Is there any rock sibling more disappointing than 38 Special‘s Donnie Van Zandt? Has any rock sibling brought more shame to his or her family – not to mention an entire region of the United States – than the brother of Southern Rock’s leading light, Ronnie Van Zandt? Think about the pride and identity Ronnie brought to his people, and then think about Donnie’s role as leader of a band that the members of REO Speedwagon thought were wimpy. I doubt Donnie got to sit anywhere near Papa Van Zandt at family gatherings.
All these years I thought Donnie was the same younger Van Zandt who’s filled in on tours by the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but he’s not! I just learned that that’s another kid brother, Johnny. So Donnie doesn’t even have that redeeming quality.
I voted for Donnie in the poll, but now that I think of it, shouldn’t Mike McCartney be doing a bit more for the family name? What was his band’s name, Scaffold? Did those albums even ever get released in the U.S. What do they sound like? I seem to remember reading, maybe in The Beatles Forever, that they were a bit glammy.
Fun fact: I interviewed Simon Townshend once, around the time of the late-’90s Quadrophenia tour. He had a solo album out too, and it was okay. But I feel he deserves some credit. It’s good that The Who kept it in the family, rather than draft Andy Fairweather-Low or Waddy Wachtel for support.
Johnny is worse than Donnie. At least Donnie came up with his own schtick, however insipid it was.
Isn’t Rossington the only original member left? Johnny is like Tim Ripper Owens in reverse. Just one more to go and he will have morphed from a singer in a band to a singer in that band’s tribute band.
And don’t get me started on Lonnie Van Zandt.
Oats, The Scaffold started up around 1966 & had several UK hits, including “Lily The Pink” which reached #1 in 1968. Although they were released in the US, they were more successful in the UK. Musically, I would describe them as being a bit Bonzo Dog Band-lite & poppy, but not that bad & not embarrasing to the McCartney family (Mike used the name Mike McGear because he didn’t want to trade in on his brother’s fame).
My personal vote for the most disappointing sibling in rock would have to be Dave Davies, in that by the time he finally put out solo albums, they were nothing like “Death of A Clown”, “Susannah’s Still Alive” & “Strangers” to name a few.
Johnny Van Zandt and Dave Davies have been added as options in the poll. I’m leaving McGear out of this. If The Great 48 were around I’m sure he’d cite some overlooked comedy rock gem in that guy’s catalog.
Johnny Van Zandt doesn’t even understand his brother’s songs. The Skynyrd that exists today is the one I thought they were when I was ignoring them. I wonder if Johnny sings Saturday Night Special and that new song, God and Guns at the same show. How could a band be that schizophrenic?
Chris Jagger has had a career of some sort. I had a friend that had one of his albums. As I recall, it was instantly forgettable. I think. I forget.
Isn’t that weird — I woke up this morning singing “Caught Up In You” in my head, and began thinking about all the Van Zandt siblings in music — and a few that probably aren’t. Then I see this thread!
Anyhow, here are all the VZ brothers for your consideration:
Ronnie
Lonnie
Donnie
Johnny
Connie
Fruitkwannie
This prompted me to go over to youtube and check out a Mike McGear song – it wasn’t half bad, actually.
Bobby Fuller’s brother Randy was just abysmal when he tried to carry on the Bobby Fuller Four (as the Randy Fuller Four) after Bobby’s death. I can’t call Dave Davies disappointing because he was in The Kinks, after all.
While there’s no relation to Ronnie, Donnie or Johnny Van Zant, of course, I remember being very disappointed that the combo of both his Sopranos role and the E-Street Reunion tour in 1999 meant that Little Steven had to pull the plug on the short-lived Yanni/Van Zandt supergroup.
Did anyone else notice that craptastic video was filmed in Philly?
I have to say I dig .38 Special. They fit in with my appriciation of The Sweet, The Outfield and solo Tommy Shaw, but I can’t slam them just ’cause the rest of you do.
I would nominate Ric’s brother Vic Ocasek of Vic Ocasek’s Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp (SNL)
I think we have another serious contender: Leon Hendrix.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrxFFkQPwFA
With not much to show for himself but a criminal record for a string of petty crimes and a crack addiction, he eventually sued to have his father’s will changed, because dad left none of Jimi’s money to him.
In the above clip, you can see that he then took up the guitar and is now going around touting himself as a musician, though I note that he is not playing lead guitar in his own band. If there is a better clip than this, one that shows that he has 1/1000th of Jimi’s talent, then I will gladly stand corrected.
Frere Hendrix is almost as bad as George Benson’s white son!
I’m not vibing anybody, but I swear this is the first time I’ve ever heard of someone being a fan of The Outfield, even in the 80s.
Julian Lennon, anybody?
Listen to Leon’s “original” song, “Purple Flame” – in a stingy 30 second sample.
http://leonhendrix.com/mp3s/05%20Purple%20Flame%20SAMPLE.mp3
Did anyone else notice that craptastic video was filmed in Philly?
yes, i did and i love it.
so weird.
I just figured out why the video is shot in Philly: they’re trailing a Young Americans-era Bowie!
http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/images/photos/misc/comp9_t.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/richardjgibson/IggyPopandDavidBowie.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gouster/youngamericans.htm
Jus’ gotta say that the Outfield were huge around these here parts (PacificNorthWest) for a brief moment in 1986. I actually knew someone or two that bought their album. Not me, I swear! Though I may have borrowed somebody’s cassette, just to see what all the fuss was about.
“I don’t wanna lose your love, tonight!” That Leon Hendrix stuff is pretty funny/sad/GREAT. What was the Mangione stuff that went on around these parts back then? That stuff was pretty GREAT too…
TB
Would Latoya Jackson count?
I’ll say, pepe!
What if both siblings suck?
Peter Buck from R.E.M. & the late Robert Buck from 10,000 Maniacs. I don’ like to speak ill of the dead, but I could never stomach 10,000 Maniacs.
For R.E.M. to be one of my all time favorite bands, I always thought that 10,000 Maniacs sounded like R.E.M. for pantywastes.
TB
I don’t think Peter and Rob Buck are related.
Go on YouTube and look at any footage of 10,000 Maniacs. It is a kind of fascinating document of a long-gone civilization, culture and lifestyle.