Rod McKuen was an American poet, singer-songwriter, composer, and actor who at the time of his death in 2015 had an estimated net worth of 20 million dollars. McKuen is known to be one of the best-selling poets of the decades of the 1960s and 70s, selling 60 million books and 100 million total records worldwide, altogether. He was a phenomenon of parts, a multimedia creator.
McKuen was also well-known for writing music, having written over 1,500 songs that were recorded by musical artists such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, and Perry Como. His work is often a combination of classical, pop, and folk music, and it was one of the most repeated and once-in-a-lifetime songs of his time.
Early Years and Struggles
Rod McKuen was born on April 29, 1933, in Oakland, California. McKuen had his youthful time to be stormy, he was raised by his mother and physically abusive stepfather, having a troubling childhood and escaping when he was 14 years old.
Rod began to escape from both home life and the area itself, holding various jobs: ranch hand, railroad worker, and, of course, wrote countless journals of poetry, thoughts, and songs or song lyrics. This recounting would be the basis of writing a highlights and following a career of great fame and success.
Beginnings of Fame
McKuen did not go unnoticed in the 1950s with the San Francisco Beat, reading poetry with Beat generation writers. He began to perform folk songs in a club called the Purple Onion, and Songs for a Lazy Afternoon and Lonely Summer are his first albums.
McKuen began acting here and there, notably in Rock, Pretty Baby (1956), Summer Love (1958), and Wild Heritage (1958), a Western. He moved to New York to write music for television drama in the late ’50s.
Poetry and Literary Fame
By the mid-1960s, Rod McKuen was a literary sensation. Titles like Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows (1966), Listen to the Warm (1967), and Lonesome Cities (1968)—garnering him a Grammy in 1970—made him America’s number one bestselling poet.
Although critics took shots at him for being overly sentimental, that was the very thing that his audience connected with, as they identified with love, loss and spirituality. He continued to publish poetry books into the 2000s, creating a very large footprint in poetry history.
Songwriting and Music-Making Milestones
In the early ’60s, after he moved to France, he met Belgian songwriter Jacques Brel. He translated many of Brel’s songs into English, including “Seasons in the Sun” and “If You Go Away,” and presented them to audiences across the world.
Here are highlights of his music career:
Writing all 10 songs for Frank Sinatra’s 1969 A Man Alone, including “Love’s Been Good to Me.”
Scoring movies The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)—both of which were nominated for an Academy Award. Working with San Sebastian Strings on albums—The Sea, The Sky, and The Earth.
Writing songs for Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Mathis.
Internationally, he peaked his success in Europe. Soldiers Who Want to Be Heroes and Without a Worry in the World became number-one hits in the Netherlands.
Later life and legacy
By the early 1980s, McKuen was done performing live but continued to publish poetry and release compilations. McKuen continued to fulfill his responsibilities as Executive President of the American Guild of Variety Artists through 2016, the longest anyone has done so in the organization’s history.
Although long before retirement from public life, McKuen’s work remained alive in the voices of generations of poets, musicians, and songwriters.
Personal life and death
Rod McKuen did not identify as gay, nor did he resist such an identification. He refused to state either and called his preference “I am neither. Thank you.” McKuen was a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights and did benefit concerts specifically for AIDS research and AIDS community charities.
He lived in Beverly Hills, California with his partner Edward Habib and they had cats.
McKuen died January 29, 2015 at the age of 81 from respiratory arrest due to pneumonia. His death symbolized the end of an incredible career, but his work is still celebrated across the world. Rod McKuen’s Net Worth and Legacy
When Rod McKuen passed away in 2015, he had an estimated net worth of $20 million, thanks to poetry, record royalties, songwriting, and film scoring. He is one of the most successful artists of the 20th Century because he had a unique ability to communicate with people in both music and literature.
Rod’s legacy is that he was a once-in-a-lifetime creative, widely discounted by intellectuals, yet immensely popular with everyday people. Rod’s words and melodies learned the truth that emotional transparency will always leave a lasting cultural influence.
F.A.Q.
What was Rod McKuen’s net worth at the time of his death?
Rod McKuen had a net worth of approximately $20 million at the time of his death in 2015.
How did Rod McKuen get so famous?
During the 1960s and 1970s, he became a bestselling poet and songwriter, selling millions of books and records internationally.
What were Rod McKuen’s biggest hits?
His most popular songs include “Seasons in the Sun,” “If You Go Away” (aka “Ne Me Quitte Pas”), and “Love’s Been Good to Me” (written for Frank Sinatra), along with the film scores for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and “A Boy Named Charlie Brown.”
Did Rod McKuen write for Frank Sinatra?
Yes, but to say that he wrote for Frank Sinatra is an understatement. He wrote the entire 1969 album A Man Alone, which included the original version of “Love’s Been Good to Me.”
Was Rod McKuen involved in activism?
Yes, he was an advocate for explicit LGBTQ rights—he was an openly gay man—and he played many benefits for AIDS research and community organizations.
When did Rod McKuen die?
Rod McKuen died on January 29, 2015, at the age of 81.
How many songs did Rod McKuen write?
Rod McKuen wrote approximately 1500 songs that were made famous by artists such as Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash and the Muppets.
