Some people age well and some age absolutely awful but when it comes to celebrities they are usually the ones who age well because they can afford all the expensive stuff to keep them looking fresh. Here are 10 men from music that VH1 think have aged gracefully.
Who: Anthony Kiedis, 48. Why: Shirtless or almost-naked during most of his performances, the RHCP lead singer has never been shy to strut his stuff. We’re not mad though; from the swinging long hair to the current almost-creepy porn ‘stache, his upfront tones are beyond welcomed.
Who: Lenny Kravitz, 47. Why: Like his iconic style, Lenny’s music blends multiple genres together. Known for balancing the provocative and racy with the sincere and sensuous, the multi-talented rock star oozes with sexuality that we don’t anticipate tiring of anytime soon.
Who: Bruce Springsteen, 61. Why: From bohemian hipster to All-American beefcake, The Boss has remained classic sex symbol for us to feast our eyes on. And those arms? Oof.
Who: John Taylor, 51. Why: While many acknowledge Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon as the band’s hottest member, pretty-faced bass guitarist John Taylor forces us to disagree. The cloying babe still manages to work his spiky tresses, “Hungry Like The Wolf” joke omitted!
Who: Trent Reznor, 46. Why: Edgy and expressive, the Nine Inch Nails frontman does it all! Composing, producing, and playing multiple instruments, the singer-songwriter gets extra points for bringing lyrics like “I want to f*ck you like an animal” into our lives.
Who: Dr. Dre, 47. Why: Andre Romelle Young is a renaissance man, working to juggle rapping, producing, acting and being a music executive since the ’80s. The California native is due to remind us that he’s still the D.R.E. any day now with his third solo album, but until then, we’ll just stare at his muscles.
Who: Prince, 53. Why: Multi-talented and hyper-sexual, Prince’s gutsy antics have wowed audiences since the ’70s. His voice is smooth and distinct, and carries with it the ability to transform those most shy into sassy sexpots.
Who: Bono, 51. Why: U2′s internationally-renowned superstar loves wearing sunglasses and singing hits! Thankful to his Irish heritage for blessing us with his dashing good looks, we’re also fans of his affinity for all things leather.
Who: Sting, 59. Why: Hailing from Wallsend, England, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (aka Sting) got his start singing for The Police in the late ’70s before later transitioning to a solo career. Leave your handcuffs at home, though; he’s admitted to engaging in 12-hour long tantric sex sessions with his wife, Trudie.
Who: Robert Plant, 63. Why: Displaying a bouquet of concentrated flavors via his incredible vocal delivery, Led Zeppelin’s English frontman refuses to retire his long, curly locks.
I sure as hell hope that I can age as well as these rockers, to see the full list that VH1 came up with then head on over to their site.
Friedman notes that Clemons has had health problems in the past, including having both knees replaced, but “this situation, as described to me this evening, sounds pretty dire. I am told that members of the E Street Band were advised to get down to Florida as soon as possible.”
Clemons last performed with Springsteen and the E Street Band in December of 2010 at Asbury Park’s Carousel House for a special web broadcast taping.
He can be heard on two songs on Lady Gaga’s new album Born This Way, and played on stage with her last month during the American Idol season finale.
Outside of his work with the E Street Band, Clemons has recorded with many other artists and has had a number of musical projects on his own.
The best known of these are his 1985 vocal duet with Jackson Browne on the hit single “You’re a Friend of Mine”, and his saxophone work on Aretha Franklin‘s 1985 hit single “Freeway of Love”.
Ann Kelly, 45, was a housewife living with her mortgage-broker husband and two children in a $600,000 home in a leafy New Jersey suburb.
Bruce Springsteen, along with his wife Patti Scialfa and daughter Jessica
But when the married Springsteen entered her life in 2005 — showering her with concert tickets, serenading her during rehearsals and confessing she was on his mind while he toured — the Jersey girl got lost in a “Tunnel of Love,” court records alleged.
The relationship between Kelly and the “Born to Run” singer began with chitchats on the treadmills at a high-priced Red Bank, NJ, gym, but the pace quickened with lunch dates and eventually a full-on affair, her soon-to-be ex-husband claimed.
Accusations of an illicit tryst came to light after Ann’s husband of 17 years, Arthur Kelly, 46, filed for divorce on March 27, 2009.
During the yearlong divorce proceeding, Arthur filed court papers alleging that Ann enjoyed a rendezvous with Springsteen while the husband was laid up in a hospital with heart trouble. Arthur also discussed marriage-counseling sessions at which The Boss was the main topic.
The bitter divorce is expected to be settled this week.
Rumors that Springsteen was stepping out with a redheaded knockout who was a dead ringer for Patti Scialfa, his wife of 18 years, began to swirl among gym rats at The Atlantic Club in 2005.
Arthur says Ann told him that Springsteen, 60, would stand at the end of her treadmill as she ran. It must have been a tempting vantage point for the “Thunder Road” singer because he once told Ann she had the “nicest ass” in the gym, Arthur says.
Workouts spilled into lunches at a nearby cafe, with Ann’s two daughters sometimes tagging along. The children got to know Springsteen so well that they called him “Bruce,” according to court records.
The wide-ranging chats Ann had with Springsteen got into politics. When the blue-collar hero and liberal icon learned that Ann was conservative, he gave her two books to read.
Being with Bruce brightened Ann’s day. She allegedly told Arthur’s mother several times that “it made her feel good that Bruce Springsteen was very interested in her,” the papers say.
The housewife allegedly conscripted her friends to be on Springsteen watch.
Childs play, unless you have at least four mistresses. Next?
source: Bruce Springsteen had ‘affair’ with New Jersey housewife: court papers [ny post]
Billboard have come up with their list of the biggest money makers from 2009 by just including the music scene such as tours (where most artists make their money), CD and digital sales, publishing royalties… they did not include any endorsements or movie deals.
15. Miley Cyrus : $21,285,996
Miley Cyrus is No. 4 on the 2010 Money Makers list in terms of CD royalties with more than $4.3 million; her one new release during the year was the Walmart-exclusive EP “The Time of Our Lives.” Cyrus’ Wonder World tour earned her slightly more than $15 million, according to Boxscore. Not included in this tally, but still of note: Her feature-film debut, “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” grossed $79.5 million at the box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
14. Elton John : $22,141,315
As half of the most successful co-headlining tour in history with Billy Joel, as well as being very active on his own, Elton John again struck box-office gold in 2009. Even without an album of new material, John still moved a quarter of a million physical units in the United States.
Nonstop touring and continued radio play were two of the factors that contributed to Nickelback’s 2009 success. The band sold 1.9 million albums, the majority of which came from its most recent release, 2008′s “Dark Horse,” which sold 1.4 million copies. And fans didn’t stop seeing Nickelback in concert, either. During the year, the group played 73 amphitheater and arena shows that earned it $18.3 million and drew more than 1 million people.
11. Fleetwood Mac : $24,751,540
The baby boomer idols land on the list for the first time thanks to the group’s $24 million take from its Unleashed tour, its first in five years. The trek grossed $71.2 million from 65 shows reported to Boxscore and landed at No. 14 on Billboard’s top tours list last year. Fleetwood Mac earned less than $700,000 in the United States from its album sales, with its 1988 “Greatest Hits” moving 135,000 copies — about half its U.S. album total for the period.
10. Metallica :$25,564,234
Metallica had at least two things to celebrate in 2009: its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the release of “Guitar Hero: Metallica.” Along with touring revenue — the band pulled in $22.8 million from 55 arena shows reported to Boxscore that drew more than 968,000 fans — Metallica sold 694,000 albums in 2009. The majority of those sales came from its Rick Rubin-produced 2008 release, “Death Magnetic” (297,000). Album sales revenue totaled $1.6 million. And most of Metallica’s track download earnings came from its 1991 hit “Enter Sandman,” which sold 450,000.
09. Kenny Chesney : $26,581,141
As one of the elite touring artists in the world, Kenny Chesney has sold more than 1 million tickets for seven consecutive years. In country music, the big ticket sellers also sit atop radio and retail charts, and Chesney is no exception, with physical album sales in the United States running roughly the same as tickets sold. His digital track numbers are also among the highest on this list, and the country star rang up more than half a million ringtones in 2009.
