Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton Named Among Country’s Top Earners in 2017
Though country stars like to maintain the common touch with their fans, there’s nothing common about the amount of money they’re taking home. A new list from Forbes highlights the 10 highest paid country musicians of 2017 and there are a couple surprises in the group.
Garth Brooks leads the pack for a third consecutive year, earning $60 million between his blockbuster tour and record sales. Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line also appear, along with an important new entry: Dolly Parton.
The “Coat of Many Colors” singer brought in $37 million last year, putting her at Number 4 on the list. Her diverse portfolio includes revenue from touring and concerts, song publishing royalties, made-for-TV films inspired by her life and, of course, the Dollywood theme park in her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban also made the list, with Zac Brown Band and Eric Church tying for 10th place.
Overall, this year’s numbers are down slightly from last year, but more evenly distributed. Nine of ten performers topped the $30 million mark this year, where only five did so in 2016.