob Dylan didn’t set out to be his father, but comparisons were inevitable. As the frontman of The Wallflowers, he was part of the 90s alt-rock wave, netting a GRAMMY for their breakout hit, “One Headlight,” and steadily developing a sound grounded in heartland grit and quiet introspection. 

His father, 10-time GRAMMY winner Bob Dylan, cast one of the longest shadows in American music history, not just as a folk and rock and roll legend but as a true artist who expanded the possibilities of lyricism in folk and other genres. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time — who achieved greater lyrical depth by weaving imagery and allusions to political, philosophical and other influences into his music — Bob turned protest into poetry, earning a Pulitzer Prize (2008) and a Nobel Prize for Literature (2016) along the way.

Musically, Jakob took a different path — one less overtly political and generally more personal than his father’s. Across six Wallflower albums and two solo projects, he’s developed a lyrical style heavily invested in character-driven storytelling that unfolds in a much more straightforward fashion compared to Bob’s, though with no less depth. Jakob’s work is proof that he didn’t try to echo Bob’s voice; rather, he found his own.

The frontman of U2, Bono is arguably one of the most recognizable voices in rock. Thanks to open-hearted singles like “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” U2 carved out a contemplative corner in the genre after getting their start in 1976. The Irish band’s introspective, socially conscious strain of rock set it apart from its more aggressive counterparts, merging vulnerability with a global point of view that has continued to resonate with audiences decades later. In a testament to their enduring influence, U2 became the first musical act to perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas in 2023, playing a residency of 40 shows at the groundbreaking venue.

All these years later, Bono’s son, Elijah Hewson, channels that same emotional pull, but with an indie edge. As the lead singer of fellow Irish band Inhaler, he’s compellingly intersected indie-rock cool with arena ambition. Their 2021 debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, topped the Irish and UK charts, establishing Inhaler as one of Ireland’s most promising exports. They further expanded their footprint with 2023’s Cuts & Bruises and, more recently, February’s Open Wide. These albums are Elijah and Inhaler’s stepping stones into a spotlight of their own right.

Julio Iglesias & Enrique Iglesias

Julio Iglesias isn’t just a romantic icon — he’s also the best-selling male Latin artist of all time. With more than 300 million records sold in 14 languages, the GRAMMY-winning Spanish singer/songwriter set an unprecedented standard for suave, multilingual crossover success. 

The expression “like father, like son” is certainly applicable to Enrique’s booming career, which has extended the Iglesias family’s musical legacy since he began releasing music in the early ’90s. Determined to keep his musical ambitions a secret from his father and avoid any advantage tied to his last name, Enrique shared his first demo under the alias Enrique Martínez. In 1995, he embraced his true identity, putting out the eponymous debut LP, Enrique Iglesias. 

His explosion in the Latin pop space was catalyzed by chart-dominating singles like “Bailamos,” “Hero” and “Escape,” which thrust Latin flavor into the American Top 40. Today, he’s recognized as one of Latin music’s best-selling acts; along with more than 180 million album sales worldwide, he has the most No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart (27) and the Latin Pop Airplay chart (24). A GRAMMY and five-time Latin GRAMMY winner, Enrique has followed in his father’s footsteps to become a crossover king who learned from the genre’s very best.

In the case of the Kravitzes, one boundary-pushing career begets another. Lenny Kravitz built a bold reputation rooted in individuality, defined by his signature dreadlocks, bell-bottoms, sunglasses, and his soulful sound melding vintage rock influence with a modern edge.

The multi-instrumentalist is recognized not only for reinvigorating rock in the late ’80s and ’90s, but also for bringing Black artistry back into the rock space at a time when pop cultural conceptions of rock had grown increasingly white, due to the rise of acts like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He reclaimed rock’s Black roots through a genre-fluid, retro-futuristic lens that underscored his ear for innovation. His four consecutive GRAMMY Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance between 1999 and 2002, given for hits like “Fly Away” and “Again,” were a resounding reflection of his impact.

While Zoë Kravitz is better known for her acting than her music, she’s made her mark as the frontwoman of Lolawolf, an indie-electronic duo that draws from a cool, curated palette of R&B and electropop. Though her sonic approach is different from her father’s, it embraces the same sense of genre fluidity that helped put Lenny on the map. Lolawolf put out its last album, Tenderness, in 2020 and previously opened for Miley Cyrus, Azelia Banks and Lily Allen.

John Lennon & Julian and Sean Ono Lennon 

It’s only natural that the sons of a member of one of the most influential bands in music history found their way into music. The Beatles shifted the very shape of rock and roll from the ’60s onward, rocketing into an unprecedented echelon of international stardom and commercial success. Come 1969, John Lennon‘s role in the group, which remains the best-selling music act of all time, primed him for a high-achieving solo career that often found him collaborating with his wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono. He continued to influence popular music and culture through his resonant songwriting and peace-driven activism alike, most famously with his 1971 anthem, “Imagine.”