08. Coldplay : $27,326,562
Coldplay didn’t let a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by guitarist Joe Satriani dampen its spirits last year. Despite the legal turmoil (the two parties settled in September and the allegations were dismissed), the band earned $24.7 million touring behind its 2008 album, “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” which sold 495,000 copies in 2009. Overall, the group sold 852,000 albums in 2009, bringing in $1 million in revenue.
07. Jonas Brothers : $33,596,576
The Jonas Brothers released their fourth studio album, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times” (Hollywood) June 15, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and setting up the boy band for another fruitful year of album sales and touring. The act racked up almost $1.3 million in CD royalties. The band’s world tour netted them $31.4 million and won the group the Eventful Fans’ Choice Award at the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards.
06. Pink : $36,347,658
Even before she lofted herself onto a trapeze at the MTV Video Music Awards, Pink was already having the best year of her career. She officially shook her underdog status in 2008 with the release of “Funhouse,” but 2009 vaulted her to new heights thanks in part to an international arena tour, which netted her $35 million. Moreover, Pink’s show-stopping 2010 Grammy Awards performance of “Glitter in the Air” — and the track’s subsequent 1,143% digital sales increase — means that her funhouse is still open for business.
05. Britney Spears : $38,885,267
It seemed unlikely that Britney Spears could ever recover professionally from a series of bizarre events that led up to her 2008 “Circus” CD. But the album bowed atop the Billboard 200 in December of that year, and the pop star’s success continued into 2009 with an arena tour that earned her $36.4 million and album sales that totaled 763,000 copies. Digitally, Spears sold 7.5 million downloads; the largest seller was the racy Max Martin-produced single, “3,” which moved 1.6 million downloads.
04. AC/DC : $43,650,466
Although the overwhelming majority of AC/DC’s 2009 earnings came from touring international arenas and stadiums (it pulled in $41.4 million from concerts and ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s 2009 tally of the top 25 highest-grossing tours), the Australian rockers also experienced consistent album sales from their catalog. Indeed, the group’s highest-selling album was its 2008 Walmart exclusive, “Black Ice,” which shifted 227,000 copies. But coming in at a close second was the classic “Back in Black,” with 215,000 copies. In total, the group sold 1.1 million albums in 2009.
03. Madonna : $47,237,774
Like U2, Madonna toured for the first time under a long-term multirights Live Nation deal (hers valued at $120 million), and also like U2 it’s a performance-based pact. Madonna delivered: Her Sticky & Sweet tour tacked on a “victory lap” run of international stadium dates that solidified the trek as the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist. Madonna’s CD sales were well off the pace of her peak hitmaking years, but still more than respectable at physical and digital. Because her songs come from a wide range of writers, the publishing pie is pretty well-sliced. But her branding, licensing and merch efforts are among the most diversified and lucrative in the music business.
02. Bruce Springsteen : $57,619,037
With a new studio album, a Walmart-exclusive hits compilation and a relentless touring schedule, Bruce Springsteen was at the top of his revenue-generating game in 2009. Springsteen’s profile has never been higher, with added-value exposure from the Super Bowl halftime show, Kennedy Center Honors and even a run-in with Ticketmaster all keeping the Boss in the public eye. Springsteen was also a force at retail and on the digital sales front, with more than 2 million tracks downloaded. And since he writes all his own songs, publishing revenue stays at Camp Bruce. Remarkably, Springsteen Inc. is peaking more than 35 years after his debut album.
01. U2 : $108,601,283
Midway through what is destined to be the highest-grossing tour in history, U2 remains the biggest band in the world. Its 360° tour is the group’s first under a 12-year multirights deal with Live Nation that includes worldwide touring, merchandising and the band’s lucrative U2.com Web site, a digital distribution gold mine for all things U2. The act’s current global stadium tour is the most expensive ever mounted — the daily nut is said to be $750,000 — but those costs are well offset by the highest capacities ever from the band’s 360-degree configuration. By even the most conservative estimates, U2 was far and away the top revenue generator in music last year.
I am very surprised that Beyonce isn’t in the top 5, you can see the full top 40 earners at the source.
