Songs by self-made rich people? (who didn't get rich from music)
September 30, 2015 9:24 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for lyrical songs by people who got really rich from something other than music. For example, if, say, some tech company owner or successful investor wrote some songs, that's the kind of thing I'm looking for. I'm NOT looking for music by people who inherited most of their money or who got rich from performing.
Jacko Jackson
Warwick Capper
apologies, but you did ask
posted by pompomtom at 9:31 PM on September 30, 2015
Warwick Capper
apologies, but you did ask
posted by pompomtom at 9:31 PM on September 30, 2015
you know Henry VIII wrote Greensleeves
posted by daisystomper at 9:35 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by daisystomper at 9:35 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
NBA Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. Here's his discography.
posted by Rob Rockets at 9:46 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Rob Rockets at 9:46 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
you know Henry VIII wrote GreensleevesYou know that's a myth, don't you?
posted by Pinback at 9:51 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rich Shapero is a venture capitalist who handed out his latest book+CD project on campus this year (and seems to be in the habit of giving his works away.)
FWIW: The I Don't Even Own a Television podcast guys panned his first book and the music it came with: "it sounds like it shouldn't exist."
posted by invokeuse at 10:13 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
FWIW: The I Don't Even Own a Television podcast guys panned his first book and the music it came with: "it sounds like it shouldn't exist."
posted by invokeuse at 10:13 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bill Backer was already a very successful advertising executive when he came up with I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, although he didn't write more than the tagline.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:19 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:19 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think there are a number of actors-turned-singers who made it rich acting before turning to music; I can't think of any off the top of my head besides Jennifer Lopez, but she seems to fit the bill. Her first album didn't come out til 1999, after she had earned $1 million starring in Out of Sight (thanks Wikipedia).
But my sense is this doesn't really fit your bill, since this is still people who made money in performing arts. Arguably even sports stars turned singers wouldn't; my sense is that you're looking for someone who made a lot of money in a "serious" way like finance, consulting, or being CEO of a successful company, not someone who struck it rich in an equally improbable field as music like sports or acting. And that your interest is in the contrast between that kind of conservative capitalist background and the music world. I agree it seems unlikely.
posted by goodnight to the rock n roll era at 11:16 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
But my sense is this doesn't really fit your bill, since this is still people who made money in performing arts. Arguably even sports stars turned singers wouldn't; my sense is that you're looking for someone who made a lot of money in a "serious" way like finance, consulting, or being CEO of a successful company, not someone who struck it rich in an equally improbable field as music like sports or acting. And that your interest is in the contrast between that kind of conservative capitalist background and the music world. I agree it seems unlikely.
posted by goodnight to the rock n roll era at 11:16 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eddie Murphy wrote some of the songs on this album.
posted by John Cohen at 11:31 PM on September 30, 2015
posted by John Cohen at 11:31 PM on September 30, 2015
Paul Allen has a project called Grown Men. He donates his part of the proceeds to music-related charities.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:39 PM on September 30, 2015
posted by spinifex23 at 11:39 PM on September 30, 2015
Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian Indycar and Formula 1 champion, released an album after his racing career ended.
His father (Gilles) has also an F1 driver (who was killed in a crash when Jacques was 11), but given Jacques' success I'd expect that most of Jacques' money was earned rather than inherited.
posted by Urtylug at 11:40 PM on September 30, 2015
His father (Gilles) has also an F1 driver (who was killed in a crash when Jacques was 11), but given Jacques' success I'd expect that most of Jacques' money was earned rather than inherited.
posted by Urtylug at 11:40 PM on September 30, 2015
Here's Richard Stallman singing his Free Software Song.
(He does a bit of a preamble in Spanish before he makes with the crooning.)
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 11:55 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
(He does a bit of a preamble in Spanish before he makes with the crooning.)
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 11:55 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't recommend actually listening to it, but Kim Dotcom made an album.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:35 AM on October 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Pink Frost at 12:35 AM on October 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
When Phillipe Kahn was CEO of Borland he put out a record. He has a bunch of his jazz albums on iTunes still.
posted by w0mbat at 1:05 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by w0mbat at 1:05 AM on October 1, 2015
Though lyrical only in a certain sense, Sir Anthony Hopkin's waltz.
posted by progosk at 1:24 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by progosk at 1:24 AM on October 1, 2015
I feel like there most be tons of pro athletes that fit this bill: Shaq (as mentioned above), Akeem Olajuwan, Oscar De La Hoya, Deion Sanders, etc. Also Mr. T, but his album was mostly written by Ice T.
posted by p3t3 at 1:30 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by p3t3 at 1:30 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might have some luck searching for "vanity projects" in combination with various rich-people identifiers.
For example, I just found out that Alexi Lalas has a new album out.
posted by ropeladder at 1:39 AM on October 1, 2015
For example, I just found out that Alexi Lalas has a new album out.
posted by ropeladder at 1:39 AM on October 1, 2015
Carla Bruni perhaps: I don’t know if she qualifies as self-made, being an heiress; but she’s also made her own money (‘by the 1990s, Bruni was among the 20 highest-paid fashion models, earning US$7.5 million in her peak year’). Example song: Le plus beau du quartier.
posted by misteraitch at 2:11 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by misteraitch at 2:11 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Henry VIII did write this one though, or at least it's clearly attributed to him.
posted by Knicke at 2:43 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by Knicke at 2:43 AM on October 1, 2015
Can't believe that nobody has mentioned former Microsoft SLT exec Jim Allchin yet!
