What is Randy Bachman's Net Worth?
Randy Bachman is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has a net worth of $10 million. Randy Bachman is best known for being a founding member of the Canadian rock bands The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, as well as for hosting the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's weekly radio music show Vinyl Tap, which aired from 2005 until 2021. Bachman's classic 1970 song "American Woman" has been covered by several artists, including American musician Lenny Kravitz, and has appeared in numerous films and television shows over the years.
Early Years
Randolph "Randy" Charles Bachman was born on September 27, 1943, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Karl and Nancy (Dobrinsky) Bachman. A skilled singer, even as a child, at the age of three, he won a vocal contest sponsored by radio station CKY-FM. At the age of five, he was enrolled at the Royal Toronto Conservatory of Music, where he studied the violin for seven years. Inspired to play guitar by legends such as Elvis Presley, he was taught the instrument by other talented and well-known musicians. From the age of 16 to the age of 18, he learned the art of fingerpicking – a guitar-playing technique that involves plucking the strings instead of flatpicking – by esteemed jazz and country musician Lenny Breau. He was also taught a few tricks by country and blues guitarist – and pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar – Les Paul.
While a wonderful student of guitar, Bachman didn't excel in academics. He attended Edmund Partridge Junior High School and West Kildonan Collegiate – a high school in Manitoba – and was kept back in 10th as well as 11th grade. After being expelled from his high school due to a lack of dedication to his education, he was enrolled in a different high school – Garden City Collegiate – which he graduated from. Bachman then went on to attend Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg, majoring in business administration, but he dropped out before completing the program.
The Guess Who
At the age of 17, Randy Bachman and Allan Kowbel – who is known professionally as Chad Allan – founded a band they called The Silvertones. Over the course of the next five years, they would change the band's name twice: first to Chad Allan and the Expressions, then to The Guess Who. The band released their first album – "It's Time" – in 1966, featuring Bachman on guitar and lead vocals; Allan on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Burton Cummings on keyboards, backing vocals, and lead vocals; Jim Kale on bass and backing vocals; and Garry Peterson on drums.
The album "A Wild Pair" was released in 1968, followed by "Wheatfield Soul" in 1969, which featured the band's hit song "These Eyes."
Later that same year, the album "Canned Wheat" was released, peaking at number 23 on the Canada Top Albums chart. In January of 1970, the band released their album "American Woman" – a mix of hard rock and psychedelic rock and the band's only album to reach the top ten on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It remained at number nine on the chart for 55 weeks. On the Canadian Albums chart, it reached number one. The album was certified platinum in Canada and gold in the United States. The single of the same name went on to become a cult classic; however, views about it were mixed when it first hit the airwaves. While the band referred to it as an anti-war protest song, the First Lady and others regarded it as an anti-American song, and she requested that it not be played during the band's scheduled performance at the White House that summer. Following the release of this album, Bachman left The Guess Who due to health issues as well as a clash of lifestyle choices between band members.
In 1971, Bachman founded the country rock band Brave Belt with Chad Allan, who had also left The Guess Who. In 1971, they released the LP "Brave Belt." By the time the band was signed to Mercury Records, Allan had departed, Bachman's brother Robbie had become the band's drummer, and Fred Turner had joined on bass and vocals. The band's name was changed to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Their first self-titled album was released in the summer of 1973. Their second album, later that year, was more successful than the first – "Bachman-Turner Overdrive II" contained the hit songs "Takin' Care of Business" and "Let it Ride." The band went on to release over two dozen live, studio, and compilation albums between 1973 and 1984. Chart-topping hits within the albums included the singles "Roll On Down The Highway" and "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet," which became classics.
In 1977, Bachman left the band and formed a new band called Ironhorse with singer and bass player Tom Sparks. John Pierce would later join on bass and Mike Baird on drums. Bachman then formed the band Union with Fred Turner – which only released a single album. In 1983, Bachman rejoined The Guess Who for a reunion tour and, once the tour concluded, joined in reforming Bachman-Turner Overdrive, which he left again less than three years later. That band would come together for a third time in 1988, tour in 1991, and be left again later that year by Bachman. In 1999, he joined The Guess Who for a reunion performance at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
In 2003, he and singer Burton Cummins formed the band Bachman Cummings. In 2015, he founded the band Bachman and released the album "Heavy Blues."
Getty Images
Solo Albums
Randy Bachman has released over twenty solo albums in the course of his musical career, including "Axe" in 1970 and "By George by Bachman" in 2018 – a tribute to English musician George Harrison.
Television & Radio
In 2000, Randy Bachman made a guest appearance as himself on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. In 2005, he began hosting the radio show Vinyl Tap on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio One. The show aired until it was canceled by the CBC in 2021.
Accolades
In 2001, Randy Bachman received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Brandon University in Manitoba. That same year, he was honored with three awards from the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada. In 2005, he was awarded the civilian merit award Order of Manitoba and, in 2008, was made an Officer in the Order of Canada.
Bachman was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame as a solo artist in 2012. Three years later, he was honored with a SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award and, the year after that, was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Personal Life
Randy Bachman married Lorayne Stevenson in 1966. They had six children together and were divorced in 1977. In 1982, he married Canadian singer Denise McCann. They had one child together and divorced in 2011.
Bachman spent many years struggling with obesity and eventually had bariatric surgery, which enabled him to lose over 100 pounds.
