Move Over Garth, Luke Now the Highest Paid Country Star

If you have talent and persistence, you can make a great deal of money in country music. Forbes recently announced its list of highest paid artists in 2018, and sitting at the top of country singers is Luke Bryan, pulling down over $50 million in the past 12 months. Garth Brooks had owned that top spot until recently. Kenny Chesney came in third on this money countdown. Other country stars include Dolly Parton, Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, and Blake Shelton.

How does this list and amount of money made in this Forbes list compare to those that starred in country music in the 60s and 70s? George Jones, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn and more made a fraction of the money made today. Typical annual salaries from touring ranged from $100,00 to $300,000 with a majority of country stars revenues in the 70s made from activities outside the industry. It’s been widely accepted that Glen made millions annually, from his television show and appearances in entertainment, and not on stage. Buck Owens lived a comfortable life as he owned a group of radio stations, while Roy Clark’s net worth barely reached $1 million over his career, a majority of it coming from Hee Haw and personal appearances.

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