View Full Version : "Brother" and "Sister" (and "Family") acts


um
06-01-2017, 07:35 PM
The "Bee Gees" (or "B G's" ) were an all-brother singing act. The only female in the group (their sister) did not stay with the band after they started to become famous.

The Ramones was a group consisting of at least two brothers, I think possibly three.
The Cowsills was a family singing group of mostly brothers but with one sister and their mother thrown in (or that is what I best understand. And, they were the group who influenced the TV show "The Partridge Family" needless to say).

I am not sure of the "Doobie Brothers," if it is just the band's name not really that it has any brothers in the act.



And of course there were the Osmond Brothers and the Jackson Five consisting of all brothers. Essentially their sisters had separate singing careers at least at first. Sure the Osmond Brothers eventually became "The Osmonds" nevertheless, singing acts were almost exclusively "Brothers" (even though the music styles can range from respectable established rock, to cheap kiddie pop).

The Brothers Gibb
The Allman Brothers
The Ramones
The Osmond Brothers
The Hudson Brothers
Andy and David Williams
The Keane Brothers

Some bands' names did not advertise the fact that there were brothers who were musicians in the band such as "Styx" (Panozzo brothers)

The Carpenters were rather unusual in this respect.

However, it seems that the only musical act in which there were all sisters was The Lennon Sisters who essentially were female crooners of the early 1960s.

I am not sure of Sister Sledge.

I guess there has never been an all-sister rock or pop band who became as well known as any of the "Brother bands"

If anyone know, say so.


Also Gladys Knight sang with her three male cousins. Isn't it interesting that the act was not called "Gladys Knight And Her Cousins"?
Why is "Brothers" and "Sisters" acceptable in a music-group name but not "Cousins"?

Foggy
06-01-2017, 09:14 PM
Actually they were a few Sister Singers Group.
Years ago...

The Andrew Sisters
Laverne Sophia (1911-1967), Maxene Angrlin 91916-1995),
Patricia "Patty" Marie (1919-2013)

The McGuire Sisters
Christine (1966- ), Dorothy (1928-2012), Phyllis (1981- )

And now, some very known (of today) Sister Singers

One of the most famous:
Heart - Ann and Nancy Wilson

Others:
The Pointer Sisters - Antia, June, Ruth, and later Bonnie

The Bangles - Susanna Hoffs, Debbie and Vicki Peterson

The Dixie Chicks - Martie Erwin (now Maguire), Emily Erwin (now Robison)

I'm sure they are others that I didn't list.

um
06-01-2017, 09:23 PM
Thanks for the info.

I should have remembered the Andrews Sisters.

I did not know that the Bangles were sisters I guess because it is not mentioned in the band name.


I also never knew that the Dixie Chicks were sisters.

Marvo301
06-01-2017, 09:45 PM
Hanson - they were all brothers

um
06-01-2017, 10:20 PM
Oh! The Mills Brothers

Ohio8
06-01-2017, 10:27 PM
Blue Oyster Cult/Bouchard: Albert (drums) and Joe (bass).

Ohio8
06-01-2017, 10:27 PM
The Beach Boys/Wilson: Brian, Carl, and Dennis.

Ohio8
06-01-2017, 10:29 PM
Winter: Edgar (saxophone, keyboards, and vocals) and Johnny (guitar and vocals).

um
06-01-2017, 10:54 PM
I am surprised that the Ramones were not really related. I heard at least two of them were.

Then they would be unusual in that their name indicated they are brothers , or family members but they aren't.

What about the Doobie Brothers?

Marvo301
06-01-2017, 11:04 PM
I am surprised that the Ramones were not really related. I heard at least two of them were.

Then they would be unusual in that their name indicated they are brothers , or family members but they aren't.

What about the Doobie Brothers?
The Doobie Brothers is just a band name. None of the members are related.

We also haven't mentioned The Everly Brothers

Edward216
06-01-2017, 11:04 PM
Nobody's mentioned the Irish band The Corrs. Although it was 3 sisters (One of whom was the drummer!) and one brother.

The country duo The Bellamy Brothers. But they had a big pop hit with one of their songs Let Your Love Flow and several country hits.

