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The music industry has come a very long way over the last 20 years, across all genres. Some musicians become so famous they can pretty much have what they want; a substantial pay check, a casual two Ferraris and pimped-out Bentley, as well as a ten-room mansion. It all seems too good to be true, and for some, dealing with this amount of fame and money is manageable, but for others, it is simply too much.

Nevertheless, when they pass on, no matter the cause, these musicians have left their fortunes to their lucky, albeit devastated loved ones. From John Lennon to Luciano Pavarotti, let’s find out to who some of the most famous deceased musicians left their fortunes, in no particular order.

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9. Keith Moon

Keith Moon was nothing short of a legend in the rock world, best known as the lead drummer for ‘The Who’, being the second greatest drummer of all time, and a bit of a party animal. After his passing in mid-1978, he is still receiving praise for his unique style of drumming, as well as making a small fortune for records sold. At the time of his death, Moon was worth an astonishing $70 million USD. The successor to his fortune is not formally known, however, it is believed he left a large amount to his daughter, Mandy.

8. Janis Joplin

Perhaps one of the most famous and successful female singer-songwriters in the 1960s, and even after her death, Joplin was first officially recognized at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. After releasing 2 albums with Big Brother, she began a career as a solo artist, and while her professional career only lasted 4 years, Janis Joplin will be recognized as one of the most influential and successful female artists ever. Even though her net worth stands at $5 million USD before her passing in 1970, it is believed her younger siblings have been taking care of her estate and the many royalties associated with the Joplin name.

7. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is regarded as one of the most influential and profitable guitarists in history. To further how much of an influence Hendrix has had on the music world, at the time of his death in 1970, he was worth $5 million USD. To this day, his net worth has skyrocketed to $17.5 million USD; there is even a Facebook page with 8.5 million likes! Hendrix’s estate has been a hot topic within the family, being disputed several times, according to Rolling Stone, however upon settling the dispute, it is now controlled by his adopted sister, Janie, and brother, Leon.

6. Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison is best known for his role as the lead singer for ‘The Doors’. He lived a short life, only 27 years, but due to his party-hard lifestyle, looked in his 40s. Despite his personal estate only being worth around $400,000 USD, the success of The Doors after his passing is where he earns his money, and it is thought Morrison’s estate worth in today’s market is upwards of $20 million USD.

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After some legal disputes involving several women claiming to have had his babies, his estate was given over to his common-law wife, Pamela Courson.

5. Elvis Presley

Any list of deceased musicians is not complete until The King of Rock, Mr. Elvis Presley, is included. There is no doubt that he was the most sought-after cultural icon throughout the whole of the 1900s, and he sits atop the list of the highest-certified US music artists of all time. During his lifetime, Presley earned approximately $100 million USD, which in today’s market would be an estimated $400 million. After his passing, The King left his estate to his daughter, Lisa, who at the time was 9 years old, however, a few years later, his wife Priscilla took control, and he is now worth a staggering $300 million USD.

4. Amy Winehouse

A newer artist, Amy Winehouse was born in 1983 and held a professional singing career between 2003 and the year of her death, 2011. She was an artist who touches on many genres of music, including soul, RnB, and jazz. Winehouse’s estate is worth $10 million USD, as well as a further £2.7 million from other companies. Her estate is perhaps the simplest of them all, with no debates or disagreements, it was simply handed to her father who now manages the accounts.

3. Luciano Pavarotti

One of the most successful tenors and opera singers of all time, Luciano Pavarotti may have been an opera singer, not a rock star, but that didn't stop him earning rock star cash. Pavarotti was born in 1935 and died in 2007, collecting an estimated $275 million over his career, and his real estate portfolio included a large residence in his hometown of Modena, Italy; a luxury villa in Pesaro, Italy; an apartment in Monaco and 3 apartments in The Big Apple, New York. After his death, his three daughters were in dispute with his second wife for the estate. The result? His daughters were given a share of assets based in America as well as the luxury villa in Pesaro.

2. Freddie Mercury

Farrokh Bulsara, more commonly known as Freddie Mercury, is regarded as one of the best singers of all time. He spent his musical career as the lead singer for one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Queen, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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He died in 1991 after losing his battle with AIDS, and it was then when some of his most famous songs such as ‘The Show Must Go On’ and ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’ were created. Earning $15 million USD from the album ‘Queen’s Greatest Hits’, he went on to earn approximately $100 million USD. Mary Austin, the first girlfriend and fiancée of Mercury, was the sole inheritor of his fortune, receiving a sum believed to be $50 million USD.

1. John Lennon

Even if you are not a music fan, you have heard of John Lennon. Co-founder of ‘The Beatles’, Lennon and his compatriots built the band to become the most commercially successful band of all time. He was worth a whopping $800 million USD when he died. Ever since, his wife Yoko Ono has managed his estate, and brought in an average of $12 million USD per year, with his current worth is set at approximately $1.1 billion USD. The amount received by his two sons remains confidential.

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