MTV is joining the search to find America’s next great singing sensation in a new reality competition. But instead of auditioning tens of thousands of people across the country, they’re hedging their bets by selecting contestants with a genetic predisposition for stardom.
Rock the Cradle, which premieres April 3 (10 p.m. EST), will feature the children of rock royals like Bobby Brown, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, M.C. Hammer and Olivia Newton John.
The show will air live weekly and will have the contestants battle it out in singing competitions to be judged by a mix of celebs and influential people in the music industry.
Here’s a full list of the contestants vying for the top spot on Rock the Cradle:
• Jesse Money, daughter of Eddie Money
• Jesse Blaze Snider, son of Dee Snider
• Lara Johnston, daughter of Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers
• A’keiba Burrell-Hammer, M.C. Hammer’s daughter
• Landon Brown (pictured left), son of Bobby Brown
• Lil Al B Sure, R&B singer Al B Sure’s son
• Crosby Loggins, Kenny Loggin’s son
• Chloe Rose Lattanzi, Olivia Newton John’s daughter
• Lucy Walsh (pictured right), daughter of the Eagles‘ Joe Walsh
“I was interested in this show because of the mass exposure available with a television spot,” says Lucy Walsh (pictured left). “I’m just not going to pass that up. I mean come on, the girls who are winning American Idol go on to win Grammys!”
The cast came together for the first time at a recent photo shoot and quickly started to bond. “I love A’Keiba!” Jesse Blaze Snider told PEOPLE. “Me and her are going to be awesome buddies! We both have big families and have been through ‘Our dad’s are big and famous’ and then ‘Our dad doesn’t have a lot of money.’”
A’Keiba, whose dad plans to be with her every step of the way during this process, said she joined the show after he presented the idea to her. “It sounded like a lot of fun,” she said. “I love performing.”
“She’s a hard working girl,” said M.C. Hammer, who attended the photo shoot with his daughter. “I’m a proud papa. My advice is to have fun!”
Despite not wanting to be a part of his father’s reality show, Being Bobby Brown, Landon Brown says Rock the Cradle will be great exposure for him.
“I love to compete,” he said. “I’ve learned from [my father's] mistakes. I do me, but I tone myself down a little more, except on stage. I’ll try not to take my shirt off up there. They told me not to.”
Jim Rock/ABACA; Bauer-Griffin
Permalink | Comments (62)