Then there's the Scottish identical twin brothers duo The Proclaimers. Who's "one hit wonder" in America was (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles.

Now defunct British band Oasis, two of its members were the notoriously feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher.

Australian rock band INXS, 3 of its 6 members were the Farris brothers.

The 80s band The Jets which was made up of several brothers and sisters. The family's actual last name was Wolfgram.

80s pop and R&B band DeBarge, although I can't remember now if they were brothers and sister or also a cousin or two but I do remember they were all related.

ETA: The rock duo Nelson. Identical brothers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, who are the sons of the late Ricky Nelson and grandsons of Ozzy and Harriet Nelson and brothers to actress Tracy Nelson. And nephews to actors Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber, (Mark Harmon's sister is their mom).

Ed.

um
06-02-2017, 07:28 AM
I was just about to mention the Isley Brothers

Foggy
06-02-2017, 09:45 AM
Of course, there is one of the most popular singing families of the 1930's 1940's, made more famous by Hollywood in "The Sound Of Music." THE TRAPP FAMILY (or The Von Trapp Family). Even though Hollywood wasn't exact,( because Hollywood usually isn't) It did give a look into the singing family.

Foggy
06-02-2017, 09:47 AM
Nobody's mentioned the Irish band The Corrs. Although it was 3 sisters (One of whom was the drummer!) and one brother.

The country duo The Bellamy Brothers. But they had a big pop hit with one of their songs Let Your Love Flow and several country hits.

Then there's the Scottish identical twin brothers duo The Proclaimers. Who's "one hit wonder" in America was (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles.

Now defunct British band Oasis, two of its members were the notoriously feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher.

Australian rock band INXS, 3 of its 6 members were the Farris brothers.

The 80s band The Jets which was made up of several brothers and sisters. The family's actual last name was Wolfgram.

80s pop and R&B band DeBarge, although I can't remember now if they were brothers and sister or also a cousin or two but I do remember they were all related.

ETA: The rock duo Nelson. Identical brothers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, who are the sons of the late Ricky Nelson and grandsons of Ozzy and Harriet Nelson and brothers to actress Tracy Nelson. And nephews to actors Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber, (Mark Harmon's sister is their mom).

Ed.


Thanks for this post - I learned a lot I didn't know.

Ohio8
06-02-2017, 11:43 PM
The "Bee Gees" (or "B G's" ) were an all-brother singing act. The only female in the group (their sister) did not stay with the band after they started to become famous.

The Ramones was a group consisting of at least two brothers, I think possibly three.
The Cowsills was a family singing group of mostly brothers but with one sister and their mother thrown in (or that is what I best understand. And, they were the group who influenced the TV show "The Partridge Family" needless to say).

I am not sure of the "Doobie Brothers," if it is just the band's name not really that it has any brothers in the act.



And of course there were the Osmond Brothers and the Jackson Five consisting of all brothers. Essentially their sisters had separate singing careers at least at first. Sure the Osmond Brothers eventually became "The Osmonds" nevertheless, singing acts were almost exclusively "Brothers" (even though the music styles can range from respectable established rock, to cheap kiddie pop).

The Brothers Gibb
The Allman Brothers
The Ramones
The Osmond Brothers
The Hudson Brothers
Andy and David Williams
The Keane Brothers

Some bands' names did not advertise the fact that there were brothers who were musicians in the band such as "Styx" (Panozzo brothers)

The Carpenters were rather unusual in this respect.

However, it seems that the only musical act in which there were all sisters was The Lennon Sisters who essentially were female crooners of the early 1960s.

I am not sure of Sister Sledge.

I guess there has never been an all-sister rock or pop band who became as well known as any of the "Brother bands"

If anyone know, say so.


Also Gladys Knight sang with her three male cousins. Isn't it interesting that the act was not called "Gladys Knight And Her Cousins"?
Why is "Brothers" and "Sisters" acceptable in a music-group name but not "Cousins"?

The Ramones were not related at all. They all had different last names.

Edward216
06-03-2017, 12:00 AM
That's very true about The Ramones. They got the name Ramone from Paul McCartney actually. Paul McCartney when he was a member of The Beatles would sometimes use the name Paul Ramone when checking in at hotels.

