Everybody knows George Harrison as a member of the legendary Beatles. But actually, Harrison had an incredibly successful career as a solo artist once the band broke up, amassing up to $400 million by the end of his career. Of course, this didn’t come easy; after Lennon died, Harrison became a hermit, a very paranoid one, and it took him a while to bounce back to life. Harrison wrote many of the Beatles popular songs, such as ‘Taxman’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ and ‘Within You Without You’, and then, as a solo artist, he released 12 studio albums.
One of Harrison’s most famous albums was ‘All Things Must Pass’, which he won a Grammy for. During his career, Harrison won several awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, several Grammys, a Billboard Century Award, and many more. Sadly, George Harrison lost a long battle with cancer on November 2001, but his legacy will live on forever.
$300 million
Mostly known as the drummer for the famous band, U2, Larry Mullen Jr. has amassed quite a fortune of $300 million. The Irish musician was one of the co-founders of U2, and was the one that brought that very particular, military-style drumming to the stage. Apparently, Mullen developed this unique skill while playing martial beats for a marching band called the Artane Boys Band, when he was a child.
Mullen has contributed many songs to U2's repertoire, including "Mysterious Ways", "Zoo Station", "Where the Streets Have No Name", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and more. He's been involved in several solo projects, and even contributed to 1996's 'Mission:Impossible' soundtrack.
$550 million
Bing Crosby was an extremely popular and successful American singer, songwriter, actor and comedian. During the 30s, 40s, and early 50s, Crosby was one of the most sought-after entertainers in the industry, and he managed to amass a whopping $550 million during his career. Ranked as one of the top ten wealthiest Americans of the 30s, it's ironic that one of his popular songs was titled "I Haven't Had Time to Be a Millionaire".
The 1940s also brought Crosby big success, as he established himself as one of the decade's biggest movie stars. Some of his many popular songs include "White Christmas", "Swinging on a Star" and "Pennies from Heaven". Apparently, Crosby was also a very successful businessman in his later years, even starting his own company, "Bing Crosby Enterprises", that managed TV stations, tape technology and even horse track racing. Bing Crosby passed away from a heart attack in October of 1977, but his music and legacy will live on forever.
$81 Million
Otis Blackwell began his career as an entertainer in 1953. He was recognized as a talented singer but was more appreciated as a songwriter, and quickly realized that it made a better living for himself as well, which was how made his fortune.
Blackwell "Don't Be Cruel," for Elvis Presley in 1956, which was #1 both on the pop, R&B and country charts. He later gave Elvis "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender," and would continue to write a cluster of hits for him and other artists, including the song "Great Balls of Fire" for Jerry Lee Lewis. Fun (odd) fact, Blackwell and Presley had got to meet.
$400 million
Born in Barbados, Rihanna has certainly come a long way in a very short time. With a whopping wealth of $400 million, the gorgeous singer/songwriter has become one of the most successful artists in the entertainment world. Although, nowadays, a big part of her earnings come from her Fenty Beauty Line. Her music career started in 2004, after rapper Jay-Z heard a demo, and soon after Rihanna was asked to audition. Right there and then, Rihanna signed a six-album record deal.
Rihanna's second album, 'A Girl Like Me', was certified platinum, and the one released a year after, 'Good Girl Gone Bad', which included the popular song, "Umbrella", sold more than 8 million copies around the world and won a Grammy. She went on to release several other albums, and collaborated with many artists, including Calvin Harris, Eminem, Coldplay, Drake, Kanye West and Jay-Z. Rihanna has won several awards, including 13 AMAs, 8 People's Choice Awards, 9 Grammys, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and more.