American pop singer, composer, record producer, and musician Tommy James. His success over the course of five decades and the sale of over 100 million records around the world is the source of his wealth. He makes a nice living via publishing and radio syndication partnerships, but most of his money comes from album sales, royalties, performances, and tours.
Tommy James Net Worth
The bulk of James’ money came from the sale of recordings and admission to his live performances. James and his band have amassed more than 102 million record sales around the world, across nine platinum albums.
James has released a number of successful solo albums, such as “I Love Christmas,” “Three Times in Love,” “In Touch,” and others. Tommy promoted Time-Life’s Woodstock-era music compilations on late-night infomercials. Therefore, as of September 2023, American artist Tommy James is expected to be worth $8 million.
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Profession of Tommy James
Thomas Gregory Jackson was born on April 29, 1947, in Dayton, Ohio. At the tender age of three, James’ grandfather gave him a ukulele (a stringed instrument of the guitar family). Tommy’s first taste of the spotlight came a year later when he was hired as a child model.
His first group, simply titled “The Tornadoes,” was created in 1959. The band formerly known as “The Tornadoes” changed its name in 1963 to “The Shondells” in tribute to singer Troy Shondell, who had a hit with “This Time” in 1961.
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Tommy James (vocals and guitar), Larry Wright (bass), Jim Payne (drums), and Larry Wright (keyboards) rounded out the lineup at the time, with Larry Coverdale on lead guitar.
The Shondells’ first big success, “Hanky Panky,” was recorded by the Michigan indie label Snap Records in 1964. Strange circumstances, including The Shondells’ signing with a record label run by the Mafia, began with this song. Additionally, “Hanky Panky” has been certified as a gold song by the RIAA for Tommy.
The Shondells had 14 Top 40 successes between 1966 and 1969, and many of them are still among the most eminently listenable songs of all time. Late in 1968, the group began penning their own material; Lucia and Tommy, for example, were responsible for the psychedelic hit “Crimson and Clover.”
After breaking apart from the band in 1971, Tommy scored two top 20 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Draggin’ the Line” and “Three Times in Love.” After nearly a decade with Roulette Records, he switched labels in the mid-’70s, first to Fantasy Records and then to Millennium Records.
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His autobiography, “Me, The Mob, and The Music: One Helluva A Ride With Tommy James & The Shondells,” was published in 2010. The book relates the story of the brooding New Yorker who hustled his way to the top of the music industry and the sweet-faced blonde artist from the Midwest with whom he shared an intimate relationship.
Currently, a film adaptation of “Me, The Mob, and the Music: One Helluva a Ride with Tommy James & the Shondells” is in the works. The film’s producer is Barbara De Fina. Tommy’s music features a reuniting of the remaining members of The Shondells.
Tommy James and the Shondells
House of Blues at Showboat, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, September 25 at 8 p.m.; Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South St., Morristown, September 18 at 8 p.m.
Levy, who died at age 62 from liver disease, was known for being extremely cheap with his artists. However, he established James and the Shondells as Roulette’s main attraction for many years.
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“They really bet the farm on us,” James says. “But as soon as we got up there, we started learning some of the realities — who we were dealing with. There were some very strange people floating in and out of there, and a lot of them had bent noses and brought in packages . . . they’d bring in a package, and not leave with one. So, we’d meet somebody in Morris’ office, and two weeks later we’d see him on the news, being taken out of a warehouse in New Jersey in handcuffs, doing the perp walk.”
Levy is revealed to be a multifaceted figure throughout the book. Yes, he is a cold-blooded, heartless criminal. But he’s also witty, charming, and dependable.
“Every time I go to say something really nasty about Morris,” James adds, “my conscience bothers me, because if it hadn’t have been for Morris Levy, there wouldn’t have been a Tommy James.”
“If we had gone with one of the corporate labels, like Columbia or RCA, we would have been, probably, a one-hit wonder. At Roulette, they really needed us. The last hit they had had before us was back in ’63, so they were three years without a major hit. So, we were treated like royalty up there — broke royalty, because we weren’t paid! And we were left alone in the studio, to morph into whatever we could become. And I was given free reign to bring in other writers and arrangers, and to go to whatever studio I wanted.”
James, caught up in the swirl of pop celebrity and intimidated by Levy, waited until his recording career had ended to demand what was rightfully his.
“When I left there in 1974, my accountant had figured out that Morris owed us between $30 and $40 million,” James says. “Morris threatened him and told him, ‘If you ever use that, they’re gonna fish you out of the river.’ There were a lot of scary moments.
“After we knew what we were owed, I finally had a real blowout with Morris. I couldn’t stand what he was into, and what I was forced to deal with. Morris and I had a real screaming match, and I was lucky to make it out of there in one piece.”
Tommy James Personal Life
Tommy James and his wife Lynda have been together for more than 40 years; they have three grown children and one grandson. He has spoken publicly about his former drug abuse and depression, attributing his recovery to support from his loved ones.
Tommy James Real Estate
Over the years, Tommy James has spread his fortune across a number of real estate holdings. He received $4.3 million in 2017 for the sale of his 51-acre house in Vernon, New Jersey.
Faq:
Q- What is Tommy James’ Real Estate and Automobile Collection?
No official data is available regarding Tommy James’ properties and cars.
Q- What are Tommy James’ Annual Earnings?
Tommy James has accumulated an estimated net worth of $4 million.
Q- How Many Endorsement Agreements Is Tommy James Involved In?
There is no recorded information regarding Tommy James’ endorsement deals.
Q- How Many Philanthropic Causes Does Tommy James Support?
Tommy James has lent his support to numerous charitable endeavours.
Q- Does Tommy James Own Any Businesses Apart from His Music Career?
Tommy James is renowned as a musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, notably as the frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Whether he has pursued other business ventures remains undisclosed.
