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What Is Mark Rivera’s Net Worth?
Mark Rivera is an American musician, musical director, and corporate entertainment provider who has a net worth of $20 million. Mark Rivera is best known for being a saxophonist and for his work with Billy Joel. Rivera plays alto, soprano, baritone, and tenor saxophones and also plays guitar, percussion, flute, keyboards, and provides vocals. He was part of the band Tycoon in the 1970s, and he has worked with artists such as Hall & Oates, Peter Gabriel, Joe Walsh, Simon & Garfunkel, Billy Ocean, and John Lennon. Mark started playing with Billy Joel and his band in 1982, and in 1995, he joined Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Rivera’s company, The Mark Rivera Entertainment Group, has produced events for IBM, HBO, Coldwell Banker, Merrill Lynch, AT&T, and many other groups. Rivera has had endorsement deals with Yamaha, Kaman Music, Harman International, and Korg USA. He released the solo album “Common Bond” in 2014, and he published the book “Sideman: In Pursuit of the Next Gig” in 2023.
Early Life
Mark Rivera was born on May 24, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of an American mother and a Puerto Rican American father. Mark studied at Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts.
Career
Rivera gained national exposure in the mid-’70s with the band Tycoon. Through the band, he met producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who introduced Mark to Lou Gramm and Mick Jones of the band Foreigner. His official website states, “That introduction led to Rivera joining the band and resulted in years of compilations, tours and Platinum albums.” He performed on the songs “Big Time” and “Sledgehammer” on the 1986 Peter Gabriel album “So,” and he has worked with artists such as John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Billy Ocean, and Simon & Garfunkel. Since 1982, Mark has played with Billy Joel on several albums and at numerous concerts, and Joel once reportedly said, “I never leave home without Mark.”
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In 1995, Rivera began playing with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, and he has served as the band’s musical director as well. He was the musical director for the 2007 concert “Dear Mr. Fantasy: A Celebration for Jim Capaldi,” which featured Pete Townshend, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Jon Lord, and Paul Weller. In 2014, Mark released the solo album “Common Bond,” which included contributions from Ringo Starr and Billy Joel. His song “Money Money Money” made it to the finals of that year’s “Coolest Song in the World” contest on the radio show “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” which is hosted by Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.
Personal Life
Mark’s 2023 autobiography, “Sideman: In Pursuit of the Next Gig,” is described as a story “full of optimism, humor, and candor” about a man who is both “a rock ‘n’ roller circling the globe and a regular guy worried about putting food on the table.” Ringo Starr wrote the book’s intro. “Sideman: In Pursuit of the Next Gig” won a Porchlight Business Book Award in the Narrative & Biography category. Rivera is passionate about philanthropy, and according to his official website, “Never one to forget his roots and where he came from, he takes great pride in being on the Board of Directors for Give An Hour, an organization that helps returning veterans with PTSD. He also performs every year on September 11th for his local Firefighters and Policemen, never forgetting the tragic events of that day back in 2001. For the past eight years he’s also joined Scott Shannon of CBSFM fame, at The Blythdale Children’s Hospital. And, he headlined the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation event and performed for the Marcum Foundation to raise money and awareness for The St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.”
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