The List

6 Country Star Sons Who Are Carrying on the Family Legacy

The country music world is known for its famous families. Most children of country stars donโ€™t go on to carry to torch, but some do end up following in their parentsโ€™ footsteps. Letโ€™s dive into six country star sons who are doing quite a good job at carrying on their family legacy in music!

1. Lukas Nelson

Lukas Nelson is one of many country star sons who is carrying on the legacy of his father; and he even performs alongside his famous dad. Lukas Nelson is the song of Willie Nelson, and he definitely inherited his fatherโ€™s talent for singing, songwriting, and performing. His band Promise Of The Real has seen quite a bit of success, as have his solo performances on tour with his father.

Videos by American Songwriter

[Get Tickets To See Lukas Nelson And Family Live]

2. Shooter Jennings

Waylon Jenningโ€™s son Shooter is one of the most well-known country star sons who has walked in his fatherโ€™s outlaw country music-makinโ€™ footsteps. Jennings has made music in both traditional outlaw country as well as country rock. The track โ€œComing Homeโ€ from 2016 is a great example of his work, as is โ€œOutlaw Youโ€.

3. Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr., better known as Thomas Rhett, is the son of country music singer Rhett Akins. Rhett has been carrying on the family legacy for quite some time. He has released six studio albums and locked in four Grammy nominations thus far in his career. His hits like โ€œIt Goes Like Thisโ€ and โ€œCrash And Burnโ€ have topped the Billboard Hot Country and Country Airplay charts.

4. Ben Haggard

Country legend Merle Haggardโ€™s youngest son, Ben Haggard, spent much of his childhood playing in his fatherโ€™s band, The Strangers. He still carries on that family legacy today. Ben and his brother Noel perform their famous dadโ€™s music regularly, and Ben specifically has gained a pretty hefty social media presence in recent years. He also has plans to release his first solo album full of original tracks soon.

5. Sam Williams

Sam Williams is the song of Hank Williams, Jr. and the grandson of Hank Williams. Naturally, itโ€™s not very surprising that Sam Williams has a love for country music; at this point, itโ€™s genetic. Williams puts a more modern spin on traditional country music in his own work, with notable influences from pop music and R&B traditions. His debut record Glasshouse Children is a great piece of work that features contributions from Dolly Parton and others.

6. Jesse Keith Whitley

Jesse Keith Whitley is the son of country music legends Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan. Whitley performs live on a regular basis, often with his famous country star mother. Their duet cover of the Keith Whitley classic song โ€œDon’t Close Your Eyesโ€ is essential listening. They really do the song justice.

Photo by Catherine Powell

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.