What Is Corinne Bailey Rae's Net Worth?
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist who has a net worth of $4 million. Corinne Bailey Rae burst onto the British music scene as one of the most promising UK vocalists of the new millennium. With the release of her debut album, "Corinne Bailey Rae," in February 2006, she made history, becoming the fourth British female to have her first album debut at #1. The following year, she received three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations and won two MOBO Awards. The accolades were justified with the release of her second album, "The Sea," in January 2010, which was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. More recognition followed as she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance for "Is This Love" in 2012. To date, her albums have sold over five million copies worldwide.
Early Life
Corinne Bailey Rae was born Corinne Jacqueline Bailey on February 26, 1979, in Leeds, England. Her mother is English, while her father is from Saint Kitts and Nevis, though they separated when she was a child. Corinne grew up with her two younger sisters, Candice and Rhea. Bailey Rae began studying classical violin at school and then turned her attention to singing. She sang at the Plymouth Brethren church as a child and then later at a Baptist church. She recorded two albums with the worship ministry youth group Revive. After finishing high school, Bailey Rae studied English language and literature at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2000.
Career
Bailey Rae formed an indie group called Helen, which performed many shows throughout Leeds. However, the band failed to secure a record deal and eventually disbanded. She then began working on solo material and started taking a more soulful approach to her music. She worked with a few Leeds-based groups, the New Mastersounds and Home Cut Directive, and appears on their albums.
In 2004, Bailey Rae got a breakthrough when she was signed to Global Talent Publishing. She was also approached by Craig David's mentor, Mark Hill, to appear on his new album. The resulting collaboration, "Young and Foolish," was released in April 2005 and brought Corinne to the attention of the major record label bosses.
Bailey Rae released her debut single, "Like a Star," in November of 2005. Her debut self-titled album followed in February 2006. It debuted at number one in the UK and entered the top ten of the US Billboard 200. The lead single, "Like a Star," became a hit in both the UK and the US. The second single off the album, "Put Your Records On," became an even bigger hit, selling nearly one million downloads. Other singles from the album included "I'd Like To" and "Trouble Sleeping."
In mid-2006, Bailey Rae embarked on her first international tour through Europe and North America, playing 55 shows with the R&B singer John Legend. Her album was certified double platinum, and she won two awards at the UK's MOBO Awards in the "Best UK Newcomer" and "Best UK Female" categories. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, she received three nominations in the "Record of the Year," "Song of the Year," and "Best New Artist" categories. During the ceremony, Corinne performed "Like a Star" and also joined John Legend and John Mayer in a collaborative performance. The following year, at the 2008 Grammy Awards, she won in the "Album of the Year" category and "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" for her collaboration on "River: The Joni Letters."
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Bailey Rae released her second album, "The Sea," in January of 2010. The album featured the lead single "I'd Do it All Again" and the follow-up single "Closer." She embarked on her second world tour, visiting Europe, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the Middle East.
In January 2011, she released "The Love EP," which featured five recordings of love songs, including "I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince," "Is This Love" by Bob Marley," and "My Love" by Paul McCartney & Wings, among others. She won a Grammy Award for the first single, "Is This Love," at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Bailey Rae released her third album, "The Heart Speaks in Whispers," in May 2016. It debuted in the #2 spot on the "Billboard" R&B chart. NPR named it one of their favorite 30 albums of the year. Corinne performed at a number of summer music festivals throughout Europe and the UK, including Glastonbury, and was a special guest supporting Stevie Wonder at his Hyde Park, London concert.
A number of Bailey Rae's songs have been featured in movie soundtracks and on television shows. "Like a Star" can be heard in "27 Dresses," "Perfect Stranger," "Venus," "Criminal Minds," and "Grey's Anatomy," among others. Her song "I'd Like To" is featured on the soundtrack for the film "He's Just Not That Into You."
Personal Life
While a university student, Corinne began working as a hat check girl at the local jazz club. While there, she met Scotsman Jason Rae. The two began dating and were married in 2001 when she was 21 years old. She changed her name from Bailey to Bailey Rae. Her husband was also a musician and played the saxophone for an eight-piece group called Haggis Horns. He worked with other musicians on their albums, including Amy Winehouse, the New Mastersounds, and Martina Topley-Bird, among others.
In March 2008, Jason Rae was found dead in a flat in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. The cause of death was ruled misadventure, and the coroner stated he had died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and methadone. He had access to methadone through a friend who was recovering from an addiction to heroin.
Bailey Rae remained single for a while to cope with the death of her first husband. She later began a romantic relationship with Steve Brown, her longtime friend, producer, and jazz musician. The two married in 2013 and have since had two daughters together.
