Kenny G Net Worth and His Story Behind the Spotlight

Do you know that Kenny G net worth is quite fantastic for a musician? The Seattle-born musician has been actively making music since around 1973. No wonder that he had become a renowned musician who is recognized internationally.

There are a number of interesting facts behind Kenny G net worth. Read this article thoroughly to know his story better.

Summary table
Stage Name Kenny G
Legal Name Kenneth Bruce Gorelick
Date of Birth June 5, 1956
Gender Male
Height 5′ 7″ (1.71 m)
Net worth $100 million
Salary / earning / income per year Unknown
Profession Saxophonist, Composer, Producer
Nationality American

Kenny G’s Background Identity

Before we discuss further Kenny G net worth, let’s get to know his profile better.

  • Legal Name & stage name: Kenny G’s real name is Kenneth Bruce Gorelick. He took the stage name when he debuted as a solo artist. He said that he liked the sound of the shortened name.
  • Date of Birth: Kenny G was born on June 5, 1956. He is currently 65 years old.
  • Gender & Height: He is a 5′ 7″ (1.71 m) male. His famous trademark is his long curly hair.
  • Nationality: Although his mother is a Canadian, Kenny G is an American.
  • What is Kenny G Best Known for?
    • Kenny G is known for his work as a smooth jazz saxophonist. His music has been an all-time best-seller that is globally recognized.
    • Kenny G net worth is mostly generated from his record sales, that has been sold more than 75 million internationally.

Life Beginning

kenny-g-net-worth-childhood
(wsj.com)

Kenny G didn’t have any musical influences from his family. The son of  Morris and Evelyn Gorelick grew up in Seattle along with his older brother Brian, and younger sister Paula. Once when he was six years old, he took piano lessons, inspired by his brother. He only lasted 2 years because he lost interest in it.

Kenny G started playing the saxophone when he was 10 years old. Previously, he heard a saxophonist play on The Ed Sullivan Show. His school, Whitworth Elementary School, rented out saxophones and he borrowed the alto one. He quickly excelled in the instrument and was soon selected as the lead saxophonist in the school’s band.

He later attended Sharples Junior High School, now Kurose Middle School, and then Franklin High School. Despite his training throughout elementary and junior high school, Kenny G failed his first audition for the school’s jazz band. However, he didn’t give up. He trained harder and listen to more music on the radio. By the time he entered 11th grade, he got accepted and became the lead saxophonist.

  • Education

Kenny G is an alumnus of the University of Washington, located in his hometown, Seattle. He enrolled in the accounting program since he liked numbers. Although, he kept his interest in playing music on the side by joining Seattle’s soul-funk band, Cold, Bold, & Together.

  • Personal life

Kenny G had been married twice throughout his life. He first married Janice DeLeon in 1980 but then they separated after 7 years of marriage. In 1992, he married Lyndie Benson, and together they had two sons, Max and Noah. Both of their children are graduated from Ivy League colleges, the first one from Colombia University and the second one from the University of Southern California.

The Benson-Gorelick couple divorced in August 2012, after 20 years of marriage.

kenny-g-net-worth-family
(distractify.com)

Career

The fantastic amount of Kenny G net worth comes from his award-winning albums and songs. Here are a few of his notable works in the music industry.

  • Kenny G’s albums

His complete album discography is spread out from 1982 to 2021. Kenny G’s debut album is self-titled, which was released by Arista Records. His first award was given by the Soul Train Music Award in 1989, for his album Silhouette (1988). Kenny G’s albums which were often nominated for other music awards including Duotones (1986), Breathless (1992), and Heart and Soul (2010).

The success of many of his albums clearly contributed to Kenny G net worth.

kenny-g-net-worth-jakarta
(thejakartapost.com)
  • Kenny G’s Songs

Kenny G’s songs are familiar to anyone’s ears, even those who are not his fans. His rendition of My Heart Will Go On is among many of his songs that won him awards. Other singles that are also celebrated are including: Going Home, Forever in Love, Sentimental, Havana, and All the Way. The last one was a feature between him and Brian McKnight.

  • Awards and nominations

The rise of Kenny G net worth and fame is equal to awards and nominations which he received from music institutions and organizations. He received 2 nominations and won one of the awards in the 1994 American Music Awards. A year before, he also got nominated in one category in Billboard Music Awards. He was also nominated for Grammy 15 times in 15 different years and won one of the awards in 1994.

Kenny G Net worth

According to several sources, Kenny G net worth is approximately near $100 million. This fantastic amount of wealth also cumulated from the businesses he owns, real estate and property, or also his vehicles.

Businesses and Belongings

The staggering amount of Kenny G net worth doesn’t lead him to have unhealthy spending behavior. Instead, he said that he relied on long-term investment as a way to control his expenses. This is probably based on his previous background in accounting.

His famous investment was in Starbucks in the mid-1980. Kenny G is also known to have invested in Seattle-based tech company, Apple and Microsoft.

  • Real estate 

Property investment is also a part of Kenny G net worth. Similar to Hollywood celebrities who own mansions in Malibu, he also has one in there and multiple other properties in different places in the U.S. The house he currently lives in is a 3500-square-foot house with a private tennis court and pool. Some of his other properties are located in California and Washington.

  • Vehicles

A part of Kenny G net worth came from his contract for an Audi commercial for Super Bowl XLV. It is unknown whether he personally owns an Audi, but he has been seen often driving around in a lavish black Mercedes.

Income Details

It is unknown how much annual salary that adds up to Kenny G net worth. With such a fantastic amount, it is safe to assume that his income per year is far bigger than the average earning of a musician.

  • How does Kenny G make money?

In short, Kenny G net worth comes from his records selling, contract with labels and companies, investment in big companies, and also his properties investment.

What is Kenny G Recently Doing?

Kenny G net worth is relatively stable so far, since he is still productively making music. In 2022, he collaborated with The Weeknd, one of the popular R&B artists. As of 2021, Kenny G launched his newest album called New Standards. 

kenny-g-net-worth-the-weeknd
(udiscovermusic.com)

Kenny G is still playing the saxophone and doing tours and concerts in 2022.