What is Anne Murray's Net Worth?
Anne Murray is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer who has a net worth of $50 million. Anne Murray has earned her money the old-fashioned way: Making music that your parents and grandparents LOVE. Anne Murray has sold over 55 million copies of her albums worldwide over her 40-year career.
Murray's career in music began while she was still in college – she was recorded on a University of New Brunswick record, The Groove. From there, she received a few small jobs in show business, including one on the musical variety show Singalong Jubilee. She finally found real success in 1969, when a track off of her album This Way Is My Way became a surprise hit. The song, entitled "Snowbird," remains one of her most recognizable and popular pieces.
This song led to even bigger things, with Murray becoming a regular on the popular musical show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. Long after her initial success, Anne Murray continues to be a big hit among niche audiences with her recording career.
Early Life
Murray was born on June 20, 1945, in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada, and given the name Morna Anna Murray by her parents, Dr. James Carson Murray and Marion Margaret. Her father worked as a physician, and her mother worked as a nurse. She grew up with her five mothers. She expressed interest in music from an early age and began playing the piano at age six. When she was 15, she began taking voice lessons, and she performed "Ave Maria" at her high school graduation in 1962. After high school, she attended Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax for one year before transferring to the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, where she received her degree in physical education in 1966. She then taught physical education in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, for one year before pursuing her career in music.
Career
While in university, Murray appeared on the University of New Brunswick student record project, "The Grove," singing two songs. While working on the project, she was encouraged to audition for the CBC musical variety television show, "Singalong Jubilee," but was ultimately not offered a position on the show that year. However, she was cast on the show a year later. The show's musical director advised Murray to move to Toronto to record her own album.
Her first album, "What About Me, was released in 1968 on the Arc label. The title track from the album became a modest Canadian radio hit. She then released her second album on Capital Records in 1969 called "This Way is My Way." It featured the single "Snowbird." The song became a hit on the U.S. charts and became the first Gold-certified record ever given to a Canadian artist in the United States. Due to her success in the U.S., Murray was invited to become a regular guest on the television series "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour."
Following up on her success with "Snowbird," Murray released a number of other singles that charted both on the pop and country charts. Some of her hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s include "Danny's Song," "He Thinks I Still Care," "You Needed Me," "Shadows in the Moonlight," and "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You," among others. Murray's last Hot 100 hit was "Now and Forever (You and Me)" was in 1986. The single also rose to the number one chart on both the American and Canadian country charts.
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In 1996, Murray signed with a new manager named Bruce Allen. In 1997, she recorded her first live album. She also began singing more Christian-inspired music, releasing the album "What a Wonderful World" in 1999. The album reached the number one spot on the Contemporary Christian chart and also charted well on the Country and Pop charts. In 2002, she released the album "Country Croonin.'" In 2004, Murray joined a number of other Canadian music stars in the Canada for Asia Telethon, a tsunami relief concert. She sang a duet with Bryan Adams to close the show.
In October of 2007, Murray announced that she would embark on her final major. She toured in the U.S. and Canada throughout 2008 and held her final public concert in Toronto in May. The same year, she released "Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends," which comprised a number of Murray's biggest hits rerecorded as duets with other female singers. The album reached number two on the Canadian pop album charts and was certified Double Platinum in Canada.
Murray retired from both recording and performing after issuing a final Christmas album in 2008. Since 1968, Murray has released 32 studio albums and 15 compilation albums. She won four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three CMA Awards, and a record 24 Juno Awards. In 2006, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame chose her as a recipient of the Legacy Award for her contributions to and support of the Canadian songwriting industry.
Personal Life
In 1975, Murray married Bill Langstroth, who worked as a music producer and was the longtime host of "Singalong Jubilee." Together, they had two children – William and Dawn. Her daughter became a singer as well, and the mother-daughter duo collaborated on singing projects a number of times over the years. After almost 40 years of marriage, Langstroth died in May of 2013.
Murray lived in Markham, Ontario, for over 40 years, from the late 1970s through 2019. She then moved back to her home province of Nova Scotia, ultimately settling in Halifax. Even before moving back to Nova Scotia, Murray kept close ties to the region. She was instrumental in opening the Anne Murray Centre in Springhill in July of 1989. The centre operates as a Canadian charity that aims to foster tourism in the area and promote music from the region. She was also involved in the construction of the Dr. Carson and Marion Murray Community Centre, which became an integral part of the Springhill community. Additionally, she is involved in charitable organizations like the Canadian Save The Children Fund, Colon Cancer Canada, and the David Suzuki Nature Challenge. In February 2010, Murray was one of eight Canadians who carried the Olympic flag during the opening ceremonies of the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
