What is Bobby Brown’s net worth after Whitney Houston’s death?
Bobby Brown is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and rapper best known for his hit single “My Prerogative”. He rose to fame in the 1980s with hits like “Every Little Step” and “Don’t Be Cruel”. But how much is Bobby Brown worth today? And how did he accumulate such a large net worth?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the life and career of Bobby Brown, which includes stints with the iconic R&B group New Edition, a highly-publicized (and controversial) marriage to Whitney Houston, and various legal troubles. We’ll explore how he achieved his wealth, and how he’s chosen to spend it.
Early life & career beginnings
Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 5th, 1969 to father Herbert Aurthur Brown Jr., a construction worker, and mother Carole Elizabeth Smith. His parents separated when he was eight years old. At a young age, Bobby was exposed to music through his father who played in bands throughout his childhood and teenage years.
By the time he was 12 years old, Bobby had already formed a band with some school friends called New Edition. The group released their self-titled debut album in 1983 which spawned several hits such as “Candy Girl” and “Cool It Now”.
The success of the first album led to three more albums over the span of five years; each achieving high levels of success with singles such as “Mr. Telephone Man” and “Can You Stand the Rain”. Eventually, however, as members dropped out due to creative differences, Brown decided to go solo and venture into a new musical era.
Solo career & record sales
Brown released his first solo album, King of Stage, in 1986. The album was a modest success, but it proved that he could draw listeners on his own through his unique bad-boy charisma. It proved to be the start of an incredibly successful period, musically speaking.
The 1988 release of Don’t Be Cruel propelled Brown’s career further into megastardom – spawning five hit singles including “Roni”, “Rock Wit’Cha”, and “Every Little Step” and the aforementioned “My Prerogative”, which became one of Brown’s signature songs.
Following this release came two more albums – 1992’s BOBBY and 1997’s Forever – both of which attained platinum status signifying great commercial success for Brown. He also reunited with New Edition for a successful (albeit volatile) tour/album rollout in 1997.
Outside music & television/film appearances
In addition to singing, Brown has been on TV for years. He’s appeared on classic shows like The Simpsons, Moesha, and Sesame Street. This proved that not only was he a great musician but also an all-around entertainer. In addition to these titles, Brown was one of the stars of the reality series Celebrity Fit Club and one of the contestants on The Masked Singer in 2021.
While these TV performances have largely relied on Brown’s status as an R&B legend, he’s also managed to give convincing dramatic performances in films like the historical drama biopic Panther (1995) and the romantic comedy A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) opposite Martin Lawrence.
Brown collaborated with A&E on the specials Biography: Bobby Brown and Bobby Brown: Every Little Step in 2022. He’s an executive producer on both specials, with the former being a documentary and the latter being a reality show based on his current life.
Final thoughts
Brown has accomplished feats within the music industry that are remarkably impressive. He’s a renowned figure in the R&B genre, and his marriage to Whitney Houston remains one of the most famous celebrity couplings of all time.
His current net worth is estimated at around $2 million dollars, which is not half bad considering the various addictions, personal tragedies and public controversies he’s been tied to over the years.
He no doubt makes the bulk of his money from his music, but the reality TV gig, coupled with the licensing of his likeness in popular shows like The New Edition Story (2017) has continued to make him one of the wealthiest men of the New Jack Swing era.
