Kevin Tyrone Eubanks was born on 15 November 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, and is a jazz guitarist and composer, best known as the bandleader for “The Tonight Show Band”.
A noted guitarist, how rich is Kevin Eubanks? Sources state that Eubanks has acquired a wealth over $25 million, as of mid-2017. His fortune has been accumulated during his music career which began in the early ‘80s.
Kevin Eubanks Net Worth $25 million
Eubanks grew up in a musical family, with his mother, Vera Eubanks being a gospel singer and classical pianist and organist, and his uncle, the late Ray Bryant, a jazz pianist. His two brothers are also musicians – Robin is a trombonist and Duane a trumpeter. Eubanks began to train on violin, trumpet and piano while attending elementary school, Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School. By his teenage years, he had turned into a skilled musician, eventually committing to the guitar. He further perfected his music skills at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, from which he later received an Honorary Doctorate degree.
After completing his education, Eubanks moved to New York to pursue his professional music career. He formed his own quartet, embarking on tours in Pakistan, Jordan and India, while also playing with acclaimed jazz musicians, such as drummers Art Blakey and Roy Haynes, saxophonist Sam Rivers and trombonist Slide Hampton, securing his own path to recognition and fame. His net worth began to grow.
In 1982 he made his solo recording debut with “Guitarist” on Elektra label. This enabled him to sign with GRP, releasing seven albums by the end of the decade, achieving a great popularity and a sizable wealth.
He then signed with Blue Note, releasing four more albums by the mid-’90s, reinforcing his reputation of a talented musician and increasing his fortune.
Meanwhile in 1992, Eubanks joined Branford Marsalis, the bandleader of The Tonight Show Band, on the NBC “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno“. The show, a mixture of comedy routines, various interviews and performances, quickly achieved enormous popularity. In 1995 Marsalis left the band and Eubanks took over the position of its leader; his popularity boosted. In 2009, when NBC moved the show from late night to prime time, he moved with Leno to lead the band on the short-lived “The Jay Leno Show”, now performing as The Primetime Band. When Leno returned to host “The Tonight Show” again in 2010, Eubanks left the band, deciding to focus on his music career. Aside from shooting him to stardom, his 18-year tenure with The Tonight Show Band earned him a significant net worth.
Meanwhile in 2001, he founded his own record label, Insoul Music, releasing six albums and further expanding his wealth.
After leaving The Tonight Show Band in 2010, Eubanks began touring. The same year he signed with Mack Avenue Records, and released an album called “Zen Food”, followed by another one in 2012, “The Messenger”. His most recent album was the 2017 “East West Time Line”.
A noted guitarist, Eubanks has released over 20 albums, and has been featured on more than one hundred albums, receiving rave reviews. A prolific composer, he has composed several TV film and four feature film scores, all adding to his fortune.
In addition, he has been involved in teaching, serving as the Artistic Director of the Jazz In The Classroom Program for The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He has also taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada and at the Charlie Parker School in Italy, as well as at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.
Aside from earning him considerable net worth, Eubanks’ popularity led him to make many TV appearances, such as in the shows “Hollywood Squares”, “Muppets Tonight”, “Girlfriends” and “Days of Our Lives”. He also performed on “The Tonight Show” in 2013, joining Leno for an interview.
Eubanks tends to keep his personal life away from public. Thus, sources are unaware of any information regarding his relationship status.
He is involved in philanthropy, having supported The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles organization.
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