Both Lennon brothers carry fragments of their late father’s influence in their music, but they’ve each reshaped it in their own ways. Julian, John’s eldest son, broke through in the ’80s with Valotte, a GRAMMY-nominated debut that introduced his smooth, melodic pop-rock sound and vocals that bore an uncanny resemblance to John’s. Like his father, Julian split his focus between music and philanthropy and, in the ’90s, even took a step back from the music industry to focus on aid efforts. While he’s made many nods to his father throughout his career, the most overt came on his 2022 album Jude — a titular allusion to the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

Sean Ono Lennon, by contrast, has walked a far more experimental path, embodying his father’s natural aptitude for artistic exploration in an avant-garde psychedelic pop framework. This roving has taken him across roles, too, leading Sean to score several films, join four different bands (including an offshoot of his parents’ Plastic Ono Band, the Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band), and produce music for a diverse array of artists, ranging from his mother to Lana Del Rey to the Black Lips. 

Notably, Sean served as an art director on the 2024 box set of John’s 1973 album, Mind Games, which won Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Packaging at the 2025 GRAMMYs. In his heartfelt acceptance speech, Sean paid tribute to his late father’s legacy: “I’m going to really work my hardest to keep the Beatles and John Lennon’s music out there in the world.”

Before stadium tours and streaming-era fame, Brian Littrell was one of the voices that defined late-’90s pop. As the high tenor in the Backstreet Boys, his smooth, expressive vocals anchored smashes like “I Want It That Way” and “As Long As You Love Me,” which turned the group into a global sensation.

His son, Baylee Littrell, grew up watching it all. By the age of 9, Baylee was already opening arena shows for the Backstreet Boys, performing two songs mostly every night. But when it came time to make music of his own, Baylee pivoted from his father’s boy-band pop (and, later, contemporary Christian music) to a genre completely his own: country. 

Despite his different stylistic lane, that same year, Baylee joined the Backstreet Boys as the opening act of the North American leg of their 2019 DNA World Tour. A few months later, he formalized his burgeoning sound, based in twang and storytelling, on his debut album, 770-Country. As he’s continued to actualize his country music career, he’s guested on Chris Lane’s Big Big Plans tour and even appeared on “American Idol” this past March to punch his golden ticket to Hollywood. For Baylee, music has never been about filling his father’s shoes — it’s more about lacing up his own.

The face of reggae, who is widely recognized as one of the genre’s founding fathers, Bob Marley merged Rastafarian philosophy with music in a movement that was deeply spiritual, political and ultimately, generational. Through celebrated numbers like “One Love” and “Redemption Song,” the late Jamaican musician delivered a message of resistance and unity that his sons, Ziggy, Stephen and Damian, have expanded on in their respective, highly decorated careers.

Ziggy, the eldest of the three, has become a prominent voice in reggae music, first as the frontman of the family band, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and currently, as a solo artist with eight GRAMMY Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award to his credit. Along the way, he’s used his platform to champion children’s rights and social justice. 

Stephen is also an eight-time GRAMMY Award winner who’s earned his golden gramophones across solo projects, production and his work with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. Over the years, he’s leaned more heavily into production than his father did, but embraces a lyrical style similarly focused on themes of spirituality, struggle and social justice. 

Like Bob, Damian carries forth the tradition of using music as a vehicle for protest and cultural pride, albeit in a more genre-fluid fashion that pushes the boundaries of reggae music by infusing elements of modern hip-hop and dancehall. He’s won four GRAMMYs to date, with two — Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance — given for his best-known album, Welcome to Jamrock. At the 2006 awards ceremony, Damian became the first Jamaican reggae artist in history to take home two GRAMMYs on the same night. (Perhaps surprisingly, Bob never won a GRAMMY in his lifetime, but was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.)

With his swiveling hips, devilish charm and singular sound, Elvis Presley ascended to a level of celebrity that propelled him to become the first true rock and roll icon — and one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century. He was the driving force behind rock and roll’s explosion in the ’50s, hybridizing the genre into a blues, country, gospel, and R&B-inflected fusion of energetic and sometimes sensual sound.

Elvis’ impact is still felt in the cultural zeitgeist today, with the Elvis impersonators who marry couples in Las Vegas — where The King of Rock and Roll revolutionized the Sin City residency — serving as just one example. While he remains the best-selling solo artist in music history, Elvis’ lasting influence lies not just in his rich sound and role in shaping rock and roll. As much as he was a popular figure, he was also a controversial one who challenged the era’s conservative norms around race and sexuality while helping to establish the concept of the modern celebrity.

