Ray Parker Jr Net Worth

Publish date: 2024-05-18

What is Ray Parker Jr.’s Net Worth?

Ray Parker Jr, an American singer, songwriter, and record producer, has a net worth of $10 million. He is best known for writing and performing the hit theme song to the 1984 supernatural comedy film “Ghostbusters,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Parker co-founded the funk and R&B group Raydio in the late 70s and has sold millions of singles during his career. He has also written several successful songs for other artists, including co-writing “You Got the Love” with Chaka Khan, which became a #1 R&B charting song for Rufus, and co-writing “You See The Trouble with Me” with Barry White, a hit single for White from the album “Let the Music Play.”

Parker’s guitar work can be heard on hundreds of popular songs, and to date, nine of his albums have gone either gold or platinum.

Early Life of Ray Parker Jr.

Ray Parker Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 1, 1954 to Ray Sr. and Venolia. He attended Angel Elementary School where he was inspired by his music teacher Alfred T. Kirby to play the clarinet. Parker graduated from Northwestern High School after attending Cass Technical High School for a year. He then enrolled at Lawrence Institute of Technology.

Early Career and Collaborations

Ray Parker Jr. gained recognition in the late 60s as a member of Bohannon’s house band at Detroit’s 20 Grand nightclub. He later joined the Spinners’ touring group and began creating his own music, recording and co-writing his first songs with Marvin Gaye at just 16 years old. Parker also worked as a studio musician, contributing to the number-one Honey Cone single “Want Ads.”

In 1972, Parker played guitar on Stevie Wonder’s “Maybe Your Baby,” which led to his permanent move to Los Angeles. He then served as Wonder’s lead guitarist during the Rolling Stones’ tour and later played as a sideman in Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. In 1974, Parker had his first major hit as a songwriter with “You Got the Love,” co-written by Chaka Khan and performed by Rufus.

Raydio and Ray Parker Jr. Success

In 1977, Ray Parker Jr. formed the funk and R&B vocal group Raydio with Jerry Knight, Vincent Bonham, and Arnell Carmichael. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1978, and their hit single “Jack and Jill” peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. “You Can’t Change That” from their 1979 album “Rock On” was another top-ten hit.

The group changed its name to Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio in 1980. Their albums “Two Places at the Same Time” and “A Woman Needs Love” were both certified Gold, featuring hit singles such as “Two Places at the Same Time,” “That Old Song,” and “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do),” which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

Ray Parker Jr.’s Solo Career

After the disbanding of Raydio in 1981, Parker began his solo career. His debut album, “The Other Woman,” produced the hit single of the same name which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Black Singles chart. Parker’s most famous solo hit came a few years later with the theme song for the film “Ghostbusters.” The track reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Parker a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Parker continued to write and produce hit songs for other artists throughout the 80s, including New Edition’s “Mr. Telephone Man,” Deniece Williams’ “I Found Love,” and Cheryl Lynn’s “Shake it Up Tonight.” He also released several solo albums, including “Woman Out of Control,” “Sex and the Single Man,” and “After Dark.” In 1991, Parker released “I Love You Like You Are,” featuring the single “She Needs to Get Some.” He didn’t release another solo album until 2006, with “I’m Free.”

Later in his career, Parker worked with various Latin rock musicians, including El Chicano, Siedah Garrett, Vikki Carr, Peter Michael Escovedo, and Salvador Santana.

Controversy Surrounding “Ghostbusters” Song

In 1983, Ray Parker Jr. recorded his most famous song “Ghostbusters,” which became a popular favorite. However, the song was not free from controversy. Parker was accused of plagiarizing Huey Lewis and the News’ song “I Want a New Drug” for “Ghostbusters.” The two parties eventually settled out of court due to the unmistakable similarity between the two songs.

In a 2004 article titled “Who Ya Gonna Call” in Parade magazine, some of the Ghostbusters producers reportedly admitted to using “I Want a New Drug” as background music in some scenes. More controversially, they reportedly admitted to giving Parker early film footage mixed with the Huey Lewis song before asking him to write a theme song and had previously reached out to Lewis but were rejected.

Parker’s pioneering involvement in music videos

Ray Parker Jr was among the first black recording artists to venture into the emerging world of music videos. In 1978, Hollywood producer Thom Eubank created music videos for several tracks from Raydio’s debut album, including the hit single “Jack and Jill,” which was aired on “The Midnight Special,” a late-night musical variety program. Parker’s “Ghostbusters” video, directed by the film’s director Ivan Reitman, was one of the earliest movie-related music videos to attain success on MTV.

Acting Career

Ray Parker Jr had a brief appearance as a guitar player in the 1974 action comedy crime film “Uptown Saturday Night.” In the 80s, he appeared on various TV shows including the sitcom “Gimme a Break,” the Saturday morning children’s show “Pryor’s Place,” and the primetime soap opera “Berrenger’s.” He also had roles in the 1987 films “Disorderlies” and “Enemy Territory.”

Family and Career

Ray Parker Jr has been married to Elaine Parker since 1994 and they have four sons together, named Ray III, Redmond, Gibson, and Jericho. Elaine is the owner of a modeling agency called RAGE Models & Talent.

Real Estate Investment

In 1998, Ray Parker Jr. and Elaine purchased a gated community home in Calabasas, California for $1.7 million. Today, similar properties in the area are valued between $3-4 million. In addition, the couple also invested in a state-of-the-art recording studio located in a building adjacent to the property.

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