What Is George Thorogood's Net Worth?
George Thorogood is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who has a net worth of $10 million. George Thorogood played semi-professional baseball before deciding to pursue a music career during the 1970s. He released his demo album, "Better Than the Rest," in 1979, five years after he recorded it. Before its release, he dropped his debut album, "George Thorogood & The Destroyers" in 1977. He went on to release more than a dozen studio albums with the Destroyers. In 1981, Thorogood landed a gig on tour with the Rolling Stones and scored an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" a year later.
Thorogood released his most famous song to date, "Bad to the Bone," with EMI America Records in 1982. The song has been featured in dozens of TV shows and movies, including "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Married… with Children," "Christine," and "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Since 1977, George has been part of 16 studio albums with the Destroyers, including five that were certified gold. He has sold over 15 million records worldwide.
Early Life
George Thorogood was born on February 24, 1950, in Wilmington, Delaware. He grew up playing baseball and played semi-pro baseball as a second baseman during the 1970s. He was also very musical as a child and began playing the guitar at a young age. In high school, George befriended fellow musician Jeff Simon, who played the drums.
Career
Thorogood began playing music professionally as a solo performer and was heavily inspired by musicians like Robert Johnson, Elmore James, and John P. Hammond. In 1973, George formed a band with his friend Jeff Simon called the Delaware Destroyers. They added additional players to the band and developed a sound that was a mixture of Chicago blues and rock and roll. They played their first shows in the Rathskeller bar at the University of Delaware and at Deer Park Tavern. After playing a number of shows, they decided to shorten their band name to the Destroyers. Thorogood was also working as a roadie for Hound Dog Taylor at the time to make extra money.
Thorogood's first demo, "Better Than the Rest," was recorded in 1974 but not released until 1979. Meanwhile, he released his debut album "George Thorogood and the Destroyers" in 1977. The following year, George released his next album with the Destroyers, "Move It On Over." Some of the band's early successful songs included "Please Set a Date" and "Who Do You Love." At the time, the band was signed to Rounder Records, an early folk label. The Destroyers' success contributed to the rise of the label in the 1970s.
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During the late 1970s, Thorogood and the Destroyers were based in Boston. They had a very friendly relationship with the Washington D.C.-based blues band, The Nighthawks. One evening, the Destroyers were playing at the Cellar Door while The Nighthawks were playing across the street at Desperados. At midnight, both bands were playing a rendition of Elmore James's "Madison Blue." Thorogood left the club and met the lead guitarist of the other band, Jimmy Thackery, in the middle of the street. After exchanging guitar chords, each player then played the rest of the show with the other band. The Destroyers and The Nighthawks continued to have a friendly musical connection over the years. For example, in 1985, bass player for The Nighthawks, Jan Zukowski, joined Thorogood's set with Bo Diddley and Albert Collins at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
While successful, neither Thorogood as a solo artist nor with the Destroyers was considered mainstream. This changed in 1981 when the Destroyers joined the Rolling Stones as a support act during their 1981 tour. George also was the featured musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" in October 1982. Throughout the 1980s, the Destroyers maintained a vigorous touring schedule. In 1981, they embarked on the "50/50" tour, on which they played shows in all 50 states in 50 days.
In 1982, Thorogood's contract with Rounder Records expired and he signed with EMI America Records. That year, he released the single and album of the same name, "Bad to the Bone." The Album went gold and the song became the band's most well-known, as it was used in many television shows, films, and commercials. The band went on to release two more gold albums, "Maverick" and "Born to Be Bad," in the 1980s. "Maverick" features Thorogood's only "Billboard" Hot 100 hit, "I Drink Alone."
In the 1990s, Thorogood's mainstream popularity decreased. However, in 1992, he did have a hit with the track "Get a Haircut" which made it to the #2 position on the "Billboard" rock track charts. The Destroyers released four albums in the 1990s – "Boogie People," "Haircut," "Rockin' My Life Away," and "Half a Boy/Half a Man." They continued making music throughout the 2000s, releasing three additional albums. In 2003, they released "Ride 'Til I Die" followed by "The Hard Stuff" in 2006. Next, they released the 2009 album "The Dirty Dozen" and the 2011 album "2120 South Michigan Ave."
Thorogood released a solo album in 2017 called "Party of One." In March 2020, he was inducted into the Mississippi Music Project Hall of Fame in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was awarded the MMP Music Award for his lifelong commitment to the music industry.
Personal Life
George married Marla Raderman on July 16, 1985. They had one daughter together named Rio. In 2019, Marla passed away from ovarian cancer. While touring in April 2023, Thorogood had to cancel the first leg of his 50th anniversary tour due to medical issues.
