Gwen Stefani’s Son Seems To Be Following In Blake Shelton’s Footsteps, And Her Ex-Husband Has Thoughts

Zuma the country music star?

(Image credit: NBC)

Music definitely runs in the blood of Kingston, Zuma and Apollo Rossdale, with their parents Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale being some of the biggest names on the ‘90s charts. So it’s not all that surprising that their three sons have inherited some of those musical proclivities. What is a little more unexpected is that one of them — 16-year-old Zuma — appears to be following more in the footsteps of his stepfather, former Voice coach Blake Shelton. The Bush frontman recently shared his thoughts on his country music-singing son and what’s most important to him when it comes to his kids.

A few decades ago, Gavin Rossdale was climbing the rock charts with hits like “Glycerine.” as Gwen Stefani was our ska queen as the singer of No Doubt. They’re both still performing, but now, too, are their three boys. The British rocker opened up about the different avenues each has gone down musically, telling the New York Post:

Yeah, it’s quite phenomenal. All three boys, really. Apollo, the youngest, plays amazing piano. And then Zuma is singing and playing acoustically on the country side. And Kingston is going down the rock side. So they’re all super talented — and really good people. That’s the main thing … That’s all I care about what they do with their lives.

It sounds like Gavin Rossdale doesn’t mind that Zuma is more “Hillbilly Bone” than “Machinehead,” he just thinks it’s cool that his boys have inherited their parents’ love for music and that they’re growing up to be good men.

They certainly are growing up, as Zuma recently celebrated his 16th birthday, and Gwen Stefani posted an Instagram video in his honor that shows just how close he is to Blake Shelton. Check that out below:

Wow, Zuma fully looks the part of a country music star, decked out in his button-up shirt, jeans and cowboy hat alongside his stepdad. It’s obvious from many of those pictures that he and Blake Shelton are close, and even the one of the teenager sitting on the truck looks like it could have been Shelton at an earlier age. However, the younger pictures of Zuma holding a guitar show that his love for country music might have started long before Gwen Stefani and Shelton’s relationship.

Blake Shelton has talked over the years about what he’s learned about being a parent and how the boys are the most important thing now. Back in July he even gave Zuma Rossdale the opportunity to perform onstage at his bar Ole Red in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, where Zuma sang Zach Bryan’s “Oklahoma Smokeshow.”

Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stafni split in 2015, and due to their different parenting styles, the Bush rocker has said they don’t co-parent, they just each do their own thing. According to Rossdale, Kingston, Apollo and Zuma have gained an “incredible perspective” that way, and the most important thing is that they know they are “loved and supported” no matter where they are.

I love that they’re getting that support not just from Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, but that Blake Shelton is a big part of it too.

Catch Gwen Stefani on Season 26 of The Voice, which premieres on the 2024 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Monday, September 23, on NBC or streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.