Every parent dreams of seeing their kids achieve something great, and oftentimes that means standing up on stage, rocking out for hundreds of people. Many parents get their kids involved in playing music while they’re young, which would explain why so many music schools have been popping up around the country. While it’s amazing to see a young child up there singing and dancing, what about a kid who just shreds the guitar to pieces? Here are some great videos of kids who can shred, and will probably melt faces in the years to come.
Before Stevie Wonder was ripping it on the clavichord with “Superstition,” he was just a kid, playing songs for Motown CEO/producer Barry Gordy, with dreams of making it big despite his lack of sight.
Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, Wonder was found by Gerald White of the band The Miracles, who pestered his brother Ronnie to check out this amazing kid. He had heard Wonder at a friend’s house and finally got Ronnie to see the talented boy perform. Reportedly, Ronnie was so impressed he took Stevland to Gordy who dubbed the boy Little Stevie Wonder because he was “the eighth wonder of the world,” and signed him at age 11.
Wonder would go on to record several albums under the name, until the mid-1960’s when he’d drop the “Little.” Beforehand, he had a few hits, most notably “Fingertips (Pt. 2),“ which featured Marvin Gaye playing drums.
Here are some videos/songs from that time in Stevie’s life:
Little Stevie Wonder in a film called Bikini Beach
They say the family that plays together stays together. When it comes to musical families this doesn’t always ring true. It’s always easier to rock out with your siblings since they’re around anyway, but what happens if everyone wants to be the lead singer? What happens if you don’t always see eye to eye about the direction of your music? Sometimes it’s harder to tell a brother or sister that you don’t like their playing than another band member. Just making it in a family band is a challenge, let alone making musical history.
Remember what Vito Corleone told Sonny in The Godfather? “Never let anyone outside the family know what you’re thinking.” That might not really tie into a list of the top rockin’ families, but it is a great quote. So here, without further ado (or more random family quotes), are the top rockin’ family bands:
3) The Jonas Brothers
These three brothers from New Jersey seem to have it all going for them. They’ve released four albums since 2006, have dated celebrities like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift and had the full force of the Disney machine behind them. With this much money and fame you might think these guys are jaded superstars who lack manners. Well, I actually met these guys once and I can tell you that Nick, Kevin and Joe are three of the most polite young men I have ever come across. Perhaps it’s their upbringing because their father is a former pastor. The Jonas Bros. also give 10% of their earnings to charity. Aside from their good work, these kids know how to craft a pop hit. Check out “S.O.S.” off their 2007 Jonas Brothers album. Hey, 81 million hits on YouTube can’t be wrong.
2) Hanson
When you say Hanson, the first response you usually get is, “Wait, those three brothers from MMMBop?” I’m happy to report that those three kids have grown up into fine musicians who are all dads now. They got their start in 1992 at the Mayfest Arts Festival in Tulsa. They launched “MMMBop” off of Middle of Nowhere in 1997 and a phenomenon was born. But the three brothers, Taylor, Isaac and Zac, grew into their music comfortably and veered away from the immature sound and lyrics of “MMMBop.” Check out “If Only” from 2000 to see what I mean. It’s a great track and if you can get your kids hooked on Hanson with “MMMBop” they just might go for this one too. Also, check out Hanson’s latest offering, Shout It Out.
1) Jackson 5
No family list would be complete without the Jackson 5. I can promise you that every kid will love “I Want You Back” and “ABC”, while parents won’t be able to stop tapping their feet at the same time. Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Michael started in 1964 and never really quit. The funny thing about the Jackson 5 isn’t that their lead singer was the most talented–that’s often the case with some bands–the unusual thing about the Jackson 5 was their lead singer was eight years old and sang and moved like he had been doing it all his life. He owned whatever stage he performed on. Check out the classic “ABC” and make sure you play it really loud for the kids.
