Stoney Larue Net Worth: How Rich is the Red Dirt Star?

As you mention the Red Dirt music scene, the names that come to mind and demand respect are several. One of them is certainly Stoney LaRue. LaRue has forged a career that is not rooted in any glittering marketing efforts and his touring schedule would have killed lesser performers, but he has achieved success through a grassroots relationship with his fans.

Over twenty years of his career has been spent in Texas and Oklahoma honky-tonks, festivals and concert halls. However, in contrast to the Nashville polished pop-country superstars, the success of LaRue is gauged in other ways. It is quantified by the number of miles covered, number of tickets sold and a hardcore following of independent people. This is a rare profession that raises the question: What is the monetary truth of a Red Dirt icon?

The net worth of Stoney LaRue cannot be measured by just album sales. It entails the study of the economics of independent touring, merchandise and value of a catalog that cannot be sprayed off. The following is an in-depth examination of the life, career and financial position of the singer of the “Oklahoma Breakdown” song.

The yellow house to the Big Stage

Stoney LaRue Phillips was born in Taft, Texas, though his music identity was created on the red soil of Oklahoma. He relocated to Southeastern Oklahoma as a kid and later made his way to Stillwater, a college town where Red Dirt music movement is the epicenter.

Here LaRue took up his abode in the notorious “Yellow House.” This house was not just, a place to sleep, but an artistic cullator. He spent time there with another musician Jason Boland and would jam with Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed. The setting was competitive and co-operative and this forced LaRue to perfect his songwriting and performing before he laid a record. This time did not bring in riches but brought in the social capital and musical background that would eventually lead to a financially successful career.

The Influences of Red Dirt sound and musical influences

You must hear LaRue to know how marketable he is. He is not a classical country singer, neither a classical rock artist. His music is a blend of roots rock, blues, folk and country.

He is heavily influenced by the Godfather of Red Dirt, Bob Childers and classic icons in rock like the Grateful Dead. This diverse combination enables him to target a big audience. He is equally at home on a jam band bill as in a rodeo. This has been a main financial asset to him and has expanded the range of venues he can perform in and festivals that would like to invite him. His style is about narrative and pure emotion, and creates a strong listening bond: the type that nurture casual attendees into superfans who purchase tickets.

Top Album Chartings and Career Bestsellers

LaRue has a discography that is worth quality and not quantity. He has not overwhelmed the market but when he releases music, it hits.

• The Red Dirt Album (2005): This was his first album in a studio. It was not a mainstream radio hit, but it was a bible to Red Dirt adherents, with songs that are still called on to this day.
• Velvet (2011): this album was a great advancement in production and wider commercial exposure. It was ranked the 15 th position in the US Billboard Country charts, and this was an indication that an independent artist based in Oklahoma could compete nationally.
• Aviator (2014): in his momentum, Aviator presented a height of his maturity as a songwriter and performer, further cementing him as a headliner.

Although Mike Hosty is the author of Oklahoma Breakdown, the version that is the ultimate cover is in the hands of Stoney LaRue. It gained a regional anthem and is his most listened and popular song. The royalty and performance fee, which are a result of this one “track” alone, go a long way in his total annual income.

Also Read More: Andraya Carter Net Worth

Disaggregating the Income Streams

The net worth of Stoney LaRue is mostly steered by three engines, touring, merchandise and music consumption.

The Road Warrior Model

The money is on the road as far as Texas Country and Red Dirt artists are concerned. Artists such as LaRue depend on the sale of tickets unlike mainstream pop stars who use massive endorsement deals. LaRue has been touring the country relentlessly over the years with as many as 200 dates annually.

At the Texas/ Oklahoma circuit, such an establish headliner can guarantee considerable performance fees per performance, as well as a share of the gate. A gross revenue is a lot when you take the figure of 10,000 multiplied by 25,000(a small estimated range of established regional acts and not counting national acts) divided by hundreds and tens of shows over twenty years.

Merchandise Sales

The merch booth is essential at a single concert. Whether it is t-shirts, hats, or koozies as well as vinyl records sold directly to the fans it offers a good margin in profit. Since LaRue is not so much a player in the major label machinery, he is probably keeping a significantly larger share of such sales than a contracted Nashville performer.

Streaming and Royalties

As streaming generates fractions of penny, LaRue possesses a catalog, which racks up millions of streams every year. Such songs as Feet Don’t Touch the Ground and Oklahoma Breakdown are always popular. Moreover, by having control over the rights to his recordings (as is typical with the independent scene), he retains higher proportion of such royalties than those signed on to shrinking 360 contracts.

