When you think of the term “rock star,” some of the names that quickly come to mind, such as Bob Dylan, John Lennon and George Harrison, saw their offspring follow in their footsteps. Here below we wanted to examine six such famous progeny from some of classic rock’s biggest contributors. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
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1. Wolfgang Van Halen
The 32-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen is the guitar-playing son of the late iconic rock artist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli. As such, Wolfgang has both carried on his father’s musical legacy and forged his own path—not an easy feat. Earlier this year in 2023, he released his latest LP, the celebrated Mammoth II. For Wolfgang, who began writing and recording solo music about 10 years ago, it was his second studio LP. And of that record, he said, “This is the album where I’m working through everything that happened in my life since 2019, and that’s a lot. I think that’s why it ended up being a darker, heavier album.”
2. Sean and Julian Lennon
The two sons of The Beatles’ John Lennon have both taken a musical path. Sean Lennon, whose mother is multimedia artist and singer Yoko Ono, is these days often touring with bassist Les Claypool as part of Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Additionally, Sean has released two solo albums, Into the Sun in 1998 and Friendly Fire in 2006.
Julian Lennon is a Grammy-nominated artist and the inspiration for the Beatles’ song “Hey Jude.” He released his latest solo record, Jude, in 2022. The record offered an emotional outlet both for Julian and for anyone listening. Thankfully, both sons are still making music, despite the big shadow their father left behind.
3. Jason Bonham
The son of original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham has followed in his late father’s footsteps as a percussionist. He’s also performed as the fill-in drummer with the surviving three members of Zeppelin, playing his father’s parts. From 1984 into the 2020s, Jason appeared on dozens of albums from artists ranging from Foreigner to Sammy Hagar. He appears in the video below with the Wilson sisters of Heart, performing the Zeppelin hit “Stairway to Heaven.”
4. Dhani Harrison
Another child of a former Beatle, Dhani Harrison is the son of the late guitarist/songwriter George Harrison. In October, Dhani released his first solo LP in six years, INNERSTANDING. The new album was produced by Dhani and co-mixed by Paul Hicks, whose career includes projects with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Dhani first rose to musical popularity with his band thenewno2, and later began a solo career. He released the album IN///PARALLEL in 2017. Dhani also has enjoyed a career scoring films and television shows, including the HBO docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed.
5. Jakob Dylan
Perhaps the best-known name on this list, Jakob Dylan rose to popularity in the 1990s with his band The Wallflowers. With a smoky voice and face reminiscent of his father Bob Dylan, Jakob has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated for six. Today, he’s known for songs like “6th Avenue Heartache” and “One Headlight,” and albums such as Bringing Down the Horse and Women + Country.
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images
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