What is Michael Feinstein's Net Worth?
Michael Feinstein is a pianist, music archivist, and singer who has a net worth of $50 million. Michael Feinstein began working in local bars as a piano player and then, in 1977, started working for Ira Gershwin, cataloging Gershwin's collection of records. In 1983, Michael consulted in the musical portion of the show "My One and Only" on Broadway. He then became a well-known cabaret singer and, in 1986, recorded "Pure Gershwin," his first CD, which was a collection of Gershwin tunes. Feinstein continued with many recordings after that, such as "Isn't it Romantic," "Over There," "Forever," "Such Sweet Sorrow," and many more. He has also written the stage score for the musicals "The Night They Saved Macy's Parade" and "The Gold Room." In 2000, he was appointed to the National Recording Preservation Board by the Library of Congress. In 2008, he created the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative to preserve this musical legacy and educate young people through its programs, exhibitions, and many competitions. Winners of the final competitions receive scholarship money and a chance to perform with Feinstein in his New York Cabaret. In January 2018, the foundation was gifted a lavish $30 million, 107-acre estate that was the former home of real estate mogul Mel Simon. The estate will be turned into a museum and library for the Songbook Initiative. In 2009, Feinstein and Cheyenne Jackson formed a duo and performed a nightclub act called "The Power of Two," which became so popular that they made a studio album from the material.
Early Life
Feinstein was born on September 7, 1956, in Columbus, Ohio. His mother, Florence Mazie, was an amateur tap dancer, while his father, Edward Feinstein, was a sales executive at the Sara Lee Corporation as well as an amateur singer. He was raised in a Jewish family. When he was five years old, he began studying piano. His first piano teacher became upset with him for not playing by the sheet music as he instead was more comfortable playing by ear. His mother saw no issue with this and took him out of formal lessons so he could continue playing the piano the way he wanted. He continued playing the piano and became quite skilled throughout high school.
Career
After graduating high school, Feinstein began working at local piano bars as a pianist, which he did for two years. He then moved to Los Angeles when he was 20 years old. In 1977, he was introduced to Ira Gershwin, who hired him to catalog his extensive collection of phonograph records. This assignment led to steady employment over the next six years, as Feinstein worked to research, catalog, and preserve the unpublished sheet music and rare recordings that were kept in the Gershwin home, both of Ira's and of his brother's, George Gershwin. His close relationship with Gershwin also won him the role of musical consultant for the 1983 Broadway show, "My One and Only," inspired by Gershwin's many tunes.
Meanwhile, Feinstein was also making a name for himself as a stellar singer and pianist who primarily performed songs from the Great American Songbook, a loosely defined category of music popular in America in the early 20th century which included many jazz standards and show tunes, as well as other popular songs. In 1986, he recorded his first CD, "Pure Gershwin," which was a collection of music by George and Ira Gershwin. He then released the albums "Live at the Algonquin," "Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin," and "Isn't It Romantic" over the next few years. In 1989, he also released "Over There," an album featuring music from the United States and Europe during World War I. In 1992, he released his only album of children's music, "Pure Imagination."
During this time, Feinstein had also begun starring on Broadway in a series of in-concert shows like "Michael Feinstein In Concert," "Michael Feinstein in Concert: Isn't It Romantic," and "Michael Feinstein in Concert: Piano and Voice."
In the early 1990s, Feinstein began a project in which he would perform an album of music of a featured composer, sometimes accompanied by that composer. These collaborations included projects with Burton Lane, Jule Styne, Jerry Herman, Jimmy Webb, and Jay Livingston, among others. In the late 1990s, he also recorded two more albums of Gershwin music. In the 2000s, he recorded albums like "Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway," "Hopeless Romantics," and "The Sinatra Project."
Also, in 2000, the Library of Congress appointed Feinstein to its newly formed National Recording Preservation Board, which was dedicated to safeguarding America's musical heritage. Feinstein continued his passion for music preservation by founding The Great American Songbook Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting artifacts related to the canon of the Great American Songbook. The organization has its headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Feinstein also became the artistic director of The Center for the Performing Arts located in Carmel in 2009.
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In 2009, he joined Cheyenne Jackson to create a nightclub act called "The Power of Two," which was praised by numerous publications like "The New York Times" and "Variety." He also wrote the score for two stage musicals, "The Night They Saved Macy's Parade" and "The Gold Room," and has been the host of a weekly radio program, "Song Travels with Michael Feinstein," which was distributed by NPR. Since 1999, he also has worked managing his night club, Feinstein's, at Loews Regency in Manhattan, which has featured many prominent acts like Liza Minnelli, Glen Campbell, Alan Cumming, and Jason Mraz, among many others.
In 2012, Feinstein was named the Principal Pops Conductor for the Pasadena POPS, and he made his conducting debut in June of 2013 to good reviews. His contract was later extended through 2019. In April of 2013, he released a new CD called "Change of Heart: The Songs of Andre Previn" in collaboration with composer-pianist Andrew Previn.
The following year, the show "Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room" premiered on PBS as a special. The show features many guest stars performing classic Broadway hits, theater performances, and other musical acts from around the country. He also released a holiday album in 2014, "A Michael Feinstein Christmas." Feinstein has done significant work as a presenter on Turner Classic Movies beginning in 2015. In 2021, he released another album of Gershwin music called "Gershwin Country."
Personal Life
In October of 2008, Feinstein married his longtime partner, Terrence Flannery. The marriage ceremony was performed by the famous television family court judge Judith Sheindlin, also known as Judge Judy. The couple have homes in New York, Los Angeles, and Indiana.
Real Estate
In 1998, Michael paid $2.1 million for a historic 15,000-square-foot home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles known as the "Glendower Estate." From 1935 to 1950, the estate served as the West Coast Russian consulate.
In April 2018, Michael listed the home for sale at $26 million. He did not find a buyer at that price and ultimately pulled the listing from the market only to re-list in August 2019 for $14.95 million, a 42.5% reduction from his original asking price. He did not sell the home until December 2020, at which point the final sale price was just $7.33 million.
The home boasts six bedrooms, including a master bedroom that occupies essentially the entire second level of the property. Michael and his husband Terrence were married at the home in 2008. Barry Manilow and Liza Minelli performed at the reception, and Judge Judy officiated at the ceremony. Here is a video tour of the Glendower Estate:
In 2018, Michael and Terrence paid $3 million for a condo overlooking Central Park South in NYC.
In 2019, Michael and Terrence sold an 18-room New York City townhouse for $15.22 million. Around the same time, they also bought a new home in Pasadena, CA, for $7 million.
They continue to own a 50-acre property outside of Santa Barbara, and, interestingly, the couple's primary residence for much of the year is actually a townhouse in Carmel, Indiana where Michael has a side job as artistic director for the city's Center for Performing Arts.
