John Cafferty is a singer and guitar player. He is most famous for being part of the American rock band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Along with the other members of the band, he has been making music since 1972. He has a net worth of approximately $7 million.
| Name | John Cafferty |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | 1950 (71 to 72 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Narragansett, Rhode Island |
| Height: | 5 feet 8 inches (1.75 meters) |
| Profession: | Singer, guitarist |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Parents: | Unknown |
| Net Worth Estimate: | $7 million |
Net Worth
It is unclear what Cafferty’s exact net worth is. However, it is speculated to be around $7 million.
Most of Cafferty’s earnings come from his work as the lead singer and guitarist of the band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. One of their singles, “On the Dark Side,” featured at peak position on the Billboard Rock Charts, whilst the album “Eddie & the Cruisers Motion Picture Soundtrack” was certified by the RIAA as triple platinum.
As such, this has contributed significantly to Cafferty’s net worth (1).
In addition, the Rhode Island Musical Hall of Fame inducted the band into their group of noteworthy musicians, increasing Cafferty’s net worth further (2).
Company
Cafferty does not own his own company, nor does he appear to have any financial stake in other businesses.
Earnings
Cafferty earns most of his money from being part of the band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Before working in the band, Cafferty had a job at Rhode Island College as part of the coffeehouse. Cafferty’s exact earnings here are unknown, although a cafe attendant in the area earns approximately $27,109 per year (3).
It is unclear how much Cafferty originally earned from the band. However, by 1975, the band had begun to rent a waterfront house together in Rhode Island.
The property costs around $500 per month in rent and $1000 per month for heating, suggesting that they were making at least $1500 per month to cover these costs (4).
In 1980, the band released their first single, titled Wild Summer Nights.
Although Cafferty’s exact earnings from this song are unknown, the track sold at least 10,000 copies, along with radio airplay in Boston, New York, Cleveland, and other American cities (5).
Three years later, the band released a soundtrack album for the movie Eddie and the Cruisers three years later. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the record as double platinum, indicating that it sold over 3 million copies (6).
Following the album’s success, the band toured across America and other parts of the world, including Japan. However, although it is unclear how much Cafferty earned from this, the band was currently unsigned, indicating that most of the proceeds went to Cafferty and the other band members (7).
Following their tour, the Scott Brothers label signed the band for a record deal.
It is unknown how much they received as an advance for this.
However, in 1985, the band recorded music for the movie Rocky IV. Although Cafferty’s exact earnings from this are unknown, the band had a budget of $30,000,000.
It also grossed $127,873,716 in total in the United States and a worldwide gross of $300,473,716. Cafferty likely received a portion of these earnings (8).
The following year, they also released music for Cobra, which had a budget of $25 million (9) and grossed $160 million worldwide (10).
In 1989, they released a soundtrack album for Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! The film grossed approximately $536,508 worldwide (11).
Almost a decade later, Cafferty released music for the movie There’s Something About Mary.
It had an estimated budget of $23 million. It grossed $176,484,651 in the United States and Canada and $369,884,651 worldwide (12).
The band received limited commercial success since the 1990s, although it has continued to sell out several venues. They also have regular headline appearances in New England (13).
Real Estate
It is unclear where Cafferty currently lives or the location of his previous homes.
Early Life
Cafferty was born at some point in 1950 in Narragansett, Rhode Island. His mother and father’s names are unknown, as well as their job. It is also unknown which high school he attended or if he continued to university.
However, during junior high, Cafferty became involved in music. In 1965, he created the garage band Nightcrawlers along with his friends.
The band was relatively successful as a small-scale music group and played at several events in the area. By the time Cafferty graduated from high school, the band had disbanded as the members pursued other careers.
During this time, Cafferty began attending Rhode Island College, although his degree is unknown.
When studying at this college, Cafferty met a former friend, Kenny Jo Silva. Silva was a drummer for the band Luvin’ Kynd, and the lead singer for the band had recently left.
