John Alec Entwistle was born on 9 October 1944, in Chiswick, Greater London, England, to Maud and Herbert Entwistle. He was an English singer, songwriter, musician, film and music producer, but best known as the bass guitarist of the band The Who. He passed away in 2002.
A noted musician, how rich was John Entwistle? According to sources, Entwistle had collected a net worth over $50 million, acquired during his music career which spanned four decades until 2002.
John Entwistle Net Worth $50 million
Entwistle was born into a musical family, as his mother played the piano and his father the trumpet. At the age of seven he took piano lessons, but soon switched to the trumpet and then to the French horn, playing for the school’s groups The Confederates and The Scorpions with his friend Pete Townshend. He eventually abandoned the trumpet and took up a hand-made bass guitar.
In 1961, he joined the Detours, a group that included Roger Daltrey. He eventually brought Townshend to the band, who replaced Daltrey on guitar, while Daltrey became the band’s lead singer. In the mid-’60s the band changed its name to The Who, and by the end of the decade they had become one of the leading bands in the UK, releasing hit singles such as “I Can’t Explain”, “My Generation”,”Happy Jack”, “I Can See for Miles” and “Pinball Wizard”, all dominating the UK charts and achieving critical and commercial success, leading the band to perform at major festivals, such as Woodstock. Their 1969 hit rock opera album “Tommy” really shot them to stardom, and spawned the 1975 musical fantasy drama film of the same name, which starred The Who members among other acclaimed artists. The success of the band greatly contributed to Entwistle’s popularity and to his net worth as well.
Behind the scenes, Entwistle was also a talented songwriter, who created several of the band’s songs. However, he soon became dissatisfied for not being allowed to sing those songs himself, so he decided to pursue a solo career while also remaining with the band, being the first Who member to do so. His solo debut album entitled “Smash Your Head Against the Wall” came out in 1971, earning him a following especially among US fans, and a sizable income too. Several more albums followed by 1996, during which time he fronted the John Entwistle Band, with whom he toured the US, releasing an album of highlights from the tour “Left for Live” as well as a studio album called “Music from Van-Pires”, cementing his reputation as a true star, and significantly increasing his wealth.
In the meantime, The Who released several successful albums as well, including the ’70s “Who’s Next”, “Who Are You” and “Quadrophenia”, with the latter album becoming an inspiration for the same-titled drama film released in 1979. All added to Entwistle’s net worth.
During this time the band suffered a huge loss, with its drummer Keith Moon dying from an overdose. The Who fell apart in 1982, but have reunited for occasional live appearances since then.
In addition to being a musician and songwriter, Entwistle was also a talented visual artist, having created the cover art for The Who’s 1975 album “The Who by Numbers” and various other prints. Numerous art openings were held in his honor.
When it comes to his personal life, Entwistle was married two times. In 1967 he married Alison Wise, with whom he had one child. The couple eventually divorced, and in 1991 he married Maxene Harlow, divorcing her in 1997.
John Entwistle died in Las Vegas 2002, suffering a heart attack induced by a cocaine overdose while on a tour of the US. He was cremated in the UK.
