The Willis Family
| The Willis Family | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality television |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (as of April 19, 2016) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Nashville, TN |
| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Release | |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | May 15, 2015 – April 16, 2016 |
| External links | |
| The Willis Family | |
The Willis Family was an American reality television show about a musical family, airing on TLC.[1] The show follows a family of 14 from Nashville, Tennessee demonstrating their musical and dancing skills while "sharing ... talents and balancing a life at home".[2] The family of entertainers, known onstage as The Willis Clan, reached the quarter finals of season 9 of America's Got Talent. Parents Toby and Brenda Willis have 12 children – eight girls and four boys – all of whose names begin with the letter "J", and their sons all have the middle name Scott. It was announced on September 11, 2016 that the show would not be renewed for another season following the arrest of Toby Willis on a charge of child rape.[3][4]
Family
Parents
- Toby Willis – born April 29, 1970
- Brenda Willis – born December 31, 1967
Children
| # | Name | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Jane "Jess" | April 13, 1992 |
| 2 | Jeremiah Scott "Jair" | April 9, 1993 |
| 3 | Jennifer Elizabeth "Jenny" | January 4, 1995 |
| 4 | Jeanette Lynn "Jet" | April 15, 1996 |
| 5 | Jackson Scott "Jack" | May 26, 1998 |
| 6 | Jedidiah Scott "Jedi" | August 22, 1999 |
| 7 | Jasmine Katerina "Jazz" | September 7, 2001 |
| 8 | Juliette Rose "Julie" | May 23, 2003 |
| 9 | Jamie Christine | May 24, 2005 |
| 10 | Joy-Anna "Joy" | December 2, 2006 |
| 11 | Jaeger Scott | October 4, 2009 |
| 12 | Jada Marie | October 27, 2010 |
The family has a strong Christian and musical heritage with roots from south Chicago, moving to Nashville in 2001. They have made regular appearances at the Grand Ole Opry.[4]
Legal issues
Toby Willis was arrested in Kentucky on September 9, 2016 after fleeing there to avoid arrest on a child rape that allegedly occurred in Nashville back in 2004.[5] The alleged victim is a female family member of Toby’s. Toby’s wife Brenda issued a statement after her husband’s arrest, letting fans know that the family band will not be giving any performances. Toby was extradited back to Tennessee on September 13, 2016. He now faces trial and up to 25 years in prison. His preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for September 21 in Nashville, but was then postponed to October 5, November 2, November 30, and is now expected to start on March 1, 2017. As a result of his arrest, the website and all other social media accounts for the Willis Clan have been terminated.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ||
| 1 | "Momma" | May 5, 2015 |
| A couple raise 12 children who are involved in music, dance, and wrestling in Nashville, Tennessee. Brenda's birthday is coming up, but she's so busy with the kids' lives that it's in danger of being forgotten until Jessica writes a song called "Mama," which their band perform later at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Also, the family helps raise money for a community charity with a concert at a local library. | ||
| 2 | "Dance Your Pants Off" | May 12, 2015 |
| A Grand Ole Opry opportunity to perform with country star Josh Turner catches the family by surprise, so they scramble to create a dance routine and choose a song while dealing with wardrobe malfunctions before the gig. | ||
| 3 | "Willis on One Knee" | May 19, 2015 |
| Jair gets ready to propose to his girlfriend, Mary, and his sisters are eager to help. Meanwhile, the younger kids recreate a winning dance routine their older siblings did years ago. | ||
| 4 | "Kilt the Nudies!" | May 26, 2015 |
| New musical performances help the family get in touch with their Irish roots. | ||
| 5 | "While Mom's Away..." | June 2, 2015 |
| Brenda and Toby's romantic dinner is interrupted by Jaeger. Later, Jessica and Jair go to New York with their mother to shoot a music video and meet with a record executive, while Toby stays at home with the other 10 kids. | ||
| 6 | "Willis's Go West" | June 9, 2015 |
| A month-long tour includes rock climbing in Minnesota, wrestling in Colorado, and surfing on the West Coast, but the kids must also find time for schoolwork and interviews in between gigs. | ||
| 7 | "A Willis Debut" | June 16, 2015 |
| The cross-country tour ends, but now the family prepares for their album-release party. | ||
| # | Title | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 2 | ||
| 1 | "Coming Home" | March 15, 2016 |
| In the Season 2 premiere, the family returns from touring to find some uninvited guests in their house. Later, the Willises go canoeing for Jedi's 16th birthday. | ||
| 2 | "Puppy Love" | March 22, 2016 |
| Jet goes to an awards show in North Carolina with mandolinist Cory Piatt, but they're chaperoned by Jenny and Jair. Back at home, the family starts working on a new album and recalls a tragic story, while the Willis' dog has a litter of nine puppies. | ||
| 3 | "A Frightening Find" | March 29, 2016 |
| Jessica loses her voice, which causes concerns that Jasmine may have to fill in as the lead singer. Jazz tries to calm her nerves by singing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." | ||
| 4 | "big problems" | April 5, 2016 |
| The family cheers for Jack and Jedi when they compete in a local wrestling tournament. Meanwhile, the source of an illness that's going around is discovered. | ||
| 5 | "the invisible enemy" | April 12, 2016 |
| The Willises must relocate after making a startling discovery in their house, but they aren't sure where to go or what will happen to the album they're recording. Meanwhile, a show for music executives is planned; and another family band comes to town. | ||
| 6 | "making moves" | April 19, 2016 |
| The family band's tour ends in Minnesota. Once they're home, the kids hurry to plan a surprise for their parents on their anniversary. | ||
References
- ↑ "The Willis Family". TLC. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ↑ Maharana, Kabita (June 2, 2015). "The Willis Family: Can TLC's new show weave magic after Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 Kids And Counting?". International Business Times. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/14/the-willis-clan-no-more-a-christian-family-band-comes-apart-amid-child-rape-allegations.html
- 1 2 "Tragedy to Triumph: The Willis Family, 20 years after the van crash claims 6 of 9 children". WGN Chicago. November 6, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ↑ "TLC star Toby Willis arrested on child rape charge". Retrieved September 11, 2016.