Nick Cave is known for his rocker life as frontman of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but behind the scenes the 64-year-old is also a loving dad.
Having fathered four children through the years, there’s no denying the Australian singer-songwriter experienced a huge shift in focus after becoming a dad.
“In my experience something can happen to a new parent, a perception shift, as they are absorbed into the strange and absolute universe of the child, where the problems of the outside world temporarily retreat,” he wrote on his blog The Red Right Hand Files in 2020.
Nick Cave with his youngest twin sons in 2012.
(Image: Getty)Describing it as a “radical softening of one’s adversarial or pessimistic position toward the world”, he admitted life tends to “look less grim” when you become a parent.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
“This has certainly been the case for me. I would say that my own children have gone a long way toward amplifying and energising my understanding of the world’s potential,” he continued.
“They have become bright windows through which I can imagine the world anew … they have turned me into a cautious optimist, as I watch them go about making things better.”
Nick’s first child, Luke, arrived in 1991 while he was married to Brazilian journalist Viviane Carneirom, though the couple later split in 1996.
His second son, Jethro, was born just 10 days after Luke to mother Beau Lazenby, who had been involed with Nick at the time.
Though Nick didn’t meet Jethro until he was around eight years old and Jethro described their relationship as “strained” in 2012, Nick was understood to have a lot of love for his son.
In 1997, Cave met British model Susie Bick and the couple wed two years later, welcoming twin sons, Arthur and Earl, in 2000.
Tragically, Nick lost two of his sons – Arthur and Jethro – in tragic accidents in 2015 and 2022 respectively.
WATCH: Nick Cave’s 15-year-old son dies after tragic fall. Story continues after video.
Arthur suffered a fatal fall from a cliff in Brighton, UK when he was just 15-years-old, while Jethro passed after a mental health battle in 2022.
Nick confirmed the tragic news in 2022 with a statement which read: ‘”With much sadness, I can confirm that my son, Jethro, has passed away.
“We would be grateful for family privacy at this time.”
Though the family have faced heartbreak before, losing Jethro just seven years after his half-brother Arthur is a devastating blow.
In honour of the family’s unique dynamic and the memory of those they lost, we’ve collected a family photo album from better days.
Nick Cave with his son Luke duringduring a 1997 book signing.
Nick Cave with his sons Luke and Jethro at a fashion show in 2006.
The trio shared a hug during the father-son outing.
Nick flashes a peace sign with wife Susie Bick and their twin sons, Arthur and Earl, at a 2007 premiere.
He made the most of a trip to Disneyland with the twins a few years later.
Jethro inherited his dad’s rocker personality, seen here as he walked in a fashion show in 2009.
Though the model said their relationship was “strained”, dad Nick was devastated by Jethro’s death in 2022.
Arthur and Earl pose with their mother Susie a few years before Arthur’s tragic death.
Nick and Earl looked so similar as they attend the premiere of “Wind River” in 2017.
The father and son duo checked out a Gucci show at Milan Fashion Week in 2018.
And shared a laugh in London that same year.
“Love this guy,” Earl captioned this photo with his dad in 2017.
A kiss for dad! Earl and mum Susie plant smooches on Nick’s cheeks at a 2019 event.
Jethro was seen with shorter hair and a face tattoo while living in Melbourne before his death.
