Glen Ballard's Net Worth
Glen Ballard is a prominent American songwriter, lyricist, record producer, film producer, and music video director, boasting a net worth of $60 million. Among his many accolades, Ballard is perhaps best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 hit album Jagged Little Pill, which earned Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album, and sold over 30 million copies globally. He also significantly contributed to three of Michael Jackson's albums, including co-writing the iconic song “Man in the Mirror” from the 1982 album Thriller.
Notably, Ballard has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Alanis Morissette, Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Josh Groban, Shakira, and Van Halen, among others. He won a Grammy Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for the song “Believe,” performed by Josh Groban for the 2004 film The Polar Express. Additionally, Ballard has worked on various projects in film and stage, including co-writing music and lyrics for Ghost the Musical and writing lyrics for Back to the Future: The Musical, which won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2022.
Early Life
Basil Glen Ballard Jr. was born on May 1, 1953, in Natchez, Mississippi. At 22, he moved to Los Angeles and started his career at music manager John Reid's company, which managed Elton John at the time. There, Ballard gained valuable insights into the music industry, learning about music publishing and tour management. He noted that being around the creative genius of Elton and his team was an incredible educational experience. After three years, he secured a publishing deal with MCA Music, setting the stage for a stellar career.
Career Highlights
Throughout the '80s, Ballard was involved in producing and writing for several major albums, including Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987), the Pointer Sisters’ Break Out (1983), and Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl (1988). His work on Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill in 1995 catapulted him to significant acclaim, earning multiple Grammy awards.
Post Jagged Little Pill, Ballard continued to collaborate with top artists, producing albums for No Doubt, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Van Halen, Annie Lennox, and Katy Perry. In 2020, Ballard executive produced and co-wrote music for the Netflix miniseries The Eddy and co-wrote new songs for Disney’s 2022 live-action adaptation of Pinocchio. The musical adaptation of Jagged Little Pill also debuted on Broadway in 2019, receiving a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album and several Tony nominations.
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Personal Life
Glen Ballard was previously married to a woman named Liv, with whom he has two children, as noted in his IMDb biography.
Awards and Nominations
Ballard has received 13 Grammy nominations, winning several, including Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal for Siedah Garrett and Chaka Khan's “The Places You Find Love” (1991), Best Rock Song for Alanis Morissette's “You Oughta Know” (1996), and Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for Jagged Little Pill (1996). His work on the soundtrack for The Polar Express also garnered multiple nominations across various prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Satellite Award, and World Soundtrack Award.
Beyond Grammys, Ballard has won a Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award, an Online Film & Television Association Award nomination, and a Hollywood Music in Media Award nomination for Best Original Song from the 2022 adaptation of Pinocchio. These accolades attest to his exceptional talent and influential presence in the music and entertainment industry.
Real Estate
Ballard purchased a 1,100-square-foot beach house in Malibu, California, for $1.1 million in 1993. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home was listed for sale at $7.995 million in early 2019 and later adjusted to $7.25 million. Here is a video tour of the Malibu property:
