Gilbert O'Sullivan Net Worth

What is Gilbert O'Sullivan's Net Worth?

Gilbert O'Sullivan is an Irish singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $20 million. Gilbert O'Sullivan reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s with such hit songs as "Nothing Rhymed," "Alone Again (Naturally)," "Clair," and "Get Down." He is the recipient of three Ivor Novello Awards, including one for Songwriter of the Year in 1973.

Early Life and Education

Gilbert O'Sullivan was born Raymond O'Sullivan on December 1, 1946 in Waterford, Ireland as one of six siblings. His mother ran a confectionery store and his father worked as a butcher. The family immigrated to England when O'Sullivan was seven, living in London for a year before settling in Swindon. There, he learned to play piano. O'Sullivan was educated at St. Joseph's Catholic College and Swindon College. While attending the latter, he played in a number of bands, including the Doodles, the Prefects, and Rick's Blues. In addition to piano, O'Sullivan learned the drums and began writing songs.

Rise to Fame

In 1967, O'Sullivan moved to London to pursue a recording career. So he could stand out from the pack, he created a new look for himself that included a bowl cut, a cloth cap, and trousers, reminiscent of a Depression-era street urchin. O'Sullivan eventually landed a five-year record deal with CBS Records' April Music. He struggled at first with the unsuccessful singles "Disappear" and "What Can I Do," leading him to move to the Irish label Major Minor Records. Still struggling to find success, O'Sullivan sent demo tapes to manager Gordon Mills and was subsequently signed to Mills's new label MAM Records. He had his breakthrough in 1970 with the song "Nothing Rhymed," which became his first hit single. It reached number eight on the UK singles chart and peaked at number two in Ireland and number one in the Netherlands. The song was featured on O'Sullivan's debut album, "Himself," which came out in 1971 to both strong reviews and sales. Also in 1971, O'Sullivan had hits with the singles "Underneath the Blanket Go," "We Will," and "No Matter How I Try."

O'Sullivan rose to international fame in 1972 with his single "Alone Again (Naturally)." A ballad about suicide and loss, it charted in numerous countries around the world and spent a total of six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It went on to earn Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Coinciding with this success, O'Sullivan scrapped his old appearance and adopted a more modern, collegiate-style look characterized by a sweater with a large "G" on it. He continued his commercial success in 1972 with the single "Clair," another international hit and his first UK number-one single. The album it was on, "Back to Front," also reached number one in the UK. With over ten million disc sales in 1972, O'Sullivan was the top star of the year. He decided to go in a different direction with his third album, "I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter," which came out in 1973. Inflected by rock and funk influences, it spawned the hit single "Get Down."

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Further Career

By the time of his fourth album, "A Stranger in My Own Back Yard," in 1974, O'Sullivan was experiencing declining commercial fortunes. The album was his first to miss the top five of the UK Albums Chart, and its lead single, "A Woman's Place," was decried as sexist. O'Sullivan had his final two hit songs of the era with "Christmas Song" in late 1974 and "I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You" in mid-1975. After releasing the album "Southpaw" in 1977, he discovered that his contract with MAM unfairly favored the label's owner Gordon Mills. This led to an extended court battle that, while won by O'Sullivan, significantly hurt his recording career. In 1980, he returned to his old label CBS Records and had a moderate hit with the single "What's in a Kiss?" Following the release of his albums "Off Centre" and "Life & Rhymes," O'Sullivan took a hiatus between 1983 and 1986. He didn't release his next album, "In the Key of G," until 1989. O'Sullivan became prolific again in the 1990s and especially in the 21st century, with particular acclaim in Japan. He released multiple hit compilation albums, performed on tours, and in 2022 released his 20th studio album, "Driven."

Grand Upright Music, Ltd v. Warner Bros. Records Inc.

In 1991, O'Sullivan sued rapper Biz Markie for sampling the song "Alone Again (Naturally)" for the song "Alone Again." The copyright case was heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which ruled that, because the sampling was done without permission, it constituted copyright infringement. O'Sullivan won 100% of the royalties as a result. This was a seminal moment in the hip hop music industry that required all artists going forward to earn approval when sampling others' music.

Personal Life

In early 1980, O'Sullivan married his Norwegian girlfriend Aase Brekke. Together, they have two daughters named Helen-Marie and Tara.

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