With its origins in church and folk music, country music ranks as one of the most popular music genres in the United States. So, needless to say, country music is big business! Read on to see the wealthiest country stars around today…
Number 3 (Tie) – Toby Keith
Toby Keith has remained one of the most popular country stars ever since his professional debut in 1993. Since then, thanks to 19 studio albums and singles like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” and “Beer for My Horses,” among many others, Keith has continued to grow into one of country’s most prominent singers. It’s really no wonder that Keith won the National Medal of Arts in early 2021. The hard work has paid off, as the singer is now worth a whopping $365 million.
Number 3 (Tie) – Taylor Swift
While you might not think of Taylor Swift as a country singer, there’s no debate that she earned her start in the world of country-pop. Now, the country-singer-turned-pop-princess has become one of the most prominent singers in the world and looks to be returning to her folk roots with her Sundance movie Miss Americana and her newest album, Folklore. Since first finding success in the city of Nashville at the age of just 15-years-old, Swift has become not only a significant music star but also an actress in films like Cats. So, it’s really no wonder she’s worth $365 million, tying her with Toby Keith as the third richest country star.
Number 2 – Shania Twain
Country singer Shania Twain had quite the hard road to become one of the most successful, wealthiest country music stars ever. Over the years, Twain has endured an abusive childhood, a massive vocal injury that resulted in her losing her voice for over a decade, and went through an extraordinarily public and challenging divorce. However, through it all, she also managed to release some of the best-selling country albums of all time, as well as massive hits like “You Don’t Impress Me Much.” As a result, Twain has managed to bring her total net worth to an incredible $400 million.
Number 1 – Dolly Parton
That’s right! The one and only Dolly Parton is the wealthiest country star of all time with a mind-boggling net worth of $600 million. That makes her not only one of the wealthiest country singers, but one of the richest musicians in the world, period. While she might be a massive earner now, Parton grew up in a large, low-income family in Appalachia – something she wrote about in one of her biggest hits, “Coat of Many Colors.” Today, Parton uses her money to give back to the world, having started a series of non-profits that help people who are struggling. How awesome!
Here’s to more successful tunes from the world’s richest country singers!
Sources: MSN