Richard John Parfitt, OBE was born on 12 October 1948, in Woking, Surrey, England, and was a musician and singer, best known as the rhythm guitarist for the British rock band Status Quo during the band’s almost 50 years in existence. Rick passed away in December 2016.
So just how rich was Rick Parfitt? Authoritative sources estimate that Rick’s net worth was over $10 million, accumulated during a career in the music industry which began in the early 1960s.
Rick Parfitt Net Worth $10 million
Rick’s upbringing was average in a British working-class family in post-War England, but described by him as ‘wonderful’. There was no musical background in his early life, as his father sold insurance and his mother a shop worker. He was just 11 when he began playing the guitar, performing in London pubs from his mid-teens, and then at holiday camps, subsequently joining up with Gloria and Jean Harrison to form The Highlights, so his net worth had a foundation.
Shortly afterwards he met Francis Rossi, who was playing in a band called The Spectres with John Coghlan and Alan Lancaster, and which Rick joined as an extra singer and guitarist. The band name was changed to Traffic Jam, and then in 1967 to The Status Quo, soon dropping ‘the’. Their first hit was the Rossi-penned “Pictures of Matchstick Men” the same year, which certainly established them on the music scene and contributed to Rick’s net worth, being the first of over 60 hits for the band.
The rest of Rick Parfitt’s professional life is almost all the story of Status Quo too – he and Frank Rossi have remained members of the band throughout their existence, which has now possibly ended – except for his personal problems. The band was extremely popular during the late ’60s and the ’70s, and were never completely forgotten by the music-loving public, as they managed to release popular tracks throughout their existence, and were almost always on the go, performing live around the world. Their biggest hits included “Rockin’ All Over the World”(1977), “Down Down”(1974), “Wild Side of Life”(1976), “Whatever You Want”(1979), – re-released in 2008, “What You’re Proposing”(1980), and “In the Army Now”(1986).
Additionally, over 30 studio albums were released, 10 compilation albums and six live ones, amounting to almost 120 albums sold around the world to date. They were also involved in the Live Aid and Band Aid concerts in the mid-’80s. Parfitt and Rossi were the driving forces behind the band, contributing considerably to song-writing as well, and steadily increasing Rick’s and the other band member’s net worth. They were both honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) awards in 2010 for services to music, and more honours came their way with cover versions of many Status Quo songs.
In his personal life, Rick Parfitt was married three times, with all his wives expressing difficulty dealing with his propensity for drugs and alcohol consumption. His first wife was German Marietta Boecker, then he was married to Patti Beedon (1988-95), who nevertheless tried to ‘sort him out’ for many more years, and thirdly to Lindsay Whitburn (2006-16) with whom he had twins when he was 60, but even they were rumoured to be separated in the year leading up to his death.
Rick Parfitt died in Marbella, Spain, on 24 December 2016, after suffering serious infection following a fall. He himself was very philosophical about his lifestyle, which saw him suffer several heart attacks and undergo heart bypass surgery. No doubt his influence on the world of pop music will continue long. after his demise.
We were all kind of suspicious of Jimmy Savile. We all felt, 'There's something not right there.' But we didn't know what, and it was kind of in the back of our minds. But you could never quite suss him out. We did so many Top of the Pops (1964), so many Jim'll Fix It (1975)s.
2
At Top of the Pops (1964) in those days, all the bands were down in the cellar, as it were - just endless dressing rooms. It was like being in a prison.
3
I think that anybody would be forgiven around that time if you've got a girl in the corner - everybody was doing that. There were loads of girls, and they were willing. They were all coming into the dressing room - you're walking into a rock band's dressing room with a skirt up to your chin. Everybody was messing about. Of course we were. Everybody was groping everybody - that was it at Top of the Pops (1964), everybody was at it.
4
If you watch those early editions of Top of the Pops (1964), all the girls there have got skirts up to their chins. There were a lot of girls knocking around downstairs and people would invite them down to the dressing room. There were loads of little birds about at Top of the Pops (1964), of course there were. What used to happen upstairs in the upper echelons where Savile [Jimmy Savile] and the other DJs were - well, I never, ever knew where their dressing rooms were.
5
[on performing at the Prince's Trust Rock Gala in 2010] To me it felt like a little Live Aid (1985) tonight with Queen and Phil [Phil Collins] and Midge [Midge Ure] here.
6
If you're as good as Queen were, you can get away with anything, and I think they did.
7
On being awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2010 with Francis Rossi: To be perfectly honest with all the hard work we have put in over the years I accept it graciously.
8
"I will beat this. With such good thoughts from everyone, we will get through this together." (On his battle with throat cancer)
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Fact
1
Suffered heart attacks in December 2011, August 2014 and June 2016.
2
He and Francis Rossi were each awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2010 Queen's New Years Honours List for their services to music and charity.