The country singing quartet The Statler Brothers. None of them actually had the last name Statler but two of the members were brothers. Harold and Don Reid.

Country-rock group Alabama. Three of the four members were first cousins. The drummer Mark Herndon wasn't related to the other guys.

Ed.

Bonniegirl
06-03-2017, 12:58 AM
A 60's group the Cowsills were siblings


http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6041/1281/320/milennium.jpg


A 70's group The DeFranco family


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1d/46/ed/1d46ed55178626ae3d6f05e7de25705c.jpg

Edison
06-03-2017, 01:50 AM
The Browns - Jim Ed and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie.
The Carter Family - A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, and his sister-in-law Maybelle.

DJM77
06-03-2017, 10:14 AM
Haim is a trio of three sisters.
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DJM77
06-03-2017, 10:18 AM
Not anyone that I would listen to, but I can think of a couple of country acts that haven't been mentioned. SheDaisy was a trio made up of three sisters. The Wilkinsons was a trio comprised of a brother, sister and father.

There was a rap duo briefly in the 90's called The Twinz. They were, you guessed it, twins.

DJM77
06-03-2017, 10:22 AM
A 70's group The DeMarco family


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1d/46/ed/1d46ed55178626ae3d6f05e7de25705c.jpg

I believe that's the DeFranco family.

DJM77
06-03-2017, 10:25 AM
How could we forget about the Smothers Brothers?

Okay, last post on this thread from me.

Bonniegirl
06-03-2017, 10:59 AM
I believe that's the DeFranco family.


Yeah! You are right! :D Let me go change that! ;)

MrCleveland
06-03-2017, 01:09 PM
The Kinks and CCR had brothers in their band.

The Kinks had Ray and David Davies.

Creedence Clearwater Revival had John and Tom Fogerty.

Edison
06-03-2017, 07:24 PM
The Chambers Brothers ("Time Has Come Today").

Edward216
06-04-2017, 12:39 AM
Not only were The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo sisters, at the time of their chart success in the 80s one of them (Janice) was married to country singer Vince Gill. They eventually divorced and Vince Gill is now married to contemporary Christian superstar Amy Grant. I haven't heard anything about The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo in a long time now. But I really liked them when they were getting played on the radio in the 80s.

A country duo that had a few hits back in the 90s and then seemed to also just disappear. The McKinleys, they were identical twin sisters.

The country singing quartet The Forrester Sisters had several hits back in the 1980s.

Hip-hop/R&B soul duo P.M. Dawn from the 90s. They consisted of two brothers.

Split Enz at one point had two brothers. Founding member Tim Finn, and on the band's last couple albums his younger brother Neil Finn as well. The same thing would happen years later when Tim would join as a member of Neil's band Crowded House on a few albums.

Ed.

Ohio8
06-04-2017, 01:42 PM
Van Halen: Eddie (guitar) and Alex (drums).

Ohio8
06-04-2017, 01:47 PM
Bachman-Turner Overdrive/Bachman: Randy (guitar and vocals), Tim (guitar and vocals), and Robbie (drums).

AC/DC: Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm (rhythm guitar) Young. Their older brother, George, was AC/DC's manager.

MrCleveland
06-04-2017, 02:41 PM
At one point, Barenaked Ladies had two brothers in the band...Jim and Andy Creegan.

New Kids on the Block also had brothers...Jordan and Johnathan Knight. Donnie Whalberg's brother Mark was a singer too under the name Marky Mark...but that was like The Bee Gees and Andy Gibb.

Edison
06-04-2017, 11:40 PM
The Springfields - Dusty Springfield (Mary O'Brien) and brother Tom Springfield (Dion O'Brien), on guitar, and Tim Field (Richard Feild).

The Collins Kids - Lorrie and brother Larry on guitar..in more ways than one.

Hawkee
06-05-2017, 03:06 AM
There was a country band in 1999/2000 called The Kinleys that were composed of twin sisters and had a debut album called Just Between You And Me but sadly they seemed to disappear from the country music scene. And here's another interesting fact about El Debarge. James DeBarge is the stepfather of singer Kristinia DeBarge who had a hit with the album Exposed
Bestie