4 Legendary Bands That Were Low-Key Family Affairs

There are some bands that wear their familial relations on their sleeves, for good and bad. Groups like The Beach Boys, Van Halen, and Oasis didn’t hide the family ties. Nor were they able to couch some of the squabbles that went on between relations.

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These four bands, however, also have (or had) family connections among the members, although they’re not quite as well-known. And, yes, there was also some turmoil involved in some of these situations as well.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Many people only know CCR as the outlet for John Fogerty’s songwriting aspirations. And it’s true that John carried most of the artistic weight in the band. He’d come into sessions with the songs. But it’s impossible to imagine Creedence having the same kind of impact without the assistance of the band behind him. That included Stu Cook on bass, Doug “Cosmo” Clifford on drums, and Tom Fogerty, John’s brother, on rhythm guitar. Sadly, relations became strained between John and Tom over the latter’s lack of input on the band’s material. Tom left before the group officially fell apart, and the two brothers never fully repaired their relationship.

Dire Straits

This case feels somewhat similar to CCR. Mark Knopfler defined what Dire Straits was all about with his singing and songwriting. He also made the biggest impact on their sound with his lyrical guitar work. For their first two albums, Mark was joined by his brother David Knopfler. During the recording of Making Movies, the band’s third album, the two siblings clashed. David left the band before the sessions were over, leaving Mark to replace all his guitar parts. Mark did help out on David’s first solo album in 1983. Meanwhile, Dire Straits moved on and enjoyed their biggest success in 1985 with the album Brothers In Arms. They’d release just one more LP before calling it quits.

Styx

When we think of the band Styx, the group’s talented frontmen and songwriters often get most of the attention. Dennis DeYoung played keyboards and helped the band break onto the pop charts with his soft touch on ballads. The addition of Tommy Shaw a few albums into Styx’s career helped the band reach new heights, as he formed an impressive twin-guitar attack with James “J.Y.” Young. But the rhythmic foundation of the band was formed by a pair of brothers. Right from the beginning of their time together, Chuck Panozzo played bass, while his fraternal twin John handled the drums. They were on board for all of the band’s biggest hits. John passed away in 1996, while Chuck is still a part-time player for the group on tour.

Radiohead

Radiohead is not a band that shows off with displays of instrumental dexterity. It’s not that they’re not capable of it. Instead, the quintet displays precious little ego, subsuming their individual skills for the betterment of the song as a whole. If there is a non-Thom Yorke member of the band who pops up on the radar of the casual fan, it’s Jonny Greenwood. The guitarist famously added a little bit of guitar noise to “Creep”, the band’s breakthrough hit. And he also does a lot of work composing soundtracks away from the band. Not as many folks realize that the bassist in the band is Jonny’s older brother Colin. His steady contributions might not grab the headlines, but they’re essential nonetheless.

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