3
Underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in 1997.
4
Diagnosed with throat cancer in December 2005. He blames years of smoking fifty cigarettes a day for the disease.
5
Member of Status Quo since the start in 1967.
6
Guitarist and singer of Status Quo.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Dolezal Backstage
2015
TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
Ochéntame... otra vez
2015
TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
Gabalier - Die Volks-Rock'n'Roll-Show
2014
TV Movie writer: "Whatever You Want"
Live from Studio Five
2010
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Angela and Friends
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2009 writer - 1 episode, 2009
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
2002
writer: "Whatever You Want" 1979
Paul Is Dead
2000
writer: "Again And Again"
Top of the Pops
1976-1995
TV Series writer - 7 episodes
Hasta luego cocodrilo
1992
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Crossroads
1985
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bula Quo!
2013
Rick
Children in Need
2005
TV Series
Performer
Avenue of the Stars: 50 Years of ITV
2005
TV Special
Performer (as Status Quo)
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bula Quo!
2013
composer: theme music / musician
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bula Quo!
2013
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year
2014
TV Special
Himself
The Life of Rock with Brian Pern
2014
TV Mini-Series
Himself
Play It Loud: The Story of Marshall
2014
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Status Quo
Loose Women
2007-2014
TV Series
Himself
Oh! You Pretty Things: The Story of British Music and Fashion
2014
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
2014
TV Series
Himself - Performer
Hello Quo
2012
Documentary
Himself
The Butlin's Story
2011
TV Movie documentary
Himself - The Highlights, 1965
Daybreak
2011
TV Series
Himself
Breakfast
2004-2011
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Singer
The A Team: T4 Premiere Special
2010
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Stars on the Street
2009
TV Movie documentary
Himself
All Star Mr & Mrs
2009
TV Series
Herself
The One Show
2008
TV Series
Himself
Spicks and Specks
2006-2008
TV Series
Himself
James May's 20th Century
2007
TV Series documentary
Himself
Soapstar Superstar: Bonus Tracks
2007
TV Series
Himself
Greatest Ever Comedy Movies
2006
TV Movie
Himself
An Audience with Coronation Street
2006
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Audience Member
Live 8: Twenty Years Ago Today
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
UK Music Hall of Fame: Biggest Selling Artists of the 21st Century
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Coronation Street
2005
TV Series
Himself
Favouritism
2005
TV Series
Himself
Live Aid Remembered
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Band Aid Story
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
GMTV
2004
TV Series
Himself
The Great British Pop Test
2004
TV Movie
Performer (as Status Quo)
Harry Hill: An Audience with Harry Hill
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Band Aid: The Song That Rocked the World
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Brainiac: Science Abuse
2004
TV Series documentary
Himself
This Morning
2004
TV Series
Himself - Performer
The All New Harry Hill Show
2003
TV Series
Himself
Cable TV
2002
TV Series
Himself
Top Gear
2002
TV Series
Himself
Killer Queen!
2002
Himself - Status Quo
A Celebrity Audience with Jimmy Jones
2002
Video
Himself - Audience Memeber
Top of the Pops: The True Story
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
2000
Video documentary
Himself
Clarkson
2000
TV Series
Himself
Top Ten
2000
TV Series documentary
Himself
Musikbutikken
2000
TV Series
Himself
It's Slade
1999
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Gute Nacht, Gottschalk
1998
TV Movie
Himself
The Radio One Story
1997
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Surprise Surprise!
1996
TV Series
Himself
Pebble Mill at One
1996
TV Series
Himself
Queen: Champions of the World
1995
Documentary
Himself
Sunday, Sunday
1990
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1987
TV Series documentary
Himself
Billy Connolly: An Audience with Billy Connolly
1985
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
Live Aid
1985
TV Special documentary
Himself (as Status Quo)
Cannon and Ball
1983
TV Series
Himself - Status Quo
Saturday Superstore
1983
TV Series
Himself
Top of the Pops
1968-1982
TV Series
Himself - Status Quo / Himself
GasTank
1982
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Pop Quiz
1981
TV Series
Himself
Hits von der Schulbank
1980
TV Movie
Himself - Musician (as Status Quo)
Iltatähti
1974
TV Series
Himself
Beat-Club
1968-1970
TV Series
Die Drehscheibe
1970
TV Series
Singer
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
5 News
2015
TV Series
Himself
Peter Andre's Xmas Extravaganza Top 50
2014
TV Movie
Himself
Memories of 1970-1991
1991
TV Series documentary
Himself
Top of the Pops
1979-1981
TV Series
Himself - Status Quo
Known for movies
Live Aid (1985) as Himself
Stars on the Street (2009) as Himself
Killer Queen! (2002) as Himself - Status Quo
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) as Soundtrack