Kirk Whalum Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth

What is Kirk Whalum’s Net Worth?

Kirk Whalum is an R&B and smooth-jazz saxophonist and songwriter who has a net worth of $1 million. In addition to his acclaimed solo work, Kirk Whalum has collaborated with such artists as Whitney Houston, Bob James, Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald, Luther Vandross, and Chanté Moore. Whalum is also a member of the jazz trio BWB.

Early Life and Education

Kirk Whalum was born on July 11, 1958 in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, he developed a love of music through his grandmother, who was a piano teacher, and two of his uncles, who performed in jazz bands. Whalum also sang in his father’s church choir. As a teenager, he went to Melrose High School. For his higher education, Whalum attended Texas Southern University, where he was a member of the Ocean of Soul marching band.

Solo Albums

Whalum released his first album as a solo artist, “Floppy Disk,” in 1985. He followed that in 1988 with “And You Know That,” which reached number one on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. The next year, Whalum released the album “The Promise.” His subsequent studio albums included “Caché” (1993) and “In This Life” (1995). In 1996, he released “Joined at the Hip,” a collaborative album with jazz keyboardist Bob James. For the album, Whalum and James earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. Whalum’s final two studio albums of the decade were “Colors” (1997) and “For You” (1998).

Whalum commenced the new millennium with the album “Unconditional,” which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. He subsequently released “Hymns in the Garden” and “The Christmas Message,” both in 2001. In 2003, Whalum put out the album “Into My Soul.” Two years later, he released “Kirk Whalum Performs the Babyface Songbook,” featuring covers of songs by R&B singer-songwriter Babyface. Whalum’s next studio album was “Roundtrip,” released in 2007. His solo albums since then have included “Romance Language” (2011), “#Lovecovers” (2017), “Humanité” (2019), and “Epic Cool” (2024).

BWB

With guitarist Norman Brown and trumpeter Rick Braun, Whalum is a member of the jazz trio BWB. The group released its first album, “Groovin’,” in 2002. BWB didn’t release another studio album until 2013, with “Human Nature: The Songs of Michael Jackson.” The trio’s third, self-titled album came out in 2016.

Other Musical Contributions

Whalum has played on numerous albums by other artists over the years, including ones by Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones, Will Downing, Michael McDonald, and Patrice Rushen. Notably, he soloed on Whitney Houston’s smash 1992 cover of the song “I Will Always Love You.” Whalum has also contributed to some film soundtracks, including those for “Cousins,” “Boyz n the Hood,” and “Grand Canyon.” Among his other contributions, he has been a featured artist on songs by such artists as Brian Simpson, Jeff Golub, J. Moss, David Garfield, and Nathan Mitchell.

Honors and Awards

In 2011, Whalum won his first Grammy Award, for Best Gospel Song for “It’s What I Do.” He shared the award with songwriter Jerry Peters. In 2014, Whalum became the inaugural Jazz Legend honoree of the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee. Later in the decade, he was awarded a Brass Note on Beale Street in his native Memphis.

Personal Life

With his wife Ruby, whom he wed in 1980, Whalum has four children named Kyle, Courtney, Kori, and Evan. In 2022, Whalum converted to Catholicism.