Charles Edward Anderson Berry, better known as Chuck Berry, was found dead in his home yesterday, March 18, 2018. Berry has been long thought of as one of the pioneers of rock music, and many later rock ‘n roll celebrities borrowed sound or style from him. So how much is Chuck Berry’s net worth when he passed away?
Sadly, however, Chuck Berry never made much money from his own rock ‘n roll career. And while he helped on the careers of many later multi-multi-millionaires, he only managed to make a few million dollars from his own music. How much was Chuck Berry Net Worth? Here are some details.
Chuck Berry had several widely known rock ‘n roll hits, including “Johnny B. Goode” and “Rock ‘n Roll Music.” These hits helped Berry gain widespread acclaim, and sell millions of records. They also allowed Berry to be one of the first people inducted to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
Chuck Berry’s biggest hits came around during the late 50s and early 60s when he had several songs that topped the music charts, and “Johnny B. Goode” and “Rock ‘n Roll Music.” At the time, Berry used his money to get into other fields, such as real estate.
However, Chuck Berry’s fortunes turned when he was arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor. He managed to get out of several years of jail time, but his year-long prison sentence did affect his career.
After prison, Berry had a hard time getting back into the spotlight. Although he was able to still sell concerts, he had no-hit records for a long time. Eventually, however, he was able to get one more chart-topping hit.
Chuck Berry did make a reasonable amount from his hit music; however, he had other circumstances that kept him from getting as rich as some of his later counterparts. Berry spent a lot of money in real estate, but that didn’t always work well for him. In the 90s, Berry was sued by a bunch of women for allegedly spying on women in the bathroom. It was estimated that he paid out millions to settle this lawsuit.
Berry was also sued by former collaborators, who claim that he didn’t properly pay them. Also, Berry was arrested for drugs and child abuse – he had to pay out in order to settle these legal issues.
Berry also was accused by the IRS of tax evasion, for which he had to pay out in prison time and community service.
In addition, moneymaking opportunities for hit recording artists during the 50s and 60s were much less prevalent than they were in later decades. There were far fewer opportunities to use musical success in order to get television or film roles or develop product lines.
We estimate Chuck Berry Net Worth at between $22-25 million. Most of this money is due to royalties and touring for his music, however, he also earned some of the money via real estate and other deals. Expect his estate to grow rapidly over the next few years, as younger people discover his music.
Joop van Bilsen