As such, Silva asked Cafferty to join the band as a vocalist. He accepted, and the group played music together until 1972, when they broke up.
Career
Following the break-up of Luvin’ Kynd, Cafferty and Silva decided to form a new band together. The pair were heavily influenced by groups like J. Geils Band, who blended soul with harder sounds and R&B and rock ‘n’ roll.
The pair formed the band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, along with the guitarist Gary Gramolini, keyboard artist Bobby Cotopaxi, saxophone player Paul Jackson, and Pat Lupo on the bass. The band got their name from a paint can.
In 1973, Cafferty played his first live show with the band, which eventually led to them becoming one of the most popular musical groups in Rhode Island.
In 1980, the band performed at the Bottom Line for a showcase appearance. The band sold out all the tickets for the venue, leading to radio stations broadcasting the gig across the United States.
The band’s first commercial success came with the release of the song Wild Summer Nights in 1980.
It sold over 10,000 copies in the United States, with several Atlantic radio stations playing the song.
However, during this time, the band struggled to find major label support because they were constantly compared to other bands, such as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
In 1983, one of the band’s fans, Kenny Vance, approached them to make the soundtrack of a film he was working on titled Eddie and the Cruisers. Cafferty accepted, and the album was hugely successful following repeated HBO airings of the film.
The RIAA certified the album as double platinum for selling over 3 million copies. Additionally, several songs on the album met commercial success as well.
On the Dark Side originally charted at #64 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Tender Years charted at #78.
In 1984, Cafferty re-released On the Dark Side, charting at #7. Similarly, the re-release of Tender Years charted at 31. On the Dark Side also appeared at the peak position on Billboard’s Top Rock charts.
At the same time, the video also achieved the #1 position on the recently-created MTV network. The single remained in both of these positions for 5 consecutive weeks.
This led the record label Scotti Brothers, part of Sony, to sign the band. The group released their first major label album, Tough All Over, in 1985. This album included two singles in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, although they did not achieve the same success as Eddie and the Cruisers.
Three years later, they released their second album, Roadhouse, which was a commercial failure. The band then worked on the soundtrack for Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives.
The album did not meet the commercial highs of the previous record, leading to the Scotti Brothers dropping the band.
However, Cafferty continued to release music, which appeared on the soundtrack albums for films like Rocky IV, There’s Something About Mary and Cobra. Cafferty did not sign to a major label again, but the band maintained a strong fanbase.
They continue to tour today, particularly in New England, where they regularly headline various venues.
Career Highlights
- In 1972, Cafferty formers John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
- In 1973, the band played their first live show
- In 1980, the band released their first song, which sold over 10,000 copies
- In 1983, the band released the soundtrack for Eddie and the Cruisers, which was later certified two times platinum
- In 1985, the band released their first major label album, which had two songs on the Billboard Top 40
- The band released several soundtrack songs for films such as Rocky IV, Cobra, and There’s Something About Mary
- The band continues to tour today, particularly in New England
Personal Life
Cafferty has been married to his wife, Terry Lee Cafferty, for several years. It is unknown when the pair got together or when they first met. However, they have been married since at least 1985. The pair have two sons together, named Shane and Jackson. Terry Lee is a professional photographer and often travels with Cafferty for pleasure.
Interesting Facts
- In 2021, Cafferty was inducted into the New England Hall of Fame class for his contribution to music (14).
- Cafferty penned all of the band’s songs himself (15).
- Corey Taylor, one of the band Slipknot, covered Cafferty’s song On the Dark Side in 2022 (16).
- Cafferty is a member of the Choose Love Movement and aims to make each of his concerts an “uplifting experience” for his audience (17).
Summary
John Cafferty is a singer and guitarist best known for being one of the lead members of the band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Through the band, Cafferty recorded an album that the RIAA certified two times platinum and had a top 10 song on the Billboard Hot 100. He has a net worth of approximately $7 million.