How Rich are some groups and solo performers?

[discodevil]

Is there a site that estimates how much disco artists may be worth.
Or how much money they made at their peak.
I was just thinking what Bananarama might have made over the years.

[eddie]

Well, Howard Tate claims he never received a dime until recently.

The Delfonics and Blue Magic are constantly in and out of court because a majority of their stuff is presently in print and their royalties are froze at the 1970's rate.

The way most artists make money is to do concerts and rerecord their hits using kareoke machines and getting a check on the spot.

[buckaroo]

Bananarama did well from the start really. After doing covers like Really Saying Something etc, they began to take control and write their own material. They all bought houses in the same street with some of their first royalties, and these homes are now worth a tidy amount. Siobhan Fahey left the group and formed Shakespeare's Sister with Marcella Detroit, and had a #1 in the '90s, while the two others continued on with new members. They're now a duo (Sara Dallin & Keren Woodward) and have a new album out.

[Boogie Child]

From "Dance Talk" newsletter:

"If your planning a shin dig....check out the rates below for some of the hottest bands and performers from the 70's, 80's and 90's. Maybe now is the time to throw that party!

Anita Ward $3,500 "Ring My Bell"
BT Express $4,000 - $8,500 "Do It Til You're Satisfied"
C&C Music Factory/The Weather Girls/Blackbox $7,000 "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance)" "It's Raining Men"
Carl Douglas $3,500 "Kung Fu Fighting"
Cece Peniston $4,500 "Finally" "We Got A Love Thang".
Cheryl Lynn $12,500 . "Got To Be Real"
Evelyn "Champagne" King $6,500 "Shame"
Expose $8,500.
France Joli $3,500-$5,000. "Come To Me"
George McCrae $3,500 "Rock Your Baby"
Gloria Gaynor $20,000 "I Will Survive"
The Gibson Brothers $3,500. "Cuba"
Heatwave $12,500 . "Always and Forever"
Jackie Moore $4,000. "This Time Baby"
The Manhattans $8,000 - $15,000. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" "Shining Star"
Maxine Nightingale 3,000-5,000 "Lead Me On" "Right Back Where We Started From"
Musique $4,000. "Keep On Jumpin"
Patrick Hernandez $4,000. "Born To Be Alive"
Peaches And Herb $7,500 "Reunited"
Rose Royce $5,500 "Car Wash", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"
Shannon $4,000 "Let The Music Play" "Give Me Tonight".
Sister Sledge $12,500 "We Are Family"
Stacey Q $4,000 "Two of Hearts"
The Stylistics $12,500 "Betcha By Golly Wow" "You Are Everything"
Taste Of Honey $5,000 "Boogie Oogie Oogie" "Sukiyaki".
Tavares $7,500 - $10,000 "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel"
Thelma Houston $6,000 "Don't Leave Me This Way"
The Three Degrees $5,000 "When Will I See You Again"
Village People $35,000 "YMCA"
Viola Wills $2,500 "Gonna Get Along Without You."
Yvonne Elliman $4,000 - $7,500 "If I Can't Have You" ."

[BrunoRepublic]

Musique $4,000. "Keep On Jumpin"

...but Musique wasn't even a real act!

[Huffstutler]

Well, I don't know if you would classify The Sylvers as "disco" but some of their early hits did make their way to the dance floor "Boogie Fever" and "Hot Line". The lead singer Edmund Sylvers died here in Richmond, VA a couple years ago but what the papers didn't say is that he actually lived in a low income suburb township on the fringe of Richmond called Sandston. He was even listed in the telephone book!

Sad that many of the famous groups after disbanding fell on hard times for one reason or another.

BTW... The original Village People indian Felipe Rose also lives here in Richmond in a modest but nice house as he works on his ethnic heritage music.

Eric

[Disco Funk]

I imagine some made more than others, some spent their money wisely while others blew the whole wad at once. In the long term, the only people who probably made the most money and continue to were the ones who wrote and produced songs. It's a shame Victor Willis is in such a mess. He probably gets quite a bit of royalties whenever someone uses YMCA, unless he signed that away during a drug binge. Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards (estate or relatives now that he's dead) probably made quite a bit of money off of their various productions, and most likely still do off of the residuals. But I think a lot of those acts who continue to tour have to to make ends meet because they get nothing out of their old work.

Disco Funk

[eddie]

It further proves my point that $5,000 isn't a lot of money today. Most people earn that amount in 2 to 3 months.
Many of those songs listed in a previous post have always been in print and have been put on atleast a dozen compilations. The compensation isn't fair. No how; No way!!!

[JussiK]

Musique $4,000. "Keep On Jumpin"

...but Musique wasn't even a real act!

The girls did perform live, whoever they were up there on the stage. During the early 90's I catched them at New York's Palladium, with the Tavares, Village People etc.

Cerrone of course is an independently wealthy multimillionaire, he does massive, FREE concert extravaganzas (fireworks, dancers etc) at sites like the gardens of Versailles. Louis XIV would have been thrilled.

[discodevil]

Always dreamed of having a birthday party with France Joli $3,500-$5,000. singing "Come To Me" Just waiting for that Lotto win! :lol:

[Huffstutler]

Also wanted to add that there is a small park here in Richmond a city block square in which some of these "lost" acts come and play in the open air for dirt cheap. As someone said... making ends meet.