Arts Entertainments

Seven singing brothers who were never in bands together

The history of music is littered with brothers performing together, even if at some point they are separated from two along the way. Fortunately, most family acts have avoided publicized internal turmoil, such as the Carpenters’ brother-sister tandem, the Van Halen brothers and Duran Duran’s Taylor brothers.

There is also a trio of brothers, the Finns, in the 1980s New Wave band Split Enz, who have 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 band with Sis or Bub might want to take cautilon, as there are a number of family groups that have nearly been physically torn apart or in dispute. The Beach Boys with the Wilson brothers might be the most famous example, along with the highly publicized fights between the Davies brothers in The Kinks or the long-standing rivalry of Liam and Noah Gallagher from Oasis.

If such family squabbles scare you out of going on stage with someone who shares your parents, you can! Ways to choose a different career than his. Here are seven examples of musical brothers who have not performed together in a band.

Jim Seals and Dan Seals

They each have a singing partner, the youngest (nicknamed England) with John Ford Coley and the oldest 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 the older sister a big 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 wonder the two sons have had diverse musical careers.

Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright

Loudon, their folk singer father, wrote tunes about these two sons before each pursued 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 cast Johnny in the lead singer role.

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