Fickle fans, uneven salary
The economics and lifestyle of music are tough on artists who enjoy commercial success for a limited time — or even for a long time.
Big-name performers usually can pay off tax debts with a new record, royalties or a tour. Glen Campbell, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, is on a goodbye tour through July that can help pay overdue taxes.
Most successful musicians aren’t household names. They are self-employed entrepreneurs in a fickle business. The financial fortunes of the leastfamous person in most bands — the bass player — can tell much about the business life of a working rock performer.
Rex “Rocker” Brown, 48, played bass guitar in the heavy-metal band Pantera, which enjoyed huge success in the 1990s and generated millions of dollars in revenue.
The band struck it big with its Cowboys From Hell song and album in 1990, followed by the double-platinum Vulgar Display of Power in 1992; landed at No. 1 on Billboard charts with Far Beyond Driven in 1994; and had a No. 4ranked album as late as 2000.
Brown owes $449,567 to the federal government in back taxes and penalties, according to five tax liens filed by the IRS. The most recent and largest lien, for $210,157, was filed in his home state of Texas in January. Other liens were addressed to a Los Angeles accounting firm that handles entertainers. A sixth lien for $72,695 was released by the IRS in 2008, a sign those back taxes were paid. Attempts to reach Brown through a representative were unsuccessful.