September 27, 2007
Busking for the Big Bucks
Ever wonder what keeps the street musicians that play for change going back to the subway and sidewalk everyday? Well, it's not the music. In fact, when we asked the Naked Cowboy "Who do you 'owe it all to' and is it all about the music?" He replied, "I owe it all to myself, and it's all about me!" Whether or not it's to hone their craft, some of these folks are pulling in some serious cash.
Obviously The Naked Cowboy is an example of how much one person can make by entertaining the passerby and tourists -- he pulls in just under $400K a year ($1000 in ten hours)! Some other "better known" street musicians makes from $75/hour to $200/day -- though it's unclear how many hours are in their day. Of course, if you're one of the most famous classical musicians in the world, you may only make $32.17 in an hour. Follow a week in the life of two street buskers, Heth and Jed, who kept a diary for us last year, here.
Photo via Arve Johnsen's Flickr.
|
Heth's music is really good. I see him in the Times Square subway station occasionally.
where does he put all that cash? does he run to the bank in his cowboy uniform?
I'd pay him twice that to spare us the details.
Heth and Jed rock! (i even bought their cd)
I would love to see a coalition of musicians who give music and performance lessons to the homeless. It makes more money than panhandling and is a lot nicer for passersby, too.
#5 don't all homeless people know how to play at least one instrument? I thought they were all musicians.
Earlier in the year, the Washington Post put a guy who is widely regarded as being one of the greatest violinists alive in a Metro station. Their results weren't nearly as spectacular:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html
Wow, I am utterly speechless that the Naked Cowboy makes that much money.
i hope all homeless people get naked now and start walking the streets of times square and totally bogart the cowboys business. Naked homeless guy would be awesome.
Schmod, thanks for the link. Really enjoyed that story.
Do out-of-towners really find The Naked Cowboy THAT interesting?? You wouldn't believe how weird New York is, it's just like they say! He's in his underwear in the middle of the street! It's craaaaazzzy!
Where do these people go to the bathroom?
He is as weird as all Nyorkers are
"he pulls in just under $400K a year ($1000 in ten hours)!"
No &%$#@! way does he make that much money...If he did, would he still be standing in the middle of times square in his under ware ?
yes, because that's how he makes so much money.
I dunno, if you could rake in $400K just by standing around in your underwear and playing guitar, wouldn't you keep milking it until it ran dry?
$400K a year , and how many years has he been doing this..?
I think ( if he really pulls in this kinda doe ) that he could have retired already...