Travis Barker has been in the limelight for quite some time. First with Blink-182, then his turn to reality television after starting a relationship with now-wife Kourtney Kardashian. The drummer has experienced quite a lot over the years, dipping his toes into different genres and collaborations. But I never would have guessed he’d be so anti-The Voice before hearing what his son Landon said.
Since Barker has appeared on American Idol numerous times, you’d think he wouldn’t have anything bad to say about it or other singing competitions, such as The Voice. You’d also think that he would encourage his children who have been following in his footsteps to pursue either series, but surprisingly, that’d not the case. He shared on Popcast that his 22-year-old son Landon, who has been a musician for a few years now, told him that a particular singing competition wanted him on, and Barker’s response was not so kind towards said show:
My son called me the other day and was like, ‘Hey, they offered me to go on The Voice.’ And I was like, ‘Dude, you’re way too cool for that.’
It can be assumed that Landon’s involvement would be for Season 31 of The Voice, which would be a celebrity edition. Meaning he wouldn’t be the only one who has had some experience and wants to show off what they truly can do. I definitely didn’t think that Barker would be one to put down singing competition shows, especially since he’s been on one before. Of course, he was more established when he did American Idol and wasn’t competing, but still.
He did explain why he felt that way about Landon doing The Voice, admitting that he might sound contradictory because of his previous experience. Barker noted that he’s a drummer and flexes going from genre to genre, collaborating with other artists. It’s fun for him, and he’s not on the forefront. He shared that he asked his son one very important question and had some pretty encouraging advice:
And I was like, ‘You gotta think about your idols. If your idol’s Kurt Cobain, would Kurt Cobain do The Voice? No. And I know you’re in a rush to get to here, but take your time. It’s gonna happen.’
I do understand Barker’s reasoning for not wanting his son to do The Voice, even if it is a celebrity edition. He definitely could have been a bit more encouraging though, especially if it was something Landon wanted to do. These kinds of opportunities don’t always come, and who knows if there will be another celebrity version of The Voice, assuming this would be the edition that they wanted Landon for.
However, I also love that he doesn’t want Landon to rush into anything. When it comes to The Voice, things happen so quickly between the auditions and the different rounds, and then your whole outlook on your future can change in an instant depending on how far you make it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Barker is against The Voice. He just doesn’t see it as the right outlet for his son, who has already started getting his foot in the door.
