Kim Althea Gordon was born on the 28th April 1953, in Rochester, New York State USA and is a songwriter, musician and visual artist, widely known as a key member of the influential New York City-based alternative rock group and experimental band – Sonic Youth. She is also famous for her Free Kitten project, a music supergroup consisting of herself and Julie Cafritz, an ex-member of Pussy Galore.
Have you ever wondered how much wealth this “Godmother of Grunge” has accumulated so far? How rich Kim Gordon is? According to sources, it is estimated that the total amount of Kim Gordon’s net worth, as of late 2016, is over $5 million, acquired through her music career which has been active since 1981
Kim Gordon Net Worth $5 million
Kim was born to a “homemaker with creative tendencies” and a university professor. The majority of her childhood she spent in Los Angeles, California where she completed UCLA’s progressive elementary school, and later attended University High School. Kim continued her education and graduated from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California. For a short period of time, she also attended York University in Toronto, Canada. Some of her first engagements included a part time job for Larry Gagosian, the art dealer and the owner of the art gallery chain Gagosian Gallery, as well as several Soho art galleries.
Upon graduation, Kim relocated to New York City, where she worked as a visual artist, but soon joined CKM band. Although short-lived, this venture helped Kim to establish some important connections within the world of music; through her friendship with CKM’s Stanton Miranda, Kim met her future husband and mates Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, and the trio formed the alternative rock band – Sonic Youth in 1981. The band’s debut studio album was released under the Neutral record label in 1983, named “Confusion Is Sex”. Two years later Homestead Record released the band’s second studio album “Bad Moon Rising”. With its popularity on the rise and under the leadership of Kim Gordon, who served as band’s guitarist, bassist and vocalist, they released another three albums, “EVOL” (1986), “Sister” (1987) and “Daydream Nation” (1988), however, their real commercial success came in 1990 with “Goo”. The Sonic Youth’s 1991 tour with Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Gumball, Babes in Toyland and Mudhoney was released as the documentary “1991: The Year Punk Broke”. Prior to their official disbandment in 2011, Kim Gordon and Sonic Youth released nine more studio albums, 15 in total including the last one named “The Eternal” released in 2009 which peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart. It is certain that all these ventures provided the basis for Kim Gordon’s, now rather respectable, overall net worth.
Parallel to Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon worked on several other music projects. In 1989, Kim formed the no wave hardcore punk supergroup – Harry Crews; they released their only studio album “Naked in Garden Hills”. In the early 1990s, Kim Gordon teamed up with Julie Cafritz and formed Free Kitten, and the supergroup released their debut album “Unboxed” in 1994. Up to the present day, Kim and Free Kitten have released four studio albums, three EPs and eight singles. It is doubtless that all these accomplishments have helped Kim Gordon to dramatically increase her overall wealth by a large margin.
Apart from music, Kim Gordon has also been an acclaimed visual artist with several art exhibitions in her portfolio. In 2015, her memoirs “Girl in a Band” were published; these achievements have helped Kim Gordon to further expand the size of her net worth in total for sure.
When it comes to her personal life, Kim Gordon was married to her colleague and Sonic Youth band mate, Thurston Moore with whom she has one child, a daughter. The marriage which began in 1984, ended with a divorce in 2013 after they separated in 2011.
Enigma Records, Goofin’ Records, Insomniac/Interscope Records, DGC Records, Homestead Record
Albums
Sonic Nurse (2004), Bad Moon Rising (1985), The Whitey Album (1989), Naked in Garden Hills (1989), Daydream Nation (1988), Goo (1990), Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (1994), Unboxed (1994)
Music Groups
Sonic Youth (1981 – 2011), Body/Head (Since 2012), Free Kitten, Glitterbust, Harry Crews, Ciccone Youth
Movies
"The Nightmare" (2015), "Une danse des bouffons" (2013), "Justice Is Mind" (2013), "Boarding Gate" (2007), "Last Days" (2005), "Slow Century" (2002)
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Quote
1
I think for women, in a way, there are fewer rules about what you can and can't do, because there's less history.
2
I was really into Warhol and pop art, and I thought the next step was to actually be working within popular culture.
3
We've been waiting, you know, for them to get rid of us. But nobody wants to be the one to get rid of Sonic Youth.
4
I consider myself to be a sloppy feminist.
5
All women are natural anarchists
#
Fact
1
[2005] Lives in North Hampton, Massachusetts, with husband and daughter.
2
Also a painter.
3
Grew up in LA.
