Though the Von Trapp story may be commonly known through Rodgers and Hammerstein’s interpretation in The Sound of Music, the real Von Trapps faced a much less cheery reality. The family consisted of seven (not 10) children who already enjoyed music and singing prior to Maria’s arrival. Maria (played by Julie Andrews on-screen) originally came to the Von Trapp family as a tutor and fell in love with the children, not Georg—though Maria accepted his hand in marriage, she admits in her 1949 book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, that she didn’t really love him until later. And it was only after the family wealth disappeared that the Von Trapps turned their singing abilities into a profession. The musical group blossomed in the U.S. after the family bought a large property in Stowe, Vermont, where they operated a music camp, which has since been converted into a resort. The great-grandchildren of the Von Trapps are still performing together and recently appeared on Oprah, along with the entire cast of the original film, who reunited for the first time since The Sound of Music’s release 45 years ago.
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Though it’s been decades since the Jackson 5 ruled the pop-music scene in the 1970s, the brothers’ accomplishments remain incredibly impressive—and not just because of their outstanding ability to synchronize moves in tight-fitting bell bottoms and wildly fringed vests. The band—consisting of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson—were one of the first musical groups to make it to the top of the Billboard charts with their first four songs-- “ I Want You Back,” “ ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There.” The band was also notorious for their strict practicing schedule thanks to their dad-ager, Joe. But the Jackson 5’s hard work paid off as the band shaped the height of Motown in the 1960s and 1970s—they were the first African Americans to host a variety show, The Jacksons, and reached platinum-album success by 1978 with their album Destiny. But when youngest Jackson, the late King of Pop, Michael, outperformed his brothers with his solo project Thriller in the early 1980s, the members of the Jackson 5 soon went their own way. Still, the brothers from Gary, Indiana, have inspired decades of boy bands since.
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More than a decade after bursting onto the pop-music scene in 1997, few understand exactly what an “ MMMBop” is. Still, Hanson—consisting of three brothers from Oklahoma—made its mark with that initial hit single. Their premiere album, Middle of Nowhere, sold more than 10 million copies worldwide in 1997. Though they have yet to match the phenomenal success of “MMMBop,” eldest Isaac, youngest Zac, and middle brother Taylor have overcome media backlash and record-label breakups to maintain a solid independent music career. Their most recent album, Shout It Out, was released in June and the band is touring the country for its still- rabid fanbase.
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Brother and sister Richard and Karen Carpenter started as The Richard Carpenter Trio—him on piano, her on the drums, and their friend Wesley Jacobs on the tuba. The three won the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands in 1966, but three years later, they were signed to A&M as a duo. The Carpenters played a softer, easier-listening rock than what was popular during the 1970s, but the siblings managed to regularly make it on to the charts, first with their cover of The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” and then with their Grammy-winning hit “ Close to You.” Before Karen’s death from an anorexia-induced heart attack, the Carpenters produced several more popular tracks, including the Grammy-winning “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and the Sesame Street classic, “Sing.”
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Though musicality tends to run in the family, it’s rare that generations form a band together. Nevertheless, Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi, were the two members of the Judds, a country duo that Time magazine described as “single-handedly saving country music.” The pair won five Grammy Awards throughout the 1980s for their hits that did discuss family, from “ Mama He’s Crazy” to “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days).” Though Wynonna went solo in 1991 and earned 16 top 10 hits on her own, the two have since reunited. They recently appeared on Oprah and announced their new single, “ I Will Stand by You.” Some bonds can never be broken.
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At the time of their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Bee Gees were the most successful family act of all time. The music of Barry Gibb and his twin brothers Maurice and Robin covered a variety of styles during their career. First, the Gibbs earned widespread acclaim as a Beatles-inspired rock group, then the brothers went into conceptual rock ( Odessa) and country ( Life in a Tin Can) before topping the charts again with dance-oriented disco pop with “ Stayin’ Alive.” Though Maurice died suddenly in 2003, Robin Gibb announced last year that life for the Bee Gees is not yet over and a movie about their story (courtesy of Steven Spielberg) is reportedly on its way. Combine that with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon’s hilarious impersonation of the brothers Gibb and it’s clear they are still very much a pop-culture staple.
