How much was Rudy Ray Moore worth?
| Net Worth: | $1.5 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Comedian |
| Date of Birth: | March 17, 1927 (aged 81) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
About Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore, whose full name is Rudolph Frank Moore, was an American actor, comedian, film producer, and singer that gained popularity for his character “Dolemite” in the eponymous 1975 film. The film was a worldwide success and that eventually led to the creation of two sequels titled The Human Tornado and The Dolemite’s Return. Apart from acting, as a singer, Rudy has released more than thirty studio albums and singles.
Rudy Ray Moore is now famous for his incredible work on Dolemite in the 1970s, however, he gained popularity a lot earlier. He was born on March 17, 1927, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. His family occasionally moved due to his father’s work, a construction worker, and they lived in places such as Akron, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Rudolph spent most of his childhood. While in Milwaukee, he began preaching in churches while also working as a nightclub dancer.
In the 1940s, he developed the stage name Prince DeMurr, which was his first character. During his late teenage years, he also began working as a comedian, dancer, and singer in clubs based in the Ohio area. He then joined the US Army and served for several years in the German entertainment unit. There, he was nicknamed the Harlem Hillbilly, which came from his country and R&B music performances.
Towards the 1950s, following his honorable discharge, he lived in Washington and Los Angeles where he continued to work in clubs. There, he was discovered by the record producer Dootsie Williams and that’s how his music career started off.
Creating music projects under the name Dolemite in the 1950s under different record labels is how the talented artist became rich. From 1955 to 1962, he recorded songs in rhythm and blues with many labels such as Ball, Cash, Kent, Federal, and Imperial Records.
During that time, he released his first (comedy) albums titled Below the Belts, The Beatnik Scenery and A Born Comedian. From his music projects, he was able to earn an estimated $95,000. That’s the equivalent of around $935,000 in 2022 dollars after adjusting for inflation.
Towards the lateyears of the 1960s, while working for the Los Angeles-based Dolphins of Hollywood record store, he began recording street poets for strangers that he met on the streets. One of these was Big Brown for whom he released an album named Big Brown: The First Poetry Man. The album was a critical success that helped him gain some attention.
After that, he began recording other stories whilst using the stage name Dolemite, which is influenced by mainstream comedians like Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. Just before he became an international television star thanks to his 1975 film, Dolemite was earning an estimated $100,000 per year from his many music projects. That’s about $525,000 in 2022 dollars adjusting for inflation.
During his career, he also appeared in many albums of some of the big names in the hip hop industry – Big Daddy Kane, 2 Live Crew, and Busta Rhymes. His final role in a film was in the 2009 movie It Came From Trafaglar, released almost one year after his death.
Ten years later, in 2019 the streaming platform Netflix created a biographical comedy-drama titled Dolemite Is My Name. The movie stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore and his Dolemite character and it even earned a nomination for a Golden Globe Award in the category “Best Motion Picture”.
What makes the actor, film producer, and singer so successful are his abilities to adapt and deliver the goods in the entertainment business. In 1975, he made his debut on the big screen, starring in the eponymous blaxploitation crime comedy, Dolemite. The film was a box office hit and earned more than $12 million and became a pop culture phenomenon. It also led to the creation of two sequels titled The Human Tornado and The Dolemite’s Return in which Rudy Ray Moore was seen reprising his beloved Dolemite character.
Besides all three Dolemite films, Rudy Ray Moore has taken part in many other film and television projects such as The Monkey Hustle, Petey White straw, Disco Godfather, and Murder Was The Case.
Summing-Up
Rudy Ray Moore is one of the funniest comedians to emerge from the mid-1900s. He began his career as a stand-up comedian and singer in the 1950s and quickly caught the attention of millions across the world after he starred in the Dolemite films. By the time he passed away, in October 2008, he was able to earn a net worth estimated to be $1.5 million from his work in show business.