I think Forbes are trying to send me into a severe depression or something, just last week they released their annual Hollywood’s Top-Earning Actresses but now they are releasing their Top-Earning Musicians of the year and yet again it makes me want to cry myself to sleep from jealousy:
1. Madonna
$110 million
Thanks to her “Sticky & Sweet Tour,” the top-grossing international and domestic tour of 2008 according to Pollstar, Madonna out earned the rest of her peers. She also released her 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which debuted at No.1 in over 30 countries. In the U.S., the album sold 100,000 copies on the first day of release. The Material Girl also endorses Louis Vuitton.
2. Celine Dion
$100 million
Returning to the touring stage after three years on the Las Vegas circuit was a boon to Dion’s bottom line. The Canadian singer was promoting the 2007 release of Taking Chances, her first studio album in English since 2003. The tour sold out in the U.S. and Canada, becoming the second top-grossing tour of 2008 with gross earnings of $237 million. Dion also released an English greatest-hits collection, My Love: Essential Collection, and a sixth perfume to her fragrance collection.
Along with the E Street Band, Springsteen’s tour grossed $166 million in 2008 to rank fourth among the top-grossing international tours of the year. The New Jersey crooner enjoyed a year in the spotlight, as his support of President Barack Obama, his Golden Globe win for his song on The Wrestler soundtrack and his NFL Super Bowl halftime performance kept him in the news.
5. Kenny Chesney
$65 million
Chesney, the continued top-grossing country act on tour, was the genre’s only star to make the top-10 international concert roster in 2008, grossing $72 million and selling over 1 million tickets. He also released Lucky Old Sun last October. Chesney was featured along with Jon Bon Jovi and Eric Clapton in Mastercard’s Roots of Rock sweepstakes and has endorsement deals with Cruzan Rum and Corona
6. Rascal Flatts
$60 million
The boys from Ohio have found a cozy niche for themselves with crossover pop/country hits and a young fan base. The group grossed $56 million on the road last year, but buoyed their earnings with lucrative endorsement deals with JCPenney and Hershey’s. Their latest album, Unstoppable, released in April, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
7. Coldplay
$60 million
The British band Coldplay grossed $72 million from international touring in 2008. Their June 2008 release Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends became the most-downloaded album of all time, selling 354,000 digital copies in the first two weeks of its release. The group won three Grammys in February, including Best Rock Album.
8. AC/DC
$60 million
The Aussie rock band fronted by aging schoolboy Angus Young tied for No. 5 on this year’s list of top earners thanks to their seemingly relentless popularity. Their fall 2008 effort, Black Ice, was the band’s first album in eight years. Sales of Ice combined with international catalog sales made AC/DC the No. 1 catalog artist of 2008. As well, their domestic tour grossed $38 million in 2008
9. Eagles
$55 million
It was a bittersweet year for fans of the Eagles. The group released their first studio album since 1979, though according to Don Henley it will likely be their last collective effort. Long Road Out of Eden was sold exclusively through the band’s Web site, Sam’s Club and Wal-mart for the first year of its release, though it still managed to sell 700,000 copies in the first week. Their accompanying tour began last March at London’s O2 Arena, eventually grossing $87 million in 2008.
10. Toby Keith
$52 million
A consistent name among musical top earners, Toby Keith has continued to expand his brand. He grossed $31 million on tour in 2008, and That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy, which has since sold over 500,000 copies. He also sees income from an endorsement deal with Ford, an eponymous chain of restaurants and as a prolific songwriter.
11. Bon Jovi
$50 million
The international tour to support Bon Jovi’s 2007 album Lost Highway grossed $176 million in 2008, ranking at No. 3 in Pollstar’s list of top worldwide tours and second only to Madonna based on the number of tickets sold. A documentary of the tour, When We Were Beautiful, was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. A book of the same title is slated to hit bookstores this fall.
12. Dave Matthews Band
$45 million
One of the most prolific touring acts of the last decade–earning $47 million on the road last year–Dave Matthews Band is now drumming up buzz for Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, its first album in four years. The band’s saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, died last August from complications related to an ATV accident. The die-hard DMB fan base continues to bolster their bottom line, thanks to annual dues of the popular fan club, Warehouse, and merchandise sales.
