Van Morrison – $90 million
Greatest Hits: Gloria, Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison is a music legend who began his professional career as a teenager. He played in Ireland for various showbands and became popular as part of the band Them, a Northern Irish R&B group. He was the lead singer, recording the song “Gloria” with Them which would define the genre. He released the popular late 1960s single “Brown-Eyed Girl.” His first album was Astral Weeks, but sales were initially slow. But his second album, Moondance, was a sensation. Van Morrison also tours this day, making music.
Vanessa Williams – $25 million
Vanessa Williams is next up on our wealth songwriters list. The New York native is extremely multitalented but initially gained worldwide recognition for being the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss America. Following this great, historic event, it wasn’t too long after when Williams then debuted her music career. She then also climbed the ladder of fame quite quickly. During the last couple of years, Vanessa Williams has also successfully sustained her acting career. The star has played recurring roles in both Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty.