What is Dallas Austin's Net Worth?
Dallas Austin is a record producer and songwriter who has a net worth of $20 million. Dallas Austin is known for working with such musical acts as Boyz II Men, TLC, Monica, and Another Bad Creation. In 1992, he co-founded the label Rowdy Records with L.A. Reid, and later founded the short-lived labels Limp Records and Freeworld Entertainment. Among his many career achievements, Austin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Early Life
Dallas Austin was born on December 29, 1970 in Columbus, Georgia to parents who owned a nightclub. Interested in music from an early age, he learned how to play the keyboard. Later, Austin would play instruments and DJ at his parents' nightclub. He saw music as a way out of his difficult family situation, as his two brothers were often in and out of jail. As a teenager, Austin decided to move to Atlanta to live with his aunt; he was eventually joined by his mother and brothers. However, the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in their neighborhood caused continuous tension.
Music Career, 1989-1999
Austin got his big break in the music industry when his manager William Burke introduced him to singer-songwriter and bass guitarist Joyce Irby, from the band Klymaxx. In 1989, he co-produced Irby's hit R&B single "Mr. DJ," and also worked with Irby on Troop's album "Attitude." On that album, Austin and Irby co-wrote and co-produced the songs "My Music," "My Love," and "I Will Always Love You." A number of further hits followed over the subsequent years, including Another Bad Creation's singles "Iesha" and "Playground"; Boyz II Men's debut album "Cooleyhighharmony"; and TLC's albums "Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip" and "CrazySexyCool."
Austin had one of his biggest commercial hits with TLC's 1994 single "Creep," which became the band's first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Later in the decade, he co-produced TLC's smash album "FanMail," for which he earned a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year. Austin's other notable hits in the 1990s included Boyz II Men's album "II," which won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and Monica's albums "Miss Thang" and "The Boy is Mine," which were the biggest hits on Austin's label Rowdy Records. He also worked with such acts as Madonna, After 7, Illegal, Da King & I, and Ya'll So Stupid, and founded the short-lived record labels Limp Records and Freeworld Entertainment.
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Music Career in the 21st Century
In 2000, Austin worked as a producer and songwriter on teenage R&B singer Sammie's debut studio album "From the Bottom to the Top." The following year, he worked on Pink's hit album "Missundaztood," and wrote and produced its successful singles "Don't Let Me Get Me" and "Just Like a Pill." Austin went on to work with Gwen Stefani on her hit 2004 debut solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.," for which he received a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year. In 2005, Austin revived his label Rowdy Records so he could sign the burgeoning Southern rap duo Da BackWudz. The duo released one album on the label, 2006's "Wood Work." Austin has worked with a wide range of other artists in the 21st century, including Blu Cantrell, Kelis, Carly Rae Jepsen, Anastacia, Cedric Gervais, and McFly. In 2019, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Other Activities
In non-music-related activities, Austin served as a guest co-host on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2014. Later, he served as an ambassador for the annual Gumball 3000 international celebrity motor rally and for the Global Citizen forum.
(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Personal Life
For many years, Austin dated TLC singer Rozonda Thomas, better known by her stage name Chilli. She became pregnant by him in the early 1990s, but aborted the pregnancy due to her career. The pair continued dating after that, and had a son named Tron in 1997. Austin later dated such women as Kim Porter and Nathalie Kelley. He has a total of three children from his relationships.
Atlanta Mansion
In 1999 Dallas Austin bought a 2.5 acre property in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Over the next four years, concluding in 2003, he constructed a 5,600 square-foot extremely unique modern mansion. The home, which looks like a spaceship, was designed by architect Michael Czysz, who is known as the "Master of Maximalism." It is probably worth $5-6 million today. Dallas has used it as a rental property from time to time, for as much as $25,000 per month. The home has also been used in several movies and TV shows,
