If you like to listen to Garth Brooks‘ music, then you’re far from being alone. The singer has enjoyed a successful career filled with hit songs, industry awards and countless fans. He’s also earned quite a bit of money over the years, and he might be about to take home another large paycheck. And when we say large, we mean a whopping amount of money.
The country music star “is considering a sale of his catalog, eyeing roughly $2 billion for the rights to his songs and recordings, according to people familiar with the matter,” The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday, June 2.
Garth Brooks’ Deal Would Be Among the Biggest of Its Kind
Getty“Brooks, an album sales and touring juggernaut, is seeking a price that would be among the largest deals for an individual artist or group’s catalog,” the WSJ pointed out. In fact, the Daily Mail claims that it would be “the biggest deal for a single artist.”
The potential sale would involve “both his publishing, or songwriting, and recorded music rights,” according to WSJ.
To put the price into perspective, WSJ notes that “Sony bought classic rock band Queen’s catalog for more than $1 billion in 2024.” That same year, “Sony also … bought half of Michael Jackson’s catalog, in a deal valuing the assets over $1 billion.”
GettyAs for Brooks, he “has been entertaining a transaction for a few years and recently told some investors that he’s one of a few artists of his level of fame who hasn’t sold and is considering it, one of the people familiar with the matter said,” per WSJ. “He has told potential investors he thought the value of his music rights could be anywhere from the high $1 billion range to more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.”
WSJ also mentions the fact that “Brooks is perhaps the most high-profile artist to keep most streaming services at arms’ length. He has eschewed services like Spotify and Apple Music, in part because they don’t sell music.”
GettyBeyond that, the star “has resisted the iTunes style of selling songs individually, preferring to preserve sales of complete albums,” per WSJ. “In 2016 he signed a deal with Amazon Music to make his music available for streaming exclusively there. Amazon sells his albums digitally in their entirety.”
When it comes to the current potential deal, WSJ points out that “[i]t couldn’t be learned whether Brooks would allow his music to stream broadly in the event of a sale, likely something potential investors would want.”
Who Are the Richest Country Music Stars?
GettyWhile a deal worth a few billion dollars would certainly put a considerable amount of cash in Brooks’ pocket, it would only add to his already considerable fortune. In fact, he’s one of the richest country music stars in the business.
When it comes to other country music stars who have the biggest fortunes among their peers, here are a few names and the estimated net worth of each one, according to Just Jared (JJ):
15. Miranda Lambert: $60 million
14. Keith Urban: $75 million
13. Reba McEntire: $95 million
12. Brad Paisley: $120 million
11. Carrie Underwood: $140 million
10. Alan Jackson: $150 million
9. Luke Bryan: $160 million
8. Kenny Chesney: $180 million
7 (tie). Faith Hill: $200 million
6 (tie). Tim McGraw: $200 million
5. George Strait: $300 million
4. Toby Keith: $365 million
3 and 2: Brooks ties with Shania Twain, who are both thought to be worth in the range of $400 million.
1. And the richest of them all? Well, that happens to be none other than the country music queen herself, Dolly Parton. “Dolly Parton isn’t just a music icon: she’s a business mogul,” JJ notes.” In addition to decades of hits, she owns Dollywood, a publishing empire, and has starred in films. She’s also made savvy licensing deals and philanthropic investments that grew her fortune enormously.” That’s why she’s estimated to be worth around $650 million.
