There is no shortage of stories of young men heading to Nashville with nothing but a suitcase and a guitar hoping to make it in country music. It takes a lot of hard work and a refusal to quit. Many aspiring musicians don’t make it and some musicians do alright for themselves.
Then there are those who blow up the charts and make the money to go with it. Here is a list of the richest male country singers who you can say truly made it.
6. Chris Stapleton
Net Worth: $12 million
Chris Stapleton didn’t start out as a performing artist. He started his music career as a songwriter even though he didn’t believe he could make a career out of writing for other artists. Once he realized he could make a good income writing for other musicians it was game on.
In fact, in an interview with CBS News, Stapleton said he’s written “pushing 200 … or something like that” songs for other people. As Stapleton grew traction from his songwriting he started gaining popularity as a solo artist. All this talent helped Stapleton one of the wealthiest male artists in country music thanks to his songwriting and solo performances.
5. Eric Church
Net Worth: $14 million
Like many aspiring artists, Eric Church came from humble beginnings. He grew up in North Carolina helping his dad in the family’s furniture business. The guitar became a pastime when Church was a teen along with singing covers for local audiences and writing his own songs.
By the end of college, he knew Nashville was the way to go. Popularity has grown quickly for Church and his country music fans are very loyal. But, that’s not all he does. Church also launched the Highway to Home furniture collection in 2010 as a hat tip to his Dad and his upbringing in furniture.
4. Clint Black
Net Worth: $25 million
Clint Black could give a good dose of wisdom to the new up-and-comers because he’s been in the country music world for over 30 years. Black grew up in Texas and there he grew his love of music. He learned the harmonica and guitar and even started performing in coffee shops and nightclubs in the early 1980s.
Since then he has released 46 singles, 13 of which have soared to Number one. At 59 years old, Black is still touring with his wife in tow. Performing is not the only thing that Black does, though. He is also an accomplished songwriter, record producer, instrumentalist, and actor.
3. Brad Paisley
Net Worth: $95 million
Brad Paisley loved music from an early age and wrote his first song at 13 years old. Paisley had 10 consecutive singles reach the top of the charts, and he was named Male Vocalist of the Year in 2008. Since then Paisley has released 46 singles, sold 11 million albums, and been a three-time Grammy Award winner.
While Paisley has tried his hand at acting and book writing, the lion’s share of his fortune is from his album sales and dozens of tours.
2. Toby Keith
Net Worth: $365 million
Toby Keith is no doubt a legend in the world of country music, and he has the fortune to show for it. He has crossed over to the pop charts on multiple occasions all while keeping the love and respect of his serious country fans. Keith didn’t come from money, but he always had ties to music.
He also played semi-professional football and worked in the oil fields. Music has paid well for Keith, but it isn’t his only source of income. He has also made many investments and business ventures, including a line of clothing and a signature brand of tequila.
1. Garth Brooks
Net Worth: $400 million
At the top of the list of the richest male country singers sits Garth Brooks. Brooks holds the record for the most diamond-certified albums, according to Ledger Note. For a diamond certification, an album must have 10 million copies sold. Brooks has nine diamond-certified albums.
After all this success, Brooks decided to retire from 2001 to 2005 to spend time with his family in Oklahoma. His return to music slowly started in 2005. Brooks also has taken on the titles of writer, composer, producer, and director.
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