Kim Vincent Fowley was a record producer, singer and musician born on 21st July 1939, and is still known as the leading figure behind several cult pop rock singles in the ‘60s, and the manager of “The Runaways” band during the ‘70s. Due to his influence he entered the circle of most colorful characters of rock & roll. He passed away in 2015.
Have you ever wondered how rich Kim Fowley is? According to sources it has been estimated that Kim Fowley’s overall net worth amounts to $3 million, as of July 2017, accumulated through a long and fulfilled music career which spanned more than 50 years. Having influenced numerous other popular musicians and stars of rock & roll music apart from his solo career, Kim’s net worth significantly grew in time.
Kim Fowley Net Worth $3 Million
Kim was born into an artistic family, as both of his parents were actors – his father, Douglas Fowley was a character actor and his mother, Shelby Payne appeared in several noted Hollywood productions such as “The Big Sleep”(1946). However, Fowley’s parents divorced when he was a child, and his mother remarried to William Friml, whose father was Rudolf Friml, the famous composer. Kim went to University High School along with several other celebrities such as Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, Sandra Dee and others. As an adolescent, Fowley was hospitalized with polio and upon his release decided to enter the world of entertainment, and become a manager and publicist. He first became manager of a local band “the Sleepwalkers”, and cooperated with drummer Sandy Nelson.
After spending some time in the army, Kim began working for Berry Gordy and Alan Freed. His first track as a producer was released in 1959, and was the hit by The Renegades called “Charge”. He then promoted the duo Skip & Flip, including their hit “Cherry Pie” which reach no.11 on the Billboard list. Kim co-produced and co-published for several successful tracks in Los Angeles during the ‘60s, including Gary S. Paxton’s “Alley Oop” which reached no.1 on the charts, Paul Revere and the Raiders’ “Like, Long Hair” which became a no.1 hit in the UK, and the Rivingtons’ “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow”. During the mid ‘60s Fowley relocated to London for a while, where he cooperated with celebrities such as Cat Stevens, N’Betweens, Soft Machine, Ritchie Blackmore and many others. He was also credited for the “hypephone” on Frank Zappa’s debut album “Freak Out!”, and for being the inspiration behind promoter John Brower, who called John Lennon which resulted in the appearance of the Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969. In 1973, he produced three recordings for the “American Graffiti” movie, and some of the other celebrities he co-wrote songs for were KISS, Alice Cooper, Leon Russell etc. In the late ‘70s Kim formed The Orchids, an all-female rock band, and signed several new artists such as The Popsicles, Tommy Rock and Stiv Bators & the Dead Boys. At the beginning of the ‘80s, Fowley decided to move to Australia where he said he was looking for “a new ABBA or Beatles”, which resulted in turning the power pop band Beathoven into a cult band “The Innocents” and rebuilding the image of Gayle Welch who was an unknown talented teenager from New Zealand, and after building a band, renamed them The Runaways.
Kim then became a mover of the early day L.A. punk scene, and created yet another band called Venus and the Razorblades, also staging “new wave nights” at clubs. However, his engagement within the musical community faded during the following decades, but never disappeared, as he continued working with famous names and celebrities, and also partnered with Norton Records and released several collections of rarities from his catalog.
When it comes to his private life, Kim Fowley married twice, firstly to Cynthia (Cindy) Helen Wheelon for less than a year in 1978, and secondly to Kara Wright who he married in September 2014, but after suffering a long battle with bladder cancer, Fowley died on 15th January 2015 in West Hollywood, California.
The real story on me was that a Dorothy Lamour lookalike had sex with an Errol Flynn lookalike and they gave birth to a Boris Karloff lookalike. And I was smarter than they were but I was less pretty.
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Fact
1
Attended and graduated from University High School in Los Angeles, California.
2
Manager of the all-female rock group The Runaways.
TV Movie performer: "The Trip" / writer: "The Trip"
Girl in a Band
2015
TV Movie documentary writer: "Cherry Bomb", "School Days" - uncredited
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014
writer: "Cherry Bomb"
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Warehouse 13
2013
TV Series writer - 1 episode
True Blood
2012
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Fresh Meat
2011
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Californication
2011
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
2010
Video Game writer: "Cherry Bomb"
90210
2010
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Runaways
2010
writer: "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are", "Hollywood", "Cherry Bomb", "California Paradise", "Dead End Justice", "School Days", "Secrets"
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball
2010
Video writer: "Cherry Bomb"
100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs
2008
TV Movie writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Paul Stanley: One Live Kiss
2008
Video documentary writer: "Do You Love Me"
RocknRolla
2008
performer: "The Trip" / writer: "The Trip" - as Fowley
KISSology: The Ultimate KISS Collection Vol. 2 1978-1991
2007
Video documentary writer: "King of the Night Time World" - as K. Fowley
The O.C.
2006
TV Series writer - 1 episode
RV
2006
writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Efter brylluppet
2006
writer: "I'm Leaving You"
Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story
2005
Documentary writer: "Do You Love Me"
Real Wild Child: Joan Jett Music Video Anthology
2003
Video writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
2003
Documentary performer: "They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha"
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Live!
2001
Video writer: "Cherry Bomb"
The Fluffer
2001
writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Margaret Cho: I'm the One That I Want
2000
TV Special documentary writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Big Momma's House
2000
writer: "Nut Rocker" - as Kim V. Fowley
Freaks and Geeks
1999
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Detroit Rock City
1999
writer: "School Days"
KISS Live: The Ultimate Halloween Party
1998
TV Movie writer: "Do You Love Me", "King of the Night Time World"
Southie
1998
writer: "Cherry Bomb"
The Butcher Boy
1997
writer: "NUTROCKER"
Unplugged
1995
TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
The Young Poisoner's Handbook
1995
writer: "Nut Rocker"
Dazed and Confused
1993
writer: "Cherry Bomb"
Heartbeat
1992
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Puberty Blues
1981
writer: "Lipstick and Leather"
The Old Grey Whistle Test
1977
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Runaways Live in Japan
1977
TV Movie writer: "California Paradise", "Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin", "I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are", "Cherry Bomb", "American Nights", "Secrets", "Blackmail", "Is It Day or Night"
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
1976
TV Special writer: "King of the Night Time World" - uncredited
Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway
1976
TV Movie lyrics: "Cherry Bomb" / music: "Cherry Bomb"
Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare
1975
writer: "Escape"
Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
1975
TV Movie writer: "Escape"
American Graffiti
1973
producer: "At The Hop", "She's So Fine", "Louie Louie"
Ciao Manhattan
1972
writer: "Citizen Kane"
Cisco Pike
1972
writer: "Michoacan" - as K. Fowley
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Graffiti
1973
music producer / music recorded for the film
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Second Coming
2015
Kim
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
2003
Documentary photos: still photographs by
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Deadly Punkettes
2014
inspiration
Easy Trouble
2006
Video documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Guys Who Wrote 'Em
2014
Documentary completed voice
Deathbed Salesman: My conversation with Kim Fowley
2013
Documentary short completed
The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard
2014
Documentary
Himself
The Clinger Sisters: The First Girls of Rock & Roll