4
Ranked #91 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
Video performer: "Dirty Boots", "Tunic Song for Karen", "Mary-Christ", "Kool Thing", "Mote", "My Friend Goo", "Disappearer", "Mildred Pierce", "Cinderella's Big Score", "Scooter & Jinx", "Titanium Exposé", "100%", "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism", "Bull in the Heather", "Superstar", "Little Trouble Girl", "The Diamond Sea", "Sunday", "Hoarfrost", "Nevermind What Was It Anyway", "The Empty Page", "Disconnection Notice", "Drunken Butterfly", "Swimsuit Issue" / writer: "Dirty Boots", "Tunic So
Sonic Youth: Disappearer Director's Cut
2004
Video short performer: "Disappearer" / writer: "Disappearer"
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
2004
writer: "Karen Koltrane", "Beautiful Plateau"
Things Behind the Sun
2001
writer: "Theme from Things Behind the Sun", "Magic Air", "Stranger"
Grind Session
2000
Video Game writer: "In the Mind of The Bourgeois Reader"
Condo Painting
2000
Documentary writer: "Radio Amatoroj"
Late August, Early September
1998
writer: "Contre le sexisme" - as K. Gordon
Free Tibet
1998
Documentary writer: "Bull in the Heather" - as K. Gordon
SubUrbia
1996
writer: "Bee-Bee's Song", "Sunday"
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Der Nachtmahr
2015
Lehrerin
Portlandia
2014
TV Series
Girls
2014
TV Series
Mindy
Une Danse Des Bouffons
2013
Short
Maria Martins
The Fragile White Blossoms Emit a Hypnotic Cascade of Tropical Perfume Whose Sweet Heady Odor Leaves Its Victim Intoxicated
2009
Short
White Light
2009
Short
Doctor
Hypnotic Cascade 5
2009
Short
I'm Not There.
2007
Carla Hendricks
Boarding Gate
2007
Kay
Gilmore Girls
2006
TV Series
Cool Mom Troubadour
Last Days
2005
Record Executive
Corporate Ghost
2004
Video
Weatherman '69
1989
Bernadine Dohrn
Death Valley 69
1986
Short uncredited
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Perfect Partner
2005
Corporate Ghost
2004
Video videos "My Friend Goo", "Bull In The Heather"
The Work of Director Spike Jonze
2003
Video documentary segment "Cannonball", uncredited
Pavement: Slow Century
2002
Video documentary video "Perfume-V"
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sonic Spiel
2004
Video short composer
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
2004
as Sonic Youth
Money Love
1990
Short as Sonic Youth
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Perfect Partner
2005
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Breaking a Monster
2015
Documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Liberation Is My Lover
2017
Documentary post-production
Herself
The Realest Real
2016
Short
Herself
Lagniappe
2016
Short
Herself
Ed Ruscha: Buildings and Words
2016
Documentary short
Herself
Home & Family
2014
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Saturday Night Live
2013
TV Series
Herself
The Punk Singer
2013
Documentary
Herself
I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney
2012
Documentary
Herself
Gossip Girl
2009
TV Series
Herself
Dinosaur Jr.: Live in the Middle East
2007
Video
Herself
Soft Focus
2007
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Rockfeedback TV
2006
TV Series
Herself
Noise
2006/II
Documentary
Herself (as Mirror/Dash)
The Work of Director Mark Romanek
2005
Video documentary
Herself - Interviewee
All We Are Saying
2005
TV Movie documentary
Herself
(This Is Known as) The Blues Scale
2004
Documentary short
Herself
Rage
2004
TV Series
Herself
Sonic Spiel
2004
Video short
Herself
Sonic Youth: Disappearer Director's Cut
2004
Video short
Herself
Sonic Youth Video Dose
2004
TV Movie documentary
Soundstage
2003
TV Series documentary
Herself
Kiss My Grits: The Herstory of Women in Punk and Hard Rock
2001
Documentary
Herself
Silver Rockets/Kool Things: 20 Years of Sonic Youth
2000
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Free Tibet
1998
Documentary
Herself (Sonic Youth)
Synesthesia
1997
TV Series documentary
Herself
The Simpsons
1996
TV Series
Herself
The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special
1995
TV Movie
Herself (as Sonic Youth)
Screaming Fields of Sonic Love
1995
Video
Herself
Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos
1994
TV Movie
Herself
Hi Octane
1994
TV Series
Herself
No Alternative Girls
1994
Video short
Herself
1991: The Year Punk Broke
1992
Documentary
Herself - Sonic Youth
Hangin' w/MTV
1992
TV Series
Herself
Goo
1991
Video
Herself
Sonic Youth: Teenage Riot
1988
Video short
Herself - Sonic Youth
Put More Blood Into the Music
1987
Documentary
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
House of Style: Music, Models and MTV
2012
TV Movie documentary
Herself
The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain
2007
TV Movie documentary
Herself (uncredited)
Video on Trial
2006
TV Series
Herself - Sonic Youth
Cut Shorts
2006
Video
Known for movies
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) as Soundtrack
If I Stay (2014) as Soundtrack
The Punk Singer (2013) as Herself
1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992) as Herself - Sonic Youth