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:22 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:22 AM on October 1, 2015
There are a lot of people in rap music (e.g., Ice-T, Eazy-E, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Pusha T, etc.) who claim to have made fortunes in illegal business before switching to a full-time musical career.
These claims should probably be evaluated on a sliding scale of credibility.
posted by box at 3:35 AM on October 1, 2015
These claims should probably be evaluated on a sliding scale of credibility.
posted by box at 3:35 AM on October 1, 2015
Paul Allen from Microsoft, net worth $17.4 billion, has written two albums for his rock bands: Grown Men and Paul Allen and the Underthinkers.
Hedge fund guy Roger McNamee was also in two bands: the Flying Other Brothers and Moonalice. It's unclear, but I think he has the main songwriting credits for them. His most famous song is apparently called "It's 4:20 Somewhere". Can't find his net worth, but his fund made over a billion dollars from investing in Facebook.
posted by rollick at 5:35 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Hedge fund guy Roger McNamee was also in two bands: the Flying Other Brothers and Moonalice. It's unclear, but I think he has the main songwriting credits for them. His most famous song is apparently called "It's 4:20 Somewhere". Can't find his net worth, but his fund made over a billion dollars from investing in Facebook.
posted by rollick at 5:35 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't know if he qualifies as rich, but the American composer Charles Ives founded a very successful and innovative insurance firm.
posted by in278s at 6:00 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by in278s at 6:00 AM on October 1, 2015
Tardy for the Party, written (in part, apparently) and performed by Kim Zolciak of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. I do not recommend clicking on this link.
posted by decathecting at 6:44 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by decathecting at 6:44 AM on October 1, 2015
(whoops, sorry, I missed the part where they can't have inherited their money. I assume that also applies to people who got their money from significant others.)
posted by decathecting at 6:46 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by decathecting at 6:46 AM on October 1, 2015
Stephen King and the Rock Bottom Remainders. Jennifer Love Hewitt has several albums out. Here's her singing "How do I deal?"
posted by haqspan at 6:49 AM on October 1, 2015
posted by haqspan at 6:49 AM on October 1, 2015
Senator Orrin Hatch has a net worth approaching $4 million and has released several albums.
posted by mmascolino at 7:42 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mmascolino at 7:42 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Neat question. Kelcy Warren, a Dallas Energy Exec worth $6.4 billion, has written a song on a friend's album, released a Jackson Browne tribute album, and has recorded folk songs in his home recording studio.
Unrelated, but worth sharing: our cat really, really likes Richard Stallman's Free Software song...
posted by jenh at 7:57 AM on October 1, 2015
Unrelated, but worth sharing: our cat really, really likes Richard Stallman's Free Software song...
posted by jenh at 7:57 AM on October 1, 2015
Not sure exactly what you mean by "got rich from performing," but does Christopher Lee's heavy metal career count?
posted by Naberius at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Naberius at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Alan Iverson had an album produced but not released as Jewelz.
I actually like it in a Space Jam-era nostalgia kinda way.
posted by cmoj at 9:24 AM on October 1, 2015
I actually like it in a Space Jam-era nostalgia kinda way.
posted by cmoj at 9:24 AM on October 1, 2015
Dieter Meier, the vocalist of influential Swiss electro-pop band Yello, was "already a millionaire industrialist and gambler" when he joined the band.
posted by mykescipark at 10:13 AM on October 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by mykescipark at 10:13 AM on October 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Andrew Mason (Groupon founder) made an album called Hardly Workin' after his ousting.
posted by stresstwig at 4:21 PM on October 1, 2015
posted by stresstwig at 4:21 PM on October 1, 2015
Do athletes count?
It's very common in England for football teams/players to record songs. Quite often before World Cups or FA Cup final appearances. I'll leave out those and go for the more unique ones:
Gazza (Paul Gascoigne): Fog on the Tyne
Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton: Side by Side (bitter rivals for England goalkeeper slot)
New Order and the England squad: World in Motion
Liverpool FC: Pass and Move (It's the Liverpool Groove) (mostly including this because it's so terrible...)
posted by Pink Frost at 8:51 PM on October 1, 2015
It's very common in England for football teams/players to record songs. Quite often before World Cups or FA Cup final appearances. I'll leave out those and go for the more unique ones:
Gazza (Paul Gascoigne): Fog on the Tyne
Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton: Side by Side (bitter rivals for England goalkeeper slot)
New Order and the England squad: World in Motion
Liverpool FC: Pass and Move (It's the Liverpool Groove) (mostly including this because it's so terrible...)
posted by Pink Frost at 8:51 PM on October 1, 2015
Sean O'Sullivan cofounded MapInfo while he was in a band called Janet Speaks French.
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 5:13 AM on October 3, 2015
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 5:13 AM on October 3, 2015
Jeet Singh co-founded ATG, made a few tens of millions in the dot com bubble, then formed a band (once Dragonfly, now The Singhs). They've put out five or so albums.
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 2:11 PM on October 5, 2015
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 2:11 PM on October 5, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by chrchr at 9:28 PM on September 30, 2015