What is Vince Clarke's Net Worth?
Vince Clarke is an English electronic musician and songwriter who has a net worth of $30 million. Vince Clarke is best known as one-half of the synth-pop duo Erasure, alongside Andy Bell. One of the most commercially successful musical acts in the UK from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, the duo released such hit singles as "Sometimes," "Victim of Love," "Ship of Fools," "Chains of Love," "Chorus," and "Always." Clarke has been a member of several other bands, as well, notably Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and the Assembly.
Early Life
Vince Clarke was born as Vincent Martin on July 3, 1960 in East London, England. He later moved to Basildon, Essex.
First Bands
In the late 1970s, Clarke and his schoolmate Andy Fletcher created a short-lived band called No Romance in China. He also played guitar in a band called the Plan.
Depeche Mode
In 1980, Clarke and Fletcher formed the band Composition of Sound. They were soon joined by Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, and renamed the band Depeche Mode. The band released its debut album, "Speak & Spell," in 1981; it included the Clarke-penned singles "Dreaming of Me," "New Life," and "Just Can't Get Enough." Clarke left Depeche Mode not long after that, and was replaced by Alan Wilder.
Yazoo
After leaving Depeche Mode, Clarke responded to an advertisement in the British music magazine Melody Maker seeking musicians for a new blues band. The ad was posted by singer Alison Moyet, who was known by Alf at the time. Clarke and Moyet subsequently formed the synth-pop duo Yazoo. The duo released their debut studio album, "Upstairs at Eric's," in the summer of 1982. Supported by the UK hit singles "Only You" and "Don't Go," the album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Yazoo released one more studio album, "You and Me Both," before breaking up in 1983. The album made it to number one on the UK Albums Chart. Later, in 2008, Clarke and Moyet got back together for a series of live Yazoo performances celebrating 25 years since their split.
The Assembly
Following the split of Yazoo in 1983, Clarke formed the band the Assembly with sound engineer Eric Radcliffe. The idea of the group was to collaborate with different artists on its singles, but the group never really took off. The Assembly released one single, the UK hit "Never Never," before disbanding.
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Erasure
In 1985, Clarke put an ad in Melody Maker magazine looking for a singer. He ended up hearing back from Andy Bell, with whom he formed the synth-pop duo Erasure. After the relative commercial failure of their debut studio album, 1986's "Wonderland," the duo had their breakthrough in 1987 with their second album, "The Circus." Supported by the hit singles "Sometimes" and "It Doesn't Have to Be," the album reached number six on the UK Albums Chart. Erasure had an even bigger hit with its next album, 1988's "The Innocents," which made it to number one on the UK Albums Chart and number 49 on the US Billboard 200. The album spawned the hit singles "Ship of Fools," "Chains of Love," and "A Little Respect." Each of Erasure's subsequent three studio albums also reached number one in the UK: "Wild!" (1989), "Chorus" (1991), and "I Say I Say I Say" (1994). Hit singles from these albums included "Drama!," "Blue Savannah," "Always," and "Run to the Sun." Erasure also had a number-one hit with its 1992 ABBA tribute EP "Abba-esque."
Erasure began to experience a commercial decline with its self-titled seventh studio album, which came out in 1995. A much more experimental outing than the duo's norm, it peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart. Erasure returned to the top 10 of the chart with its next album, 1997's "Cowboy," which also performed well in the United States. The album included the hit single "In My Arms." Erasure went on to release the album "Loveboat" in 2000; it was a commercial disappointment. The duo bounced back with the 2003 cover album "Other People's Songs," featuring their hit cover of Peter Gabriel's song "Solsbury Hill." Their subsequent albums were "Nightbird" (2005), "Union Street" (2006), and "Light at the End of the World" (2007). In the 2010s, Erasure released the albums "Tomorrow's World" (2011), "Snow Globe" (2013), "The Violet Flame" (2014), and "World Be Gone" (2017). The duo went on to release the albums "The Neon" and "Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)" in the early 2020s. Overall, Erasure has released over 200 songs and sold more than 28 million albums worldwide.
Other Musical Projects
Among Clarke's other musical projects were the groups West India Company, the Clarke & Ware Experiment, and Family Fantastic. There was also the electronic music duo VCMG, which he formed with his fellow former Depeche Mode member Martin Gore in 2011. The duo released three EPs and the studio album "Ssss" before breaking up in 2012. Elsewhere, Clarke has collaborated with such artists as Girl Authority, Freeform Five, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Paul Hartnoll. He has also released some albums as a solo artist, including "Deeptronica" (2009) and "Songs of Silence" (2023).
Personal Life
Clarke was married to entertainment publicist and producer Tracy Hurley Martin, with whom he had a son named Oscar. Martin passed away from cancer in early 2024.