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As the daughters of an Oakland, California, preacher, Ruth, Anita, Bonnie, and June Pointer grew up singing gospel in their church and only listening to blues and rock behind their parents’ backs. Nevertheless, the four sisters became good enough at the devil’s work that when they filled in for a canceled act at the Troubador in Los Angeles in 1993, they brought down the house. The show kicked off a successful career for the sisters, who performed everything from jazz, gospel, and soul to country, rock, funk, and disco. Their first country single, “Fairytale,” was covered by Elvis and earned them an invitation to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, which made the Pointer Sisters the first black female group to play the venue. Their R&B hit “ He’s So Shy” won them a Grammy, and their dance tracks “I’m So Excited” and “Jump (for My Love)” still get people on their feet—partly in thanks to Hugh Grant’s dance number in Love Actually.
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Brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay Osmond began singing as a barbershop quartet to raise money for their older brothers’ hearing-aid equipment in their hometown of Ogden, Utah, in the late 1950s. Soon enough, their father thought their talent was impressive enough to audition for The Lawrence Welk Show in California. Though Welk turned them down, the trip did lead to a gig for the boys at Disneyland and then a spot on The Andy Williams Show. From there, younger brothers Donny and Jimmy joined the band—which became known as the Osmond Brothers—and they began touring the country, belting songs along the way that preserved their religious roots. In 1970, the Osmond Brothers released their first single with MGM records, “ One Bad Apple,” which shot to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. After that, the group’s music and television careers experienced a series of highs and lows—from an ABC Saturday special to The Donny and Marie Show in 1976. Now, most of the Osmonds have fled the music scene, save Donny and Marie, who perform in Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel.
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Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the environs of Detroit’s Motown Records during its heyday, the DeBarges were a musical family in the right place at the right time. Bunny, Mark, Randy, El, James, Bobby, and Tommy released their debut album in 1981, and were one of the few acts to keep making Motown money as the label declined through the 1980s. The height of their success came in 1985 with their fourth studio album—its title track, “ Rhythm of the Night,” made the Billboard Top Ten list, peaking at No. 3. Though the band has since dissipated, El DeBarge is attempting a comeback. He has faced some legal strife after arrests due to cocaine possession and domestic disputes, but is slated to release a new album, Second Chance in November. Though El’s since forgotten about the worries on his mind and ditched the Jheri curl, he has, thankfully, maintained the mustache.
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The four oldest sisters in a family of 12, Dee Dee, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet Lennon were staples of 1950s culture. The wholesome quartet sang on the family-friendly Lawrence Welk Show for more than a decade, and got their start when Welk’s son brought them home to sing for his sick father. The Lennon Sisters’ TV debut was Welk’s Christmas Eve show in 1955 where they sang the hymn “He.” They were also the first teen group to be heavily merchandised, with everything from paper dolls to comic books. The Lennon Sisters stayed with Welk for most of their career, certainly the most successful part of it; but they did guest star elsewhere and sang for presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan. Years after the height of their fame, the Lennon Sisters have met their fictional rivals with the Merrill Sisters in Kristen Wiig’s modern-day classic Saturday Night Live skit.
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Although the cast of ABC’s The Partridge Family wasn’t related, it was easy to believe they were—the TV family tooled around in their colorful school bus, bringing music to the masses. The series centered on a family of five children with a widowed mother, all of whom sang together. But when the casts’ song “ I Think I Love You” reached No. 1 in 1970, viewers became more interested in the music and the handsome front-man Keith Partridge played by David Cassidy, who was the real-life stepson of his on-screen mom, Shirley Jones. Turns out, Cassidy had the chops to create his own solo album; though things did not work out so well for his TV younger brother, Danny Partridge (played by Danny Bonaduce). Sibling rivalry sometimes prevails, even for on-screen brothers.
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They’re signed to a Disney-owned label, they make cameos in Disney programs, they star in a Disney TV show, and their second Disney movie recently hit the airwaves. A true brand-band like the world hadn’t seen since The Monkees, The Jonas Brothers took their teenybopper sound to tremendous heights within the Disney media empire. Since eldest brother Kevin, middle brother Joe, and youngest brother Nick released their debut album in 2006, the trio has become one of the most successful acts of the decade—their hit “ Burnin’ Up” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard charts. Though Justin Bieber has been working the same demographic, can a solo act outdo a set of siblings?
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