Net Worth Ranker
What Is Wolfman Jack’s Net Worth?
At the time of his death on July 1, 1995, Wolfman Jack’s net worth was estimated to be $1 million. His primary sources of income included his successful radio shows, frequent television appearances, and roles in various films. In addition to his earnings, Wolfman Jack also owned assets such as his home in Belvidere, North Carolina, where he resided until his passing. Wolfman Jack’s financial success stemmed from his distinctive voice and charismatic on-air persona, which made him a cultural icon during his career. He became a household name in the 1960s through the 1990s, captivating audiences across North America and beyond.
Early Career and Radio Dominance
Robert Weston Smith, born on January 21, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York City, discovered his passion for radio at a young age. To keep him out of trouble, his father bought him a Trans-Oceanic radio, sparking his interest in R&B music and the disc jockeys who played it. His early influences included DJs such as Tommy Small, The Hound, and Jocko. At 16, Smith’s love for radio grew as he listened to Alan Freed, even managing to meet Freed and work as a “gofer” at the Paramount Theater. Smith attended the National Academy of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C., where he graduated at the top of his class, supporting himself by selling encyclopedias and Fuller brushes door-to-door. His broadcasting career began at WYOU in Newport News, Virginia, in 1960, where he hosted three shows under different personas: “Daddy Jules,” “Roger Gordon,” and “Big Smith with the Records.”
In late 1961, Smith moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, to work at KCIJ. In 1963, he created the Wolfman Jack character and secured a spot on the powerful Mexican radio station XERF, boasting 250,000 watts. Wolfman Jack’s personality and music mix attracted millions of listeners across North America, leading to stories in “Time Magazine,” “Newsweek,” and “Life Magazine.” By 1966, he relocated his family and business to Los Angeles. His show aired on both XERF and its sister station XERB, reaching the entire west coast. During this time, artists like Todd Rundgren, Leon Russell, Freddie King, and The Guess Who wrote hit songs about him. In early 1970, Wolfman Jack was living in Beverly Hills, CA, with his show broadcasted across the USA, making substantial money.
However, in 1970, the Mexican government reclaimed XERF and XERB, leaving Wolfman Jack without a job or regular income. This was financially devastating, as he had recently invested in an office building with a new studio. He then took a job at KDAY in Los Angeles for a fraction of his previous salary. To capitalize on his fame, he edited and syndicated his old XERB tapes to radio stations, pioneering rock-and-roll syndication and appearing on Armed Forces Radio from 1970 to 1986. At his peak, Wolfman Jack was heard on over 2,000 radio stations in 53 countries. For the last two years of his life, Wolfman Jack did a live weekly show from WXTR-FM in Washington, D.C., which was carried on 50 affiliate stations around the United States. He also made his final syndicated radio broadcast from a Planet Hollywood restaurant in Washington, D.C., on Friday Night, June 30, 1995.
Film, Television, and Other Ventures
Wolfman Jack’s career extended beyond radio to include notable appearances in film and television. In 1972, he was hired as the announcer, interviewer, and co-host of NBC-TV’s “The Midnight Special,” a late-night music series. In 1973, George Lucas cast him in “American Graffiti,” a film that became a massive hit. Lucas gifted Wolfman Jack a small percentage of the film’s profits, providing him with a regular income for life. For the film he was paid $1,000 a day, where he was barely getting by on his annual KDAY salary of $18,000. George Lucas and co-producer, Gary Kurtz generously began sharing a small percentage of the film’s profits with its stars including Wolfman. For the first few years after Graffiti was released Wolfman said he’d get royalty checks for about $175,000 every six months.
The soundtrack featured recordings that were originally broadcast between 1966-71 on XERB. Only about 10-20 percent of the Wolfman’s show was new and recorded expressly for the film. He also appeared in “More American Graffiti” (1979), “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1978), and “Motel Hell” (1980), among other films. Wolfman Jack hosted his variety series, “The Wolfman Jack Show,” produced by CBC Television in Canada in 1976 and syndicated to U.S. stations. He starred in the animated series “Wolf Rock TV” in 1984 and voiced the chief of the Rama Lama tribe in the TV special “Garfield in Paradise” in 1986. In his early days, Wolfman Jack made sporadic public appearances, usually as a master of ceremonies for rock bands at Los Angeles clubs. At each appearance, he looked a little different because he had not decided what the Wolfman should look like.
Wolfman Jack also released music albums, including “Wolfman Jack” (1972) and “Through the Ages” (1973) on the Wooden Nickel label. In 1973, WNBC paid Wolfman handsomely to join their radio station, predicting the Wolfman would propel their ratings. During the mid-1970s he had his own short-lived variety TV show which was broadcast in Canada. He reportedly made close to 80 guest appearances on various TV shows; his first was The Odd Couple (1973) and his last was Married with Children (1995). The Wolfman returned to border radio to run XERB, and opened an office on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in January 1966. He recorded his shows in Los Angeles and shipped his tapes across the border into Mexico, where they would then be beamed across the U.S.
Personal Life, Death, and Legacy
Wolfman Jack married Lucy “Lou” Lamb on July 1, 1960, and they had two children. He moved to Belvidere, North Carolina, in 1989 to be closer to his extended family. He remained active, hosting the “Live from Planet Hollywood” radio show from Washington, D.C., until his death. Wolfman Jack died of a heart attack on July 1, 1995, at his home in Belvidere, North Carolina, shortly after returning from a promotional tour for his autobiography, “Have Mercy! Confessions of the Original Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal.” He was 57 years old. His final syndicated radio broadcast was on June 30, 1995, from a Planet Hollywood restaurant in Washington, D.C. He was cremated, and his ashes were interred on his estate in Belvidere at Smith Family Estate Cemetery. Wolfman Jack was posthumously inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1999.
His gravelly voice, energetic style, and contributions to radio, film, and television have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Today, Wolfman Jack remains a prominent figure in pop culture, with his influence continuing to inspire modern DJs and media personalities. In 2022, Jack Black portrayed him in the film “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” further cementing his legacy. A final tribute show aired one week after Wolfman Jack’s sudden death on over 100 radio stations. He was also an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church, where he was officially known as and nicknamed “Reverend Jack”.
