Little Richard Net Worth - Look At The Singer's Income And Earning Sources
Little Richard had an estimated net worth of $40 million at the time of his death. Image Source: YouTube.
Known for his raspy voice and fantastic piano skills, Little Richard has influenced numerous musicians across the world and genres. He had been a pioneer of genre-bending music, with his works being the key part in the birth of genres like soul and funk. His songs and albums have topped charts multiple times, and his tours have also been famous for its liveliness.
From his long and successful career in the music industry, Little Richard's net worth was estimated to be $40 million at the time of his death. Along with music, Richard has also used acting as a way to express his art.
Little Richard Net Worth And Earnings
As mentioned above, Little Richard's net worth was estimated to be $40 million at the time of his death. He amassed his huge fortune from his extremely successful career in the music industry and a few acting credits.
Income From Music
Coming from a religious background, Richard Penniman or better known as Little Richard, started singing from his early age at his church. While he was a musically gifted person, the church did not like his loud singing voice, but that couldn't stop him from continuing his passion for music.
His proper music journey started after he was discovered by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, performing one of her songs at the Macon City Auditorium and invited him to open the show. After this, he was participating in many shows solo and also with his musical band. He settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where he saw Roy Brown and Billy Wright and was influenced by them and even befriended Wright.
Years later, he joined the Speciality Records and released his first single Tutti Frutti in November 1955. The song became an instant hit in both US and the UK. His second single, Long Sally Sally, also gained similar success and sold over a million copies. Since then, Richard had released tons of albums, and most of them have been very famous among the listeners and have charted worldwide. Some of the records and their prices are listed below:
| Album | Price |
| Here's Little Richard | $14.37 (Audio CD) |
| Little Richard | $20.53 (Audio CD) |
| Play Along With Little Richard | $9.89 (Vinyl) |
| The Wild & Frantic Little Richard | $15.00 (Vinyl) |
| The Explosive Little Richard | $41.98 (Audio CD) |
| Shake It All About | $37.99 (Audio CD) |
All of Penniman's albums and singles have been successful in their own rights. With them charting in many countries for multiple weeks, all of this music must have earned a huge sum from their sales, which undoubtedly increased Little Richard's net worth to a huge extent.
Income From Tour
Like every other artist, Richard also went on multiple world tours to perform his music to thousands of people. He did multiple solo tours and also a part of a musical band. His package tours across the country were very popular and earned him a huge payment every time. Along with album sales, touring around the world gave a huge lift to the multitalented artist's wealth.
Whether it was headlining his own tour or opening the show for other artists, Penniman was always famous for his stage presence and performances. From the multiple performances, he had done over the years, Little Richard's earnings must have been exponentially high.
Income From Acting
After a highly successful music career, Richard tried his hand in the acting side and was featured in the 1956 movie Don't Knock the Rock. He then went on to star in many films and television shows like Let's Go, Purple People Eater, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Goddess of Love, among others in both major and minor roles.
Along with this, he was also a part of several other shows and movies where he performed one of his songs. As a well-known star in the music industry, makers must have paid a huge sum to let him appear on their projects, which in turn helped increase Little Richard's income significantly.
Lifestyle
Since he was one of the most controversial artists of his generation due to his looks and sexual orientation, it can be said that Little Richard lived a very open and comfortable lifestyle. And since he is regarded as the founder of rock & roll, with the genre-bending music he produced, he was an influential figure for many famous artists like Prince, Elton John, and many others. The impact he had on people's life and music can be seen on the outpour of love shared by various people after his death on May 9, 2020.
Some Facts About Little Richard
- Richard Wayne Penniman or Little Richard was born on December 5th, 1932, in Macon, Georgia.
- He was third among twelve children of Charles Penniman and Leva Mae Stewart.
- One of his legs was shorter than the other one.
- Not only music, but other stars have also been influenced by his androgynous makeup and flamboyant looks.
- He has been inducted in multiple Hall of Fame like Rock and Roll, Georgia Music, among others.
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