Bert Berns – $20 million
Greatest Hits: Hang on Sloopy, Twist and Shout, Here Comes the Night
Bert Berns (also by Bert Russell and Russell Byrd) was an important producer and songwriter in the 1960s. His credits include “Twist and South,” “Hang on Sloopy” and more. He created successful songs including “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Under the Boardwalk” and “Baby Please Don’t Go,” for Atlantic, Bang, and Shout. Before the Cuban Revolution took him back to America, he used to perform in mambo nightclubs living in Havana. He died of cardiac problems 38-year-old.
Bert Berns
Marvin Gaye – $5 million
Greatest Hits: How Sweet It Is, Ain’t That Peculiar, I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Nicknamed “Prince of Soul” and “Prince of Motown,” Marvin Gaye helped shape Motown sound in the 1960s. He was the first player in-house before becoming a solo artist. He was, alongside Stevie Wonder, one of Motown’s first artists to split free from the album business to produce his own music independently. He was a significant influence on neo-soul and quiet storm pop. He won the Midnight Love Grammy. His last performance on the NBA All-Star Game in 1983 sung anthem. He was still on Soul Train.
Marvin Gaye
