What Is Jane Wiedlin's Net Worth?
Jane Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress who has a net worth of $8 million. Jane Wiedlin is best known for being the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist for the band The Go-Go's.
The Go-Go's formed in 1978 and were the first and only all-female band to write their own songs and play their own instruments that topped the "Billboard" album charts. Their debut studio album, "Beauty and the Beast," was released in 1981 and reached #1 in the US and #2 in Canada. The Go-Go's also released the albums "Vacation" (1982), "Talk Show" (1984), and "God Bless the Go-Go's" (2001).
Their best-known singles include "Our Lips Are Sealed," "We Got the Beat," and "Vacation." Wiedlin also released four albums as a solo artist. As an actress, she starred as Gretel Barnes in the television series "Spyder Games" in 2001 and also appeared in the movies "Clue," "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "Sleeping Beauty," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Angels!," Firecracker," "Stuck!," "The Mandalorian Legacy," "The Casserole Club," "I Want to Get Married," "Doggie B," "The Pyrex Glitch," "Kissproof World," "Roundball," and "HoneyBee."
Early Life
Jane Wiedlin was born Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin on May 20, 1958, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She is the daughter of Robert and Betty Wiedlin. Her father worked as an oral surgeon and was of German and Swiss ancestry, while her mother was of Lebanese heritage. She grew up with three brothers and one sister and was raised in a Catholic household. During her childhood, the family lived in a suburb of Milwaukee before moving to Los Angeles when she was six after her father took a job with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the city. Jane attended William Howard Taft High School from 1972 to 1976 and has described her teenage years as being angsty. She then attended college locally, where she initially studied fashion design. She also became very involved in the developing Los Angeles punk scene.
The Go-Go's
Wiedlin began designing punk-style clothing that was sold at a store on Sunset Boulevard while she worked at a fashion design house under the moniker Jane Drano. While doing this, she met many friends in the punk scene, including the members of future bands like X, the Germs, and the Weirdos. In 1978, Jane formed the Go-Go's with Belinda Carlisle, Margot Olaverra, and Elissa Bello.
In 1981, the group released their debut album, "Beauty and the Beat." The album topped the "Billboard" album chart, a historic feat for an all-female group who wrote and played their own material and instruments. The album yielded two major hits – "Our Lips Our Sealed" and "We Got the Beat." The album remained at the top of the charts for six consecutive weeks and eventually sold more than two million copies. The group received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.
In 1982, the band released their second album, "Vacation." The title track reached the eighth spot on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. The Go-Go's broke up in 1985, though they got back together for reunions several times starting in the 1990s. They released a new album in 2001 called "God Bless the Go-Go's." In 2011, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2021, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before announcing their disbandment just afterward.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for MOCA)
Solo and Other Work
In addition to her career with the Go-Go's, Wiedlin pursued a solo career and a number of other projects. In 1985, she released her self-titled debut solo album. Jane went on to release three more solo albums – "Fur" in 1988, "Tangled" in 1990, and "Kissproof World" in 2000. From 1995 to 1998, she was also a member of the band FroSTed. They released an album, "Cold," in 1996.
Wiedlin also pursued a career in acting beginning in the mid-1980s. She made a brief appearance in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" in 1986. The year prior, she appeared in "Clue." In 1987, she had a small role in "Sleeping Beauty" and then appeared as Joan of Arc in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989. She then took a break from pursuing acting and later stated that it was much harder than she imagined and she didn't think she was particularly good at it. However, Jane did return to the screen in 2001's "Spyder Games." She also appeared as herself in "The Surreal Life" in 2005. The same year, she appeared in the surrealist crime drama "Firecracker" by director Steve Balderson. She later appeared in two more of his films, "Stuck!" in 2009 and "Sex, Lies, and Sugar" in 2022.
Wiedlin has also worked as a songwriter for other artists and as a contributing writer to other projects. She co-wrote Keith Urban's first #1 hit, "But for the Grace of God," in 2000. A number of Jane's songs were featured in the 2018 Broadway musical "Head Over Heels." She also was a contributing writer to the Los Angeles punk rock books "Under the Big Black Sun" in 2016 and "More Fun in the New World" in 2019.
Personal Life
Wiedlin identifies as bisexual. Her first boyfriend was Terry Bang of the punk bands The Bags and The Gun Club. She also had a short romance with Terry Hall of the Specials. Her bandmate Gina Schock stated that she dated Wiedlin until Jane broke up with her. Additionally, she had a brief relationship with Russel Mael of the band Sparks. From 1987 to 1999, Wiedlin was married to Ged Malone. She was later married to David Trotter from 2004 to 2005. In October 2022, she became engaged to Terence Lundy. The couple married in February 2023. Throughout her adult life, Jane has lived in a number of different places like Costa Rica, Panama, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Mendocino, among others.
Wiedlin is a long-time animal rights activist. She has worked with PETA since 1989, when she performed as part of the Rock Against Fur concert in New York City. She is also an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church and has officiated a number of weddings. Jane has discussed her struggles with mental health and depression and has been open about the importance of caring for one's well-being.
