Travis Barker Reveals He Once Forbade His Children to Participate in Talent Search Events

Travis Barker and his son, Landon Barker (Instagram @landonbarker)

JAKARTA - Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker revealed that he once advised his son, Landon Barker, to reject an offer to appear in The Voice talent search.

The 50-year-old musician assessed that the singing competition on television was not in line with the image and character of the music that Landon was building as a soloist.

"My son called me one day and said, 'Hey, they offered me to appear on The Voice.' I replied, 'You're too cool for that. You have to think about your idols. If your idol is Kurt Cobain, did he ever go on The Voice? No,'" said Travis when he was a guest on The New York Times' Popcast.

Although he forbade his son, Travis admitted that he himself had appeared on the American Idol stage several times. However, he emphasized the significant difference between his position as a drummer and Landon who stood at the forefront as the lead vocalist.

"I'm different. I do fun things that are really fun for me because I'm a drummer and I'm not on the front line. The story would be different if I sang with those people," he said.

He also gave the main advice that Landon should stay focused on his own musical path without having to rush to pursue instant popularity through talent search events.

"I'm in the studio, I'm listening to the songs he's making. There's no need to rush," said Travis.

Landon previously released his debut single, "Friends With My Ex" in September 2023, which was also produced by Travis.

On one occasion, Landon revealed that his father always gave honest musical input without hesitation. He admitted that he really appreciated this transparency because it could shape the authenticity of his musical works.