Gwen Stefani and ex-husband Gavin Rossdale’s oldest son, Kingston, recently made his musical debut — but he might not be ready to make it his career.
“Kingston has had a passion for music for years now,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “It’s not that he’s necessarily trying to follow in his parents’ footsteps, but it is something he really loves.”
The 17-year-old surprised fans on Friday, August 11, when he sang at stepfather Blake Shelton’s Oklahoma bar, Ole Red, marking his public debut as a performer. (Stefani, 53, who married Shelton, 47, in 2021, shares sons Kingston, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 9, with former spouse Rossdale, 57.)
“He was so excited to play on stage for the first time, and he knows it won’t be his last,” the source tells Us, adding, “Kingston has been playing guitar for a long time.”
In addition to his parents’ approval — and stepdad’s blessing — Kingston’s girlfriend, Lola, “has been his biggest supporter,” the insider adds.
“Both Gwen and Gavin absolutely adore her and think Kingston and Lola make an adorable couple,” the source says, noting Kingston and Lola have been an item for three years.
On Friday, Kingston showed off his musical chops and vocal range as he performed with a guitarist and keyboard player behind him. “You’re in a great spot,” Kingston told the bar patrons in a clip of his show via TikTok.
He received a round of applause from the crowd and was cheered both before and after his set. “Love you guys. Thank you for being here, thank you,” Kingston said before Shelton joined him on stage and gave him a hug. “It means everything to me, really. I hope you guys have a great night and enjoy yourselves.”
A few days prior, Shelton teased Kingston’s debut and implored his followers to show up and support the rising star.
“OK y’all, here’s the deal … 7:30 p.m. this Friday I’m gonna set up and play 30 minutes or so acoustically. Then I’m gonna turn the stage to a debut artist that will be doing their VERY FIRST public performance!” Shelton tweeted on August 9. “You never know who else may show up …”
While Kingston was playing in Oklahoma, his dad was on tour in Montana with his band, Bush. Stefani, for her part, is gearing up for season 24 of The Voice when she’ll return as one of the show’s four coaches. (The former couple called it quits in 2015 after 13 years of marriage.)
Shelton, meanwhile, exited The Voice in May after 23 seasons. Ahead of his departure, he revealed he was ready to focus a little more on his wife and step kids.
“Look, I love music and I love The Voice. I love all the cool things I get to do with my job, but those things all take a backseat now to Gwen and the kids, and it’s just a new phase of my life,” Shelton told Entertainment Tonight in August 2022.
