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Elvis Costello, the popular 63-year-old musician, singer and composer, cut his European concert tour short while he recovers from a “very aggressive cancerous malignancy.” He was set to tour with his longtime band The Imposters but cancelled the remaining dates while he recovers from surgery.
Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus in Paddington, London, England in 1954. He is best known as both a solo artist and as the front man for the band Elvis Costello and the Attractions. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Costello’s net worth is approximately $70 million. He’s a well-known musician dating back to 1973 when he released his debut album “My Aim is True.”
Here’s what you need to know about Costello’s net worth:
1. Costello’s Net Worth of $70 Million Was Earned Through a Long Career in Music, Songwriting & Acting
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 18: Elvis Costello performs onstage during the Little Kids Rock Benefit 2017 at PlayStation Theater on October 18, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Little Kids Rock)
Costello began his career in the early 1970’s, during London’s popular pub rock music scene, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His album “My Aim is True” was critically acclaimed when it first dropped, and he formed the Attractions shortly after as a backup band. The group toured for a decade before splitting up in 1986, Celebrity Net Worth reports.
“He began performing professionally in 1969 and was a musician and/or singer in many bands around London before forming a moderately successful pub-rock band called “Flip City” in the mid-1970s. Working full time as a computer operator, he landed his first record deal with Stiff Records in 1977 and recorded his first album “My Aim Is True” while on vacation,” his bio on IMDB states.
Costello is a renowned film producer as well as a musician and songwriter. He has starred in several documentaries and television series including “New Girl,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Minority Report,” as well as several Simpsons episodes.
2. He Won a Grammy Award & Was Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003
HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Elvis Costello attends the screening of “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool” at AFI FEST 2017 Presented By Audi at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 12, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for AFI)
Costello won a Grammy Award, was nominated twice for the Brit Award for Best British Male , and was nominated in 2003 for the an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his popular song “The Scarlet Tide.”
Costello and the Attractions were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and has had several hit songs over the years, including “Alison,” “Everyday I Write the Book,” and “Pump it Up.”
He is married to famous Canadian pianist Diana Krall. The couple have two children together.
3. Costello Starred in a Hit Commercial With His Father Early in His Career
Gettylvis Costello performs during the Who Cares Benefit For Teen Cancer America Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2013 in New York City..
His father was a musician and bandleader during Costello’s childhood, giving the musician an early introduction to the world of music. Ross MacManus was an English musician and trumpet player of Irish descent. He performed with Joe Loss and his orchestra.
Costello’s father had a hand in jump-starting Costello’s career. Costello starred in a commercial with his father for R. White’s Lemonade. Costello provided backup vocals for the song that his father wrote and sang during the commercial, Wiki Net Worth reports.
It was a huge hit and the commercial won a silver award at the International Advertising Festival. After the success of the commercial, Costello started focusing on his music, and his career as a rock and roll star blossomed.
4. Costello Performed a Song on Saturday Night Live After Being Strictly Forbidden to Perform it
Getty10th September 1977: Elvis Costello at the microphone during the 10th annual garden party held at Crystal Palace Concert Bowl. (Photo by Gary Merrin/Keystone/Getty Images)
Costello gained even more popularity after a stint with Saturday Night Live in 1977. He played a song that NBC and SNL head Lorne Michaels forbade him to sing, according to AXS. He was quickly banned from the show after, but his “cult status began to grow as a result,” AXS reports.
The evening began with Costello and the Attractions filling in on SNL after the Sex Pistols had to cancel. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, their debut album had just dropped, and they were eager to fill the opening. Although his label pushed him to play “Less Than Zero,” Costello didn’t feel that a song about a vilified English politician would resonate with the American audience.
A few bars into “Less Than Zero,” Costello stopped and said “I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but there’s no reason to do this song here.” The Attractions then launched into the song “Radio Radio,” creating a decades-plus rift between Costello and SNL, UCR reports.
Costello says he was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and his similar, unscripted performance on the Lulu show. Michaels was furious and Costello wasn’t invited back to SNL for a full decade following the incident.
5. Costello Had to Cancel His Remaining Six Tour Dates After Needing More Time to Recover From a Surgery Treating an “Aggressive Cancerous Malignancy”
GettyLONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 11: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been converted in black and white) Elvis Costello attends the Mayfair Gala & European Premiere of ‘Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool’ during the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 11, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for BFI)
Costello recently made headlines after canceling the remaining six dates of his European tour to recover from a surgery meant to treat “a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy,” according to his website. The cancelled dates included shows in the United Kingdom, Austria and Croatia.
Costello said his surgery took place six weeks ago, and was successful so he decided to continue his European tour. However, he released a statement stating he must now “accept that it is going to take longer than I would have wished for me to recover my full strength,” the statement said.
“Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel,” he wrote. “It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a traveling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-hour plus performances on a nightly basis but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed.”