Steve Vai Net Worth and How He Built His Fortune
In this article we’ll talk about Steve Vai net worth, how he built his fortune, and key lessons from his career and path to success.
| Full Name: | Steven Siro Vai |
| Known As: | Steve Vai |
| Occupation: | Guitarist, songwriter, composer, and producer |
| Born: | June 6, 1960 – Carle Place, New York, U.S. |
| Genres: | Progressive metal; Hard rock; Instrumental rock |
Who is Steve Vai
Steven Siro Vai, better known as Steve Vai, is an American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and producer. He has won the Grammy Award three times and he’s been nominated for the same award fifteen times.
Steve started his career in 1978 and at the age of 18 he was the transcriptionist for Frank Zappa and also played in Zappa’s band from 1989 to 1983.
In 1983 he initiated his career as a solo artist and up to this date he has released eight solo albums. Steve has recorded and toured with several bands, such as: Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake.
He has also played along with recording artists such as Public Image Ltd, Mary J. Blige, Spinal Tap, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and Polyphia.
In addition he has toured with the live only acts G3, Zappa Plays Zappa and the Experience Hendrix Tour.
He was voted on the “10th Greatest Guitarist” by Guitar World magazine.
Early Life
Steve is a descendant of Italian immigrants. He was born in Carle Place, New York on June 6, 1960. He is the son of John and Theresa Vai, he also has 3 siblings.
It was at the age of six that he first got to experience the guitar and at the age of twelve he began playing the instrument.
In 1973 he began taking guitar lessons from fellow New York native Joe Satriani and he started playing in local bands while he was still in High School.
In 1978, he attended Berklee College in Boston, Massachusetts in order to polish and prepare for what he wanted to be his career, he worked in his music composition and theory.
Steve was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee in 2003.
He is married to Pia Maiocco and they live in Encino, Los Angeles. They have two children together.
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Steve Vai Net Worth and How He Achieved It
Steve has a net worth of $12 Million. He amassed his fortune during his career as a musician, composer and songwriter.
Steve has released several records and has sold over 15 million records during his career. His albums are as follow:
- Flex-Able
- Passion and Warfare
- Sex & Religion
- Alien Love Secrets
- Fire Garden
- Flex-Able Leftovers
- The Ultra Zone
- Real Illusions: Reflections
- The Story of Light
- Modern Primitive
- Inviolate
Steve Vai net worth increased with his engagement in the music industry. Other sources of his income are his concerts, the merchandise he sells on his own website, and his Patreon page.
Steve Vai on Social Media
On Instagram, Steve has 1.1 Million followers and he usually posts pictures of himself while he is on tour and also images of the different covers for magazines where he is featured.
On Twitter, Steve has 415.2 K followers and he usually posts videos of his tour and other artists.
Steve Vai Quotes
- “I loved the idea of recording. The idea of sound-on-sound-recording captured me as a young kid, and once I realized what it was I had an epiphany. Before I was even playing the guitar, I would create these lists of how I would record things and overdub them, like Led Zeppelin song, ‘I could put this guitar on this track…’ and so on.”
- “I have a deep love for life and my fellow human beings. I try to understand everything that everybody does, even if it seems wrong to me.”
- “All musicians practice ear training constantly, whether or not they are cognizant of it. If, when listening to a piece of music, a musician is envisioning how to play it or is trying to play along, that musician is using his or her ‘ear’ – the understanding and recognition of musical elements – for guidance.”
- “I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them.”
Key Takeaways from Steve Vai Career
Learn to understand other people’s point of view, even when it seems wrong to you
Steve mentions this as a part of what he does in life.
If you think about it, it’s part of loving life and your fellow human beings.
If we learn to accept and understand what other people think and do, it will give us peace of mind and our life will improve by removing the stress that the issue implies.
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Work hard towards your goals
Steve found at a young age his calling and he worked hard to make his dreams come true.
He started from scratch, he received lessons to learn how to play guitar and he knew that it wasn’t enough. So he attended college as well in order to keep working and growing in his craft.
Be willing to work and perfect your skills so you can achieve greatness. Hard work and being persistent are key to achieve your full potential.
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Be Unique
Steve is well recognized for his style and his unique approach on different guitar techniques such as: two handed tapping, alternate picking, legato, hybrid picking, sweep picking, whammy bar acrobatics and circular vibrato.
Try to find what inspires you and express it in your own way. It may sound difficult to do but it’s actually the easiest thing to do – you just have to try it.
Freepenguin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
