Born William Henry Duffy on the 12th May 1961 in Hulme, Manchester, England, Billy is a renowned musician, best known to the world as the founding member and guitarist of the rock band The Cult. He has worked on every album by the group, and with Ian Astbury, the lead singer, remain only one of two original members of this British rock band.
Have you ever wondered how rich Billy Duffy is, as of late 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Duffy’s net worth is as high as $12 million, an amount earned through his successful career in the music industry, which has been active since the late ‘70s.
Billy Duffy Net Worth $12 Million
Billy grew up in Manchester, focusing on music from his earliest years; during his childhood, he was listening to such bands as Thin Lizzy, Queen, Blue Öyster Cult and Aerosmith, among others. He transferred his love for music to an instrument, the guitar. As he got older, his practice intensified, and he soon joined punk bands of the UK’s late ‘70s music scene. This included Studio Sweethearts, and also The Nosebleeds, whose members also were Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Unfortunately, neither band lasted long, and so Billy moved to London.
In the beginning, he wasn’t quite focused on a musical career in the British capital, as he found a job at Johnsons, a fashion retailer, but eventually joined the band Theatre of Hate. Billy befriended Ian Astbury, who at the time was the singer of the band Southern Death Cult, as the two bands toured together, and then Ian and Billy left their respective bands to start their own, called Death Cult, as they looked to build on the fame that Ian’s previous band had already garnered. Adding a drummer, Ray Mondo, and Jamie Stewart they were ready for new enterprises. They made their live debut in Oslo, Norway in 1983, and the same year released their first recording, the EP “Death Cult”, and continued touring on returning to England, and also performed in Scotland. The following year they shortened their name to The Cult, and made a debut appearance on television, performing on the Channel 4 television show “The Tube”. Billy’s net worth was rising.
The Cult’s first full-length album came out in 1984, entitled “Dreamtime”, reaching No. 24 on the UK chart and achieving silver status. Their next studio recording was a major improvement, entitled “Love”, which came out in 1985 and comprised some of The Cult’s most successful songs – “She Sells Sanctuary”, “Rain”, and “Revolution” – all which helped increase the sales of album, which eventually achieved gold status in the UK and the USA, while in Canada it achieved double platinum status, increasing Duffy’s net worth and encouraging him and Astbury to continue working together. Their collaboration lasted until 1995, releasing four more studio albums – “Electric” (1987), “Sonic Temple” (1989), “Ceremony” (1991) and “The Cult” (1994), all of which were successful both critically and commercially, which added a fair amount to Billy’s wealth. Unfortunately, Ian and he had their creative differences and as a result, The Cult disbanded, only to reform in 1999, and two years later released a new album “Beyond Good and Evil” (2001). Unfortunately, this reincarnation of one of the most prominent of British rock bands didn’t last long, since Ian joined Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger to start the Doors of the 21st Century, and The Cult was put aside.
This hiatus lasted four years, as the two friends and colleagues once again started performing as The Cult; since then, they have released three more albums – “Born into This” (2007), “Choice of Weapon” (2012) and “Hidden City” (2016) – while also constantly touring the world.
Aside from The Cult, Billy has also worked on several other projects, such as Coloursound, a collaboration with Mike Peters, and the band Circus Diablo, which Billy co-founded with Billy Morrison and Ricky Warwick and Japanese musician J, which also added to his wealth.
Regarding his personal life, Billy was married to AJ Celli from 2007 until 2017, who is his second wife. He was previously married to Jennifer Mallini from 2004 until 2007.
Billy has a daughter, born in 2002, but the identity of her mother is unknown to the media.
