Tracee Ellis Ross has been questioned many times about the positive and negative aspects of entering show business when the young hopeful is the offspring of someone famous in that field.

Ross, daughter of the legendary Diana Ross, said it definitely opens doors, but once that door is open, you have to prove yourself because famous parentage alone will not get you many jobs, much less a whole career. Often more is expected of the offspring of celebrities than of others.

The still-rising star found a niche for herself as a comic actress on the long-running sitcom “Girlfriends.”

Her younger brother, Evan Ross, is coming along nicely as an actor, having appeared in several films, including “Pride” (with Terrence Howard) and “ATL.”

Meanwhile, big sis Rhonda Ross (Kendrick) sings in jazz clubs. She, too, is an actress, at one time appearing regularly on the daytime drama “Another World.” She was also in “The Temptations” miniseries, as the wife of Paul Williams.

SPEAKING OF Temptations, Issa Pointer, daughter of Ruth Pointer, stepped into the Pointer Sisters when it became clear that the wonderful June Pointer had too many health issues, including drug dependency, to be allowed to continue in the group. (She passed in 2006.) The Temptations connection is that Issa is the offspring from the brief marriage of Ruth Pointer to Dennis Edwards.

In the 1970s, one of the most successful R&B groups was the Main Ingredient, who enjoyed a string of hits that included “Everybody Plays the Fool” and “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely.” The group’s lead singer was the smooth Cuba Gooding whose voice was distinctive.

Today his son, Cuba Gooding, Jr., is an Academy Award-winning actor, having that honor bestowed on him for his work in “Jerry Maguire,” starring Tom Cruise. Among his many other movies are “Men of Honor,” “Instinct,” “As Good As It Gets” (with Jack Nicholson), “The Fighting Temptations,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Boyz n the Hood.”

When the late, great Minnie Riperton was charming us from 1975 to 1979 with her amazing voice and unforgettable songs such as “Lovin’ You,” “Memory Lane” and “Inside My Love,” we never imagined that many years later her daughter, Maya Rudolph, would be a featured comedienne on “Saturday Night Live.”


Maya Rudolph
One of the biggest names in Hollywood is Michael Douglas (“Disclosure,” “War of the Roses,” “Wall Street,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Traffic,” etc.), who had to follow in huge footsteps, those of his legendary father, Kirk Douglas.

When certain reporters would ask if his father was comfortable with his success, the younger Douglas would be somewhat annoyed. The answer was an unequivocal “no, he is not unfortable.” On the contrary, his father was very proud of him, and it was a carrying-on-the-family-name kind of thing.

Other Hollywood examples: Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh), Kiefer Sutherland (son of Donald Sutherland), Angelina Jolie (daughter of Jon Voight) and Kate Hudson (daughter of Goldie Hawn).

BOB MARLEY was and always will be the king of reggae, even though he left this phase of existence in 1981. There is no doubt about that, or about the magnitude of his influence on the genre. Several of his offspring, including Ziggy, Stephen, Ky-mani and Damian Marley, are doing very well today as recording artists and performers.

When Natalie Cole decided to make her entry into show business in the 1970s, she had her work cut out for her. She was, after all, the daughter of one of the icons of the music business, the incredible Nat “King” Cole.

But Natalie quickly found her own niche, in R&B and pop. She hit No. 1 the first time out (in 1975) when “This Will Be” introduced the world to Natalie Cole. Many hits followed in the ensuing years, including “I’ve Got Love on My Mind,” “Inseparable,” “Our Love,” “Someone I Used to Love,” “Jump Start” and “I Live For Your Love.”

But it was evident early on that she had innate jazz skills. Moreover, it is interesting to note that even though she had become a superstar with her own stylings and own hit recordings, the biggest album of her career was “Unforgettable, With Love,” on which she sang many of her father’s most famous songs.

Throughout the history of Black music, there have White artists doing R&B who have won the full approval of the Black community and, more specifically, Black music buyers (Teena Marie, the Righteous Brothers, Eminem, etc.).

Among the most recent is Robin Thicke, son of actor Alan Thicke, whose album, “The Evolution of Robin Thicke,” has been a mega-seller.

In rap/hip-hop territory, one of the biggest names is Master P, who has succeeded not only as a rapper but as a businessman as well. He is proud of his son, Lil’ Romeo, who has been a popular attraction for several years. In addition to recording albums such as “Romeoland” and “Gametime,” the younger Miller has worked in films, including “Honey.”

IT WOULD BE extremely difficult to find a father and son who sound more alike than Eddie Levert, lead singer of the legendary O’Jays, and the late Gerald Levert, who got his start in the 1980s hit-making trio Levert.

Gerald, whose long string of hits includes “Private Line,” “School Me” and “Taking Everything,” was young, but clearly steeped in old school everything. In the tradition of his dad, Bobby Womack, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett and many others, he was a “soul man.”

Zoe Kravitz is far from being a household name, but her career seems to be moving along nicely. She has appeared in several movies, including “The Brave One” with Terrence Howard and Jodie Foster and “No Reservations” with Catherine Zeta Jones, with more expected. She is the daughter of actress/former “Cosby kid” Lisa Bonet and Black rock star Lenny Kravitz.

And we can’t forget Whitney Houston. Her mother, Cissy Houston, is one of the most celebrated background session singers of all time, especially during her long stint with the Sweet Inspirations, and a highly accomplished individual vocalist as well, in R&B and gospel.

Whitney’s career took off like a rocket in 1985 and she quickly became a superstar, to the surprise of no one. A few of her smashes: “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love For You,” “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” “I Will Always Love You,” “All the Man That I Need,” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All?” and “I’m Your Baby Tonight.”

Houston’s career — and life — were almost derailed by personal problems, but she is recovering from that on several levels.