Gary Chapman is an American television presenter and Christian musician. He was born on the 19th of August, 1957, in Waurika, Oklahoma.
How rich is Gary Chapman? As of early 2017, sources estimate his net worth at $5 million, earned over his musical career which began in the late ‘70s.
Gary Chapman Net Worth $5 million
Chapman’s father was pastor Reverend Terry Chapman. He and his family lived in De Leon, Texas, and Gary, encouraged by his family to follow in his father’s footsteps, attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University, in Waxahachie, but dropped out before completing his studies, wishing to focus on becoming an entertainer and performer, and on spreading his religious message through music. He later stated that he believed he was guided to do this by God.
In 1979 Chapman began his professional career after being hired as a guitarist for the band The Rambos, a gospel group. During this time, he also began writing songs for other artists, including the Amy Grant hit “Father’s Eyes”, which went to number three on the Christian Radio chart. Chapman has also sold songs to such high-profile artists as Vanessa Williams, Kenny Rogers, and Lee Greenwood, contributing to his net worth.
Chapman’s first album, “Sincerely Yours”, was released in 1981. This was followed in 1983 by “Happenin’… Live”. Under the management of Reunion Records, he then released the Grammy nominated “The Light Inside”, which featured the single “Treasure”. A year later, he hosted the Dove Awards, a ceremony for awards from the Gospel Music Association, first established in 1969. In 1987, Chapman recorded an original song, “Brave Hearts” for the movie “Ernest Goes to Camp”, and worked again in film in 1994 when he recorded “Amazing Grace” for the Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster drama, “Maverick”.
In 1996, Chapman was rewarded with “Male Vocalist of the Year” at the GMA Dove Awards. In the same year, he released the album “Shelter”, another success, and for his net worth.
1999 brought difficulties for Chapman, both personal and professional. His first marriage ended, and he was fired from his hosting job on the show “Prime Time Country” on The Nashville Network, a position he had held since 1996 after he had replaced Tom Wopat. In 2005, Chapman moved into television production on CMT (Country Music Television). He also collaborated with fellow musicians Big Kenny and John Rich to create a documentary on Niles Harris, a Vietnam veteran, entitled “The 8th of November: A True Story of Pain and Honor”.
In addition to his television work, Chapman hosted the Christian Contemporary Music Countdown for a time, which was broadcast on 200 radio channels nationally.
In his personal life, Chapman has been married to Cassie Piersol since 2008. Together, they adopted a child, Eva, in 2014. Chapman also has three biological children from his first marriage to Amy Grant, whom he married in 1982 and divorced in 1999. Chapman was also married to Jennifer Pittman between 2000 and 2007. He participates in numerous philanthropic organisations, and in his spare time enjoys flying a helicopter. Chapman has an ongoing project with his wife, Cassie, which involves the couple selecting one hymn a week, which is posted to the website “A Hymn a Week”.
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