“Would Kurt Cobain Ever Do ‘The Voice’?”: Travis Barker Warned His Son Against Joining Singing Competition

Singing competitions like The Voice and American Idol offered aspiring artists the chance to get their footing in the industry. For those who were eliminated, they still walked away with exposure that often led to an expanding social media following. But for the winner, they received not only a cash prize but a record deal. Given the opportunity to make their dreams a reality, most were encouraged to audition. Yet, when Travis Barker was approached by his son with the idea, the famed drummer had a blunt opinion.

Appearing on The New York Times Popcast, Barker recalled when his son Landon wanted to audition for The Voice. “My son called me the other day and he’s like, ‘Hey, they offered me to go on The Voice.’ Somewhat shocked by the statement, the drummer wanted to give his son a different perspective.

Not disagreeing with his son wanting to audition, Barker insisted, “I was like, ‘Dude, you’re way too cool for that. You got to think about your idols. If your idol is Kurt Cobain, would he ever do The Voice? No.’” Understanding that his son didn’t want to waste a single opportunity, he told him to “stay on your own trajectory. I’m in the studio, I hear the songs that he’s creating.”

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Travis Barker’s Son Loves His Authenticity

While Barker advised against the idea, he personally had performed on American Idol several times. But according to the drummer, it was completely different than competing or even singing. “I’m different. I’m doing fun s**t that’s just fun for me ’cause I’m a drummer and I’m not on the forefront. It’d be different if I was singing with all these people.”

Appreciating the advice from his father, Landon admitted that Barker wasn’t one to treat him differently from other artists. “If I was talking to somebody else and they didn’t like the song, they would let me down easy. I feel like [Travis] doesn’t let me down easy.”

With Barker not letting him down easy, Landon loved the truthfulness in their working relationship. “It’s good – I so appreciate it because I love authenticity, and I love the transparency, and he’s always transparent and supportive. It works very well.”

Rather than push Landon toward every opportunity, Barker wanted his son to carve out a career on his own terms. And judging by Landon’s appreciation for his father’s honesty, the tough advice helped him navigate the music industry without compromising the artist.

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

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