This left big blue suede shoes for his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, to fill in the wake of his 1977 passing. In 2003, she established her bluesy, alt-rock sensibilities with the release of her debut studio album, To Whom It May Concern. Over the course of her career and two follow-up LPs, this sound morphed into a more organic, Americana offshoot that stood in stark contrast to her father’s booming baritone, but descended from the same type of deliberate artistry. Listeners can hear both Elvis and Lisa Marie on “Where No One Stands Alone,” a digital duet of the 1967 original, released in 2018.

The Presley family’s name continues to live on in the entertainment space beyond Elvis and Lisa Marie’s solo contributions, via Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough. The actress took home a Primetime Emmy Award for her starring role in the 2023 Amazon Prime Video series, “Daisy Jones & the Six,” in which she shows off her own musical chops — proving that the Presley genes are alive and well.

Carlos Santana & Stella and Salvador Santana

As the namesake and lead guitarist of the rock band Santana, Carlos Santana electrified and redefined Latin rock, fusing bluesy riffs and Afro-Latin percussion into a sound that has endured across generations — and continues to captivate them. His sonic footprint is massive, spanning 10 GRAMMY Awards, three Latin GRAMMYs and rock’s highest honor: induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Stella Santana’s sound largely diverges from her father’s highly textured, instrument-rich fusion to favor more muted, downtempo production layered with silky vocals — but it’s no less rooted in rhythm and soul. Since debuting her first single in 2015, she’s released three EPs, a full-length album, and a slew of singles, including her latest, “Shark Bite,” in April. 

Her brother, Salvador, is also a musician, and won his first GRAMMY Award alongside his father, for the song “El Farol,” from Santana’s 1999 album, Supernatural. Later, in 2004, he founded the Salvador Santana Band, which specializes in a melange of hip-hop and jazz. Both siblings contributed to Santana’s 2021 LP, Blessings and Miracles; Stella is credited on “Breathing Underwater,” and Salvador on “Rumbalero.”

Will Smith rose to fame as one-half of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, integrating hip-hop into popular culture with a smooth, agile flow and comedic storytelling. In 1989, the duo won the inaugural GRAMMY award for rap, Best Rap Performance, for their song, “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” This achievement alone confers legend status to the entertainment icon, who is acclaimed not only for his success in music but also within the film and television industry. He’s passed down his raw, versatile talent and charisma to his children, Jaden and Willow Smith, who have together proven that the Smith legacy isn’t about replication but rather, reinvention.

While both of the Smith kids have followed in their father’s footsteps to act and release music, they’ve done so with their own unique flair. Jaden forged his artist career with an appearance on Justin Bieber‘s 2010 single “Never Say Never” and a stream of mixtapes that paved the way to his 2017 debut LP, SYRE, released via Roc Nation and Interscope Records. That same year brought Willow her first taste of viral success with “Whip My Hair,” which landed on Roc Nation with high energy and pure confidence.

Both siblings’ sounds have transformed since the earlier days of their careers. Jaden’s has morphed into a warm, upbeat hybrid of dream pop and alternative hip-hop, which complements Willows stride into a similarly ambient palette of sounds, including neo-soul, R&B and pop. It’s no wonder, then, that the siblings each recruited each other on their respective 2019 projects: “Summertime in Paris” on Jaden’s Erys, and “U Know” on Willow’s self-titled LP. (Will and Jaden have also teamed up on two songs: “Icon” alongside Nicky Jam from Jaden’s 2017 album, Syre, and “Work of Art,” a collab with Russ on Will’s 2025 album, Based On a True Story.)

Guitar god Eddie Van Halen all but rewrote the instrument’s vocabulary while propelling his eponymous band, Van Halen, into one of the biggest rock acts of the late 20th century, courtesy of hits with horsepower, like “Jump.” In the ’70s, Van Halen drove hard rock’s mainstream resurgence, becoming a household name in the process. With this much natural-born skill in the Van Halen bloodline, music was destined to become a family affair. (Later, Eddie would even name a line of Peavey Electronics guitars, the Wolfgang series, after his son.)

Although Wolfgang Van Halen grew up in the wings of one of rock’s most esteemed legacies, he never treated it like a shortcut. After playing as the bassist in his father’s eponymous band from 2007 through his father’s death in 2020 — as well as in the band Tremonti in 2015 and 2016 — Wolfgang came into his own on 2021’s Mammoth WVH. Along with writing every song, he sang and played every instrument, as he did on its 2023 follow-up, Mammoth II.

Though the name Mammoth is an homage to his dad’s first group, Wolfgang’s solo project marries precision with vulnerability, pairing muscular riffs with melodic hooks and lyrical honesty. It trades Van Halen’s signature flashiness for introspection and emotional focus in a way that found Wolfgang carrying the torch but reshaping its fire — like so many other children of famous musicians who forged their paths not by lineage, but rather by finding and igniting their own creative flames.