What is Ali Campbell’s net worth?

Ali Campbell is a singer-songwriter and guitarist with a net worth of $2 million. His net worth used to be much higher. Unfortunately, despite selling over 120 million albums worldwide, Ali Campbell declared bankruptcy in 2011. Ali Campbell is best known as the lead singer of the British reggae band UB40. With the band, he sold over 70 million records worldwide and had hits such as “Red Red Wine”, “King/Food for Thought” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Campbell has also had a successful solo career and was a judge on the reality TV show “New Zealand’s Got Talent” for one season.

Bankruptcy

In October 2011, Ali was declared bankrupt by the Bournemouth District Court. At the same time, his band’s label was declared bankrupt. Saxophonist Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, trumpeter Terence Oswald, and percussionist Norman Hassan of UB40 also declared personal bankruptcy.

Early Life

Ali Campbell was born on February 15, 1959, in Birmingham, England. His father was the late Scottish folk singer Ian Campbell, and his brothers were Robin and Duncan.

UB40

In 1978, Campbell, drummer Jimmy Brown, and bassist Earl Falconer began performing popular reggae songs as well as some of their own compositions. Campbell’s brother Robin and four friends soon joined. The eight men then formed UB40, named after the British name for people claiming unemployment benefits. After several line-up changes, the band released their debut album, Signing Off, in the summer of 1980. An immediate success in the UK, the album reached number two on the country’s album charts. It also spawned the hit single “King/Food for Thought”. UB40 continued their success in the UK. The group first gained popularity in the United States shortly after with the release of Labour of Love, an album of cover songs. The biggest hit from that album was “Red Red Wine”, which reached number one in the UK in 1983 and number one in the US in 1988.

UB40 released albums at a steady pace throughout the 1980s, with titles including “Geffery Morgan”, “Rat in the Kitchen” and “Labour of Love II”. In 1993, the band released “Promises and Lies”, which featured a cover of the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The song was also featured in the erotic thriller “Sliver” that same year. UB40’s subsequent albums include “Guns in the Ghetto”, “Labour of Love III”, “Cover Up”, and “Who You Fighting For?” In 2008, Campbell left the band due to management disputes. Six years later, he reunited with bandmates Astro and Mickey Virtue to record the album “Silhouette”. The group continued to release several more albums under the UB40 name featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey, before Mickey left the group in 2018. Astro died a few years later. The album “Unprecedented”, which Astro worked on before his death, was released in 2022.

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Solo career

As a solo artist, Campbell released his debut album, “Big Love,” in 1995. From the album, he had a top-five hit in the UK with the single “That Look in Your Eye.” Campbell’s next solo album, “Running Free,” did not come out until 2007; like its predecessor, it was a significant hit in the UK. He followed it up with “Flying High” in 2009 and “Great British Songs” in 2010. Both albums reached the top 15 on the UK album chart.

New Zealand’s Got Talent

In 2012, Campbell was one of three judges on the reality television show “New Zealand’s Got Talent.” His reggae style of music is popular with the Maori and indigenous Pacific Islander communities. On the show, Campbell sat alongside Rachel Hunter and Jason Kerrison. He was eventually replaced by American choreographer Cris Judd for the third season.

Honors and Awards

As part of UB40, Campbell won the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement. Also with the band, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album for “Who You Fighting For?” in 2005.

Personal Life

With his wife Julie, whom he married in Las Vegas nearly 30 years after they first met, Campbell has two children named Louis and Drew. A self-confessed womanizer, he also has six children from previous relationships: Ali Jr., Max, Kibibi, Jack, Indica, and Kaya.