| Real Name: | John Richard Deacon |
| Birthday: | August 19, 1951 |
| Net Worth | $170 million |
| Height: | 180 cm |
| Occupation: | Musician |
John Deacon is a retired English bassist and one of the members of Queen. He joined in 1971 and retired after the death of Freddie. Deacon was a songwriter and composer for Queen. Some of his credits include Another One Bites the Dust, I Want to Break Free, and others. Unlike other Queen members like Brian May and Roger Taylor, he retired from the limelight.
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Net Worth and Income Sources
Most of his income sources are from Queen record sales and live shows. While he doesn’t appear with the band anymore, he gets money from copyrights. Formed in 1970 by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor, Queen sold almost 300 million record copies. Here are some of the highest-grossing albums by Queen.
- News of the World earned $6.1 million in record sales
- Live Killers earned $4 million in record sales
- The Game earned $4.5 million in record sales
- Made in Heaven earned $10.9 million in record sales
- A Night at the Opera earned $4.2 million in record sales
- Greatest Hits compilation album earned $18 million in record sales
- Greatest Hits II compilation album earned $24.5 million in record sales
Besides album sales, Deacon earns money from merchandise sales, endorsements, concerts, and live shows.
Career
Deacon joined his first band The Opposition when he was just 14 years old. Playing covers of chart hits, Deacon used rhythm guitar he bought with money he borrowed from the group’s founder. That was back in 1965 and he switched to bass guitar following year. Deacon was the activist for the band as well. He took clippings from newspapers and advertisements featuring The Opposition.
John left The Opposition in 1969 to study music in London. One year later, he decided he wanted to join a new band. He saw Queen performing in 1970, and met with them in 1971. The rest is history.
By the mid-1980s, he started to play with other bands as well. John performed on the single Picking Up Sounds by Man Friday & Jive Junior. Deacon performed on Mercury’s single How Can I Go On and worked with Elton John and Errol Brown.
Following the death of Freddie in 1991, the group started to grow apart. He performed only three more times with the remaining bandmates. Two times he performed at a tribute concert, and once for the one-off version of The Show Must Go On with Elton John. He decided to retire in January 1997.
Brian May said that it was his choice. Deacon doesn’t contact his former band members. They consult him for Queen affairs, but May and Taylor have his support.
It is not a surprise that Deacon retired from the limelight. After all, one of the reasons Queen hired him was his demeanor. The other three members were over the top, so they needed someone quiet. He doesn’t even live in a fancy neighborhood. He and his wife live in a modest house he bought with his first royalty check. There, they raised six children.
In October 1997, Deacon recorded the last and final Queen song, No One But You (Only the Good Die Young). He then retired from any kind of social contact.
The band asked for his permission for the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. While he is out of the spotlight, he still takes care of the finances of the band.
Musical Style
Many people regard Deacon as the King of Bassists. Back in the 1970s, the combination of Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor was an explosion. Rolling Stone magazine explained it as a “colossal sonic volcano whose eruption makes the Earth tremble”.
He used Orange Amplifiers AD200B 200W tube bass amp head.
Into the business world
John Deacon earns money nowadays thanks to his Production Company and a production house. Some sources claim his company made more than $15 million in the past few years.
Deacon is also the financial manager of Queen. He cleared all the financial problems, tax issues, and investments. He still runs the financial operation of Queen. Under his watch, Queen Productions made more than $40 million in 2009.
He and his bandmates support many charitable organizations and campaigns. Some of them include Against Cruel Sports, Save Me, Terence Higgins Trust, and more. Queen performed for free in many concerts.
Net Worth of Queen Members
John Deacon is the least rich member of Queen. That is because he decided to retire and stay away from the spotlight. He is also the only Queen member without a solo album.
Brian May is the richest Queen member with a net worth of $210 million. He released three solo albums and still performs under the Queen’s name.
Roger Taylor released four solo albums, but none with the success of Queen. He has a net worth of $50 million.
At the time of his passing, Freddie Mercury net worth was $50 million.
Personal Life
Deacon was the “quiet” member of the band. He barely spoke in rehearsals and avoided arguments. He is still a quiet member. Deacon lives in Putney in Southwest London with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff. They got married in January 1975. The couple has six children.