Everyone knows that Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera got their start on the Mickey Mouse Club, but who are today’s hot rising child music stars? At this point it’s fair to say that even though she’s only 17 Miley Cyrus has been doing this for too long to be considered a child star. Once you’re photographed with a twenty something boyfriend and your parents are nowhere to be seen, you’re too old for this list. So here’s a look at the hottest kid music stars today. All these kids are under eighteen in age and offer up safe and harmless music for your kids.
3) Miranda Cosgrove
If you don’t know who this is just hold up her picture to a kid under the age of ten, and the response you’ll get is: “She’s only like the biggest thing on Nickelodeon, EVER!” Miranda appeared on Drake and Josh and then starred in iCarly. In April she released her pop/rock debut album, Sparks Fly, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Album Chart. Check out her hit “Kissin U.”
2) Selena Gomez
If it’s not Nickelodeon, it’s the Disney Channel. That’s where Selena Gomez launched her career. She starred in The Wizards of Waverly Place and last September Selena Gomez and The Scene released their debut album Kiss & Tell. The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Album Chart and has a dance/rock feel to it. Not bad for someone who just turned 18 in July. Check out “Naturally.”
1) Justin Bieber
If you don’t know who Justin Bieber is, then you don’t have a young daughter or you’ve never been to a mall. Bieber is the biggest thing to hit pop music since the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC craze of the turn of the century. He has two albums currently in the Top 30, was basically discovered on YouTube, and then was the subject of a bidding war between Usher and Justin Timberlake who both wanted to sign him (Usher won.) He is well worth the hype as you will see when little girls scream louder for him than they do when they get a tetanus shot. He’s also only 16 years old. Check out his latest with Sean Kingston.
Can you hear the beat? The fresh beat, that is. If your kids are tuned into Nick Jr., chances are they know the guys and girls who make up this singing/dancing quartet and star on their own TV show. Marina, Kiki, Twist and Shout are four best friends who go to music school together and have their own band. These kids are never at rest, and are either trying out new dance moves or crooning a little ditty. We confess that you just can’t be in a bad mood when watching these modern-day Mouseketeers. And when we learned just how accomplished each of these ensemble players really are, we were duly impressed.
Shayna Rose (“Marina”) has been performing and singing professionally since she was 8 years old. While her background is largely in regional children’s theatre, she brings a steady beat to the show as the Fresh Beats’ resident drummer.
Yvette Gonzales-Nancer (“Kiki”) is a face you may recognize. She starred in TV’s “7th Heaven” and brings her dancing and guitar playing expertise to the band.
Jon Beavers (“Twist”) may be a rapper/DJ with the fresh beat, but he actually trained as a Shakespearian actor. Just a handful of years ago, he was part of the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet.”
Thomas Hobson (“Shout”) graduated from Yale with a degree in theater before going on to play parts in a variety of 90s TV sitcoms. Now he plays keyboard and sings a mean “Go Bananas” solo.
Who can forget the 80’s pop sensation known for such chart-topping hits as “Only in My Dreams” and “Foolish Beat?” I, for one, was such a devoted fan, my then-boyfriend dubbed me his Gibson Girl. She and I, in fact, shared some common traits: we both grew up on Long Island, N.Y.; we had musical theatre backgrounds—and oh, could we wear those acid-washed jeans well… (OK, so maybe she could a bit better than me.) But unlike so many teen stars that catapult to fame too fast and then fade away from the spotlight just as quickly, Debbie (or Deborah, as the adult performer came to be called) remained a fixture in the entertainment biz. From stints on Broadway (remember her as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast?”), to performing a regional one-woman show, she has kept her name out there and cultivated a new generation of fans.
Maybe that’s why her mentoring gigs, Deborah Gibson’s Electric Youth performing arts boot camps and the Gibson Girl Scholarship Foundation, are such impressive additions to her roster of accomplishments. We’ll surely be rooting for her when she takes on fellow 80’s singer Tiffany (“I Think We’re Alone Now”) in the SyFy movie “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid” sometime next year. Stay tuned, fellow Gibson Girl fans…
