Jimmy Webb – $10 million
Jimmy Webb was added to the Hall of Fame of Songwriters in 1986. The Oklahoma native has also made it to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in addition to that. To his name, he has several platinum songs such as “All I Know,” “MacArthur Park,” and “Wichita Lineman.” He has worked with the likes of Art Garfunkel and also Linda Ronstadt in the past. He has talked about songwriting and aspired to make music that “crushed lonely hearts.” He published a memoir called “The Cake and the Storm” in 2017.
Merle Haggard – $40 million
When it comes to country music, one of its founding fathers is considered to be Merle Haggard. This is true for the sound of Bakersfield as well. He was born during the Great Depression in California. After his dad passed away, he decided to pursue a career in country music. His songs made him great, and by writing about American patriotism, the working class, and the Vietnam War, he was able to make a name for himself. He had a lot of hits that topped the country charts. Some of them even made it to the charts on Billboard!