What is Joe Bonamassa's Net Worth?
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues and rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter who has a net worth of $8 million. Joe Bonamassa started his career at age 12 when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart. Bonamassa has earned three Grammy Awards nominations. Among guitarists, he is known for his extensive collection of vintage guitars and amplifiers. In 2020, Bonamassa created Keeping the Blues Alive Records, an independent record label that promotes and supports the talent of blues musicians.
Early Life
Joe Bonamassa was born in New Hartford, New York, on May 8, 1977. Both of Bonamassa's parents were musicians, and his parents owned a guitar shop. His father, Len Bonamassa, taught him how to guitar when he was four years old. Bonamassa's father was passionate about British blues rock artists such as Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. These artists were frequently played around the house and Len expressed the artistic importance of these artists. By the time Bonamassa was seven years old, he was able to play along to the recordings of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. At 11 years old, Bonamassa was mentored by Danny Gatton.
Early Career
In 1989, when Bonamassa was 12 years old, he opened for B.B. King at about 20 live shows. By that time, he already had his own band, named Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, which had gigs around western New York and Pennsylvania. Though he was busy juggling two different shows at once, he could still only play on the weekend because he had school on weekdays.
When Bonamassa was 14 years old, he formed a new band named Bloodline. His bandmates were the sons of Miles Davis, Robby Krieger, and Berry Oakley. They recorded one album, which had two successful singles.
Professional Music Career
Bonamassa's debut studio album, "A New Day Yesterday," was released in 2000 when he was 23 years old. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard Blues chart.
Between 2002 and 2006, Bonamassa had three studio albums make it to No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. In 2009, Bonamassa's childhood dream came true as he was able to meet and play a duet with the legendary Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Bonamassa was very inspired by the music of Beth Hart and asked her to pair up with him for an album. She happily agreed, and the two released the album "Don't Explain" in 2011. In 2013, The two released a follow-up album, "Seesaw," which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Blues Album.
Bonamassa's album "Different Shades of Blue" (2014) was his first solo studio album since "So, It's Like That" (2002). The purpose of the album was to play solely original songs (except for one instrumental Jimi Hendrix cover). Because most of his albums had covers from iconic artists strung throughout the collection, it was a new venture for Bonamassa to release tracks that came from him. Bonamassa's idea for the album was for it to be a "serious blues rock" sound, instead of "three-minute radio hits." The album charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the blues chart, and No. 1 on the indie chart. In May 2015, Bonamassa won a Blues Music Award.
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In June 2020, Bonamassa released an album named "Blues with Friends." The album was released via Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA), a new record label created by Bonamassa and Roy Weisman. The record label is aimed at focusing solely on blues musicians and not limiting their artistic vision. The album features Van Morrison, Jeff Beck, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and many more. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. It also charted in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Australia.
In June 2021, Bonamassa released a live album and film, named "Now Serving: Royal Tea Live from the Ryman." It was all filmed from his concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The show raised $32,000 for Bonamassa's Fueling Musicians program, a nonprofit that supported financially struggling musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guitar and Amplifier Collection
Bonamassa is recognized for his long-held collection of vintage amplifiers and guitars. He started collecting before he was 10 years old. Bonamassa attributes his impressive collection to his parents who owned a music shop and would often hold back first-class guitars for him. His first vintage guitar was a 1963 Stratocaster.
During an interview in 2020, Bonamassa said that his favorite guitar in his collection is his 1951 Fender Telecaster, nicknamed "The Bludgeon" by his fans. In 2021, Fender and Bonamassa partnered up and announced the release of a limited edition replica of "The Bludgeon," which would go on sale to Bonamassa's loyal fan base and the general public.
Bonamassa also has a collection of over 100 amplifiers, mostly vintage "tweed" Fender amps. In a 2019 Guitar World interview, Bonamassa proudly admitted that he has more than 400 guitars and 400 amplifiers.
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