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Do you remember these bands of ''Brothers'' from the 1970s?
Was it just us, or was every pop act made up of siblings back then?
Images: Discogs.com
If you were a musical family, the 1970s were golden years. The Partridge Family, the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds were royalty on the pop charts and on television screens.
But there also were a ton of "Brothers" bands, which ran far deeper than your standard Doobies, Allmans and Bee Gees. Sibling pop acts were the stuff of teen magazine dreams. They made everything from bubblegum to rock and funk. A handful of them had their own variety shows, too. Because who didn't in the 1970s?
Here are some of our favorite bands of brothers from the era. Do you remember their music or shows?
1. The Hudson Brothers
Bill, Brett and Mark brought razzle and dazzle to Saturday mornings with their kids show, The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Hour, which ran in the 1974–75 season. Starting in Oregon, the trio formerly went under the name the New Yorkers. The Hudsons scored a big hit with the very Lennonesque ballad "So You Are a Star," and Bill would marry Goldie Hawn in 1976.
2. The Paley Brothers
Fans of the film Rock and Roll High School might remember Andy and Jonathan, who appeared on the soundtrack alongside the Ramones (who were not real brothers) while struggling for stardom. They also appeared in the bomb Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. The power-pop duo opened for such disparate acts as Shaun Cassidy and Patti Smith, and would record with Phil Spector.
3. The Keane Brothers
The Keane Brothers Show was not only notable for airing a mere four weeks, but also for having the youngest hosts around. John and Tom Keane were only 12 and 13, respectively, when they hosted their summer replacement variety show for Wonder Woman. They did manage to record four albums, however, and would become big in — where else? — Japan.
4. The Williams Brothers
Being the nephews of crooner Andy Williams has its benefits. The twins gained recognition when they appeared on an episode of The Partridge Family, "Two for the Show," fighting for the love of Susan Dey. They capitalized with a couple albums in 1973. Andy and David would appear on The Andy Williams Christmas Show that year, too.
5. The Brothers Johnson
George "Lightnin' Licks" and Louis "Thunder Thumbs" made one of the greatest funk acts of the decade, cutting stone cold classics such as "Strawberry Letter 23." Three of their albums broke into the Top 10, on the backs of hits like "I'll Be Good to You" and "Stomp!"
6. Bonus: The DeFranco Family
Sisters Marisa and Merlina joined their brothers Benny, Nino and Tony to make for perfect Tiger Beat fodder. Tony, the singer, earned most of the attention and magazine covers, as the DeFranco's first three single broke into the Top 40. Not to be confused with Ani DiFranco in any way.