Real Estate and private investments

The information about what exact real estate LaRue owns is confidential and this is one of the characteristics of artists that do not want to lose their life off the road. It can however estimate base on his earnings in the career that he is a property owner in the Oklahoma or Texas region.

Income diversification is also common among artists in his background as they invest in businesses or bars or music clubs that are local. But LaRue does not have any significant investments in external businesses, to the best of the record. His main investment has always been in his personal brand and touring equipment bus, equipment, and crew.

Charity and Community Service

The difference between wealth and what you have is whether you give or you keep. LaRue has been a participant in the philanthropic music industry. He has been a part of many benefits especially those that benefited the Red Dirt Relief Fund. This non-profit organization supports the music individuals in Oklahoma who are in need of financial support.

Being involved in such events does not contribute to his net worth. But rather makes his name stronger as a leader in the community. It strengthens the connection with his fanbase, which, in its turn, indirectly helps him to sustain his career.

A Life Lived in the Public Eye

The personal life of Stoney LaRue has been in most part behind his character as a touring musician. He has developed the image of the troubadour. The way of life that can sometimes complicate finding a place to settle down. Although he is a father, he does not talk much about his family in the tabloids because he usually lets the music speak on his behalf.

Financial Impact and Legal Problems

A career as long as this cannot be smooth sailing. In 2015, LaRue had a very high profile court case that included a domestic conflict. He was charged and at last pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor of domestic violence.

Financially, such incidents incur physical costs. Legal charges are also immediate, however there are also the chances of cancelled shows, loss of sponsorship and the bad reputation to the people. LaRue made actions to correct the situation by attending community service and anger management training. Although he has bounced back in the profession, these are bound to result in an interim reduction of profit and brand equity.

Stoney LaRue Net Worth: The computation

It is up to guesswork and quantification of approximations using publicly available data points to determine the precise net worth of a small, free artist.
If we consider:

• 25 years of stable touring sales.
• Standalone record album sales and streaming royalty.
• Merchandise profits.
• Less the overhead of touring (fuel, crew, insurance) and legal/management expenses.

Approximate Net Worth: $2 Million -3 Million

This aspect places him within the top cadre of the Red Dirt genre. He is not as financially stable and independent as most musicians only dream of and he does not have the nine figure wealth of a Garth Brooks, but he has it.

Impact and Legacy

The fortunes of LaRue are more than the amount of dollars. His influence is his actual value. He contributed to the distance between the rock-based sound of Stillwater and the traditional country soundtracks of Texas. He has led to the next generation of Red Dirt artists, demonstrating that you do not need a major record label in New York or Nashville in order to create a sustainable and lucrative career.

What Does the Future Hold?

Stoney LaRue does not seem to be slackening off. He is also on constant tour and the rumors about new studio work are actively spread among fans.

Given the new trend in the music industry, where the industry is moving towards a paradigm that promotes touring and direct-to-fan interaction, LaRue is now at the right place. This is where he constructed his house 20 years ago. Some of the plans that are likely to happen in the future are more of the ” Double live” style records which are fairly cheap to record and so much-needed by the fans who desire to experience the concert again.

The Bottom Line

Stoney LaRue is an ideal representative of the so-called middle class of music royalty- a level of artists that is extremely successful yet under the radar of mainstream. The years of hard work on the road, intelligent autonomy, and sincere bond with the audience have made him have a net worth of about 2 million dollars to 3 million dollars. He is evidence that authenticity is currency in the music business.

References

• Stoney LaRue Biography: Stoney LaRue and Billboard Charts History.
• AllMusic Biography and Discography.
• Red Dirt Relief Fund Official Web Site.
• Pollstar Touring Data (Old averages overall club/theater acts)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stoney LaRue married?

Stoney LaRue is very secretive about his romantic life. Although he has long-term relationships and has children, his marital status is not being promoted publicly in his social media and official outlets.

Which is the most popular song of Stoney LaRue?

Oklahoma Breakdown is arguably his iconic song. Though authored by Mike Hosty, LaRue has made his version a huge hit regionally and a part of his live performances. Another best candidate of his most popular song is Feet Don’t Touch the Ground.

And where is Stoney LaRue now you see?

Although born in Texas, LaRue has spent the better part of his adult life and career in Oklahoma, around the Stillwater and Oklahoma City localities.

Is Stoney LaRue an author of his own songs?

Stoney LaRue is a songwriter, but he is also a well-known interpreter of other people songs. He writes with other Red Dirt artists such as Brandon Jenkins and Cody Canada regularly and covers songs by other songwriters whom he respects.

What genre is Stoney LaRue?

He can rightly be called Red Dirt or Texas Country. Nevertheless, his music has a touch of blues, southern rock, folk and soul, which cannot easily fit in a single radio format.

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