What is Lulu's Net Worth?
Lulu is a Scottish singer, actress, television personality, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $30 million. Lulu, also known as Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, showed vocal promise at a very young age. When she was in her early teens, she began performing with a local band called the Bellrocks. She signed with Decca Records soon after. She released her first single when she was fifteen, and the track, a cover of "Shout", charted in the UK. She went on to an immensely successful career in both the UK and the US, as an actor and singer. She released such hit songs as "Here Comes the Night", "That Boat That I Row", "To Sir, With Love", "Morning Dew", "Love Loves to Love Love", "Boom Bang-a-Bang", "The Man Who Sold the World", "The Man With the Golden Gun", and "If I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)". She also appeared in a string of television shows, and in such films as "To Sir, With Love", "The Cherry Picker", and "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?".
Early Life
Lulu was born as Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie on November 3, 1948 in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, Scotland. She has two brothers and a sister. Lulu grew up in Glasgow, where she attended Thomson Street Primary School and Onslow Drive School. Around the age of 13, she began performing with a band called the Bellrocks.
Breakthroughs in the UK
Under the management of Marion Massey, Lulu signed to Decca Records in 1964. She went on to have her breakthrough hit with her recording of the Isley Brothers' "Shout." Recorded with backing from the Scottish group the Luvvers, the single made it to number seven on the UK Singles Chart. Lulu had another UK top-ten single in 1965 with "Leave a Little Love." Her subsequent record, "Try to Understand," reached the top 40.
In 1966, Lulu toured Poland with the Hollies and recorded two German-language tracks for Decca Germany. She soon left Decca and signed to Columbia, and had another charting single in the UK with the Neil Diamond-penned song "The Boat That I Row." Lulu finished the decade on a high note performing "Boom Bang-a-Bang," the winning entry from Eurovision Song Contest 1969. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and was a hit throughout Europe.
To Sir with Love
Lulu first achieved worldwide recognition in 1967 when she made her acting debut in the film "To Sir, with Love," starring Sidney Poitier. For the film, she sang the title song, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and became the bestselling single of the year in the country.
1970s – 1990s
Lulu remained popular throughout the 1970s. Early in the decade, she released her album "New Routes," which was recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama. Shortly after that, she released the album "Melody Fair." In 1974, Lulu sang the title song of the James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun"; however, the song failed to chart in either the UK or US. She had better success with her cover of the David Bowie song "The Man Who Sold the World," which made it to number three in the UK. Lulu also had a moderate hit with the disco single "Take Your Mama for a Ride."
In the 80s, Lulu experienced declining chart success as she gravitated more toward radio, television, and theater. She still had some hits, however, including the song "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)." Additionally, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for her track "Who's Foolin' Who." Lulu made her recording comeback in 1993 with her single "Independence," the title track from her album of the same name. Also that year, she was featured on Take That's hit cover version of the song "Relight My Fire."
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21st Century
After nearly a decade since her last album, Lulu released the album "Together" in 2002. Containing duets with various artists, such as Elton John and Paul McCartney, the album made it to number four in the UK. The biggest hit from the album was Lulu's duet of "We've Got Tonight" with Ronan Keating. In 2004, Lulu released the album "Back on Track" and embarked on a national tour of the UK. Her next album, "A Little Soul in Your Heart," came out in 2005. A decade passed before Lulu released her next studio album, "Making Life Rhyme," which reunited her with her debut record label Decca.
Television and Radio
As Lulu's music career was taking off in the UK in the 60s, the singer appeared on several of her own television series. They included BBC Two's "Gadzooks! It's the In-Crowd" and BBC One's "Lulu's Back in Town," which had various different names throughout its run from 1968 to 1975. The series featured music, dancing, comedy sketches, and appearances by celebrities. Along with her show, Lulu hosted a number of television specials.
In the 80s, Lulu hosted a popular radio show on the London station Capital Radio. She also co-hosted a revived version of the television music show "Oh Boy!" Later in the decade, Lulu acted on the show "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole" and began voicing the title character on the animated series "Nellie the Elephant." Lulu continued appearing regularly on television throughout the 90s and into the 21st century. Among her notable credits, she appeared in two episodes of the BBC series "Absolutely Fabulous"; served as a judge on the reality show "Just the Two of Us"; and competed on "Strictly Come Dancing" and "The Great Comic Relief Bake Off."
Film Career
After making her acting debut in "To Sir, with Love" in 1967, Lulu starred in "The Cherry Picker." She didn't appear in many movies after that, with her next major role coming in the 1999 comedy "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?," costarring Tom Courtenay and Michael Legge. Lulu later appeared briefly in 2016's "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie." In 2022, she lent her voice to the documentary "My Old School," and also sang the closing song.
Personal Life
In 1969, Lulu married Bee Gees musician Maurice Gibb. Due to the demands of their respective careers and Gibb's heavy drinking, the pair divorced in 1973. Lulu married her second husband, hairstylist John Frieda, in 1977; they had a son named Jordan before divorcing in 1991.
In 2000, Lulu was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. She went on to become a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2021.
