What is Jeffrey Daniel’s net worth?
Jeffrey Daniel is a dancer, choreographer, and singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $2 million. He is best known for his founding role in the R&B band Shalamar.
As well as high-profile collaborations with Michael Jackson, LL Cool J, and Paul McCartney, he has also starred as a judge on Nigerian Idol.
Daniel is credited with introducing the “moonwalk” to Michael Jackson, a dance move that he first performed live on the British television show Top of the Pops when performing A Night to Remember with Shalamar in 1982.
Shalamar are widely regarded as one of the most successful soul groups of all time, selling over 25 million albums worldwide.
They have also received more than 100 gold, silver, and platinum awards, including a Grammy.
And although the group split in the summer of 1983, a reunion in 2000 has enabled Daniel to continue touring the world, performing Shalamar’s music alongside fellow band members JD, Howard, and Carolyn, who was hired to replace Jody Watley.
Since 2010, Daniel has lived between Lagos, Nigeria, and Osaka, Japan, where he has appeared as a judge on the popular Nigerian Idol series and collaborated on a range of musical projects.
Here’s everything we know about the musical legend that is Jeffrey Daniel.
The Origin Story
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Daniel was encouraged to dance from a young age by his mother, who was a classical pianist and a member of the family’s church choir.
Professionally, Daniel was inspired by the street dance introduced to the world in the 1970s by the late Don Campbell, who was best known for his work with The Lockers.
His first big break came when he performed on the popular US television show Soul Train.
He was invited by fellow dancer Tyrone Procter, who has remained a considerable influence on Daniel’s career to date.
Recognized for his extraordinary talent on Soul Train, he was approached by record label SOLAR to front a new band called Shalamar, from which he was able to build his remarkably successful career.
Shalamar’s Success
Shalamar are renowned as one of the most popular soul bands of all time.
Jeffrey Daniel, Jody Watley, and Howard Hewett – @Getty
Daniel’s choreography and unique dance moves appealed to fans all around the world and were the reason for their huge touring successes of the early 1980s.
Following their split in 1983, Daniel brought Shalamar back together in the year 2000.
They then spent the following 20+ years selling out venues in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Africa and have continued the group’s resounding success.
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Wife/Girlfriend
Jeffrey Daniel had a relationship with fellow Shalamar band member Jody Watley in the 1970s, but they split after some struggles.
He married American R&B singer Stephanie Mills in 1980, but they divorced in 1983, the same year that Shalamar broke up.
Move To Nigeria
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Daniel was inspired to move to Nigeria because his “mother always told [him] that [he] was African.” He said he kissed the Nigerian soil after stepping off the plane on arrival; such was his excitement at being “home.”
Since moving to Nigeria, Jeffrey Daniel has settled down and married for a second time.
He welcomed a child to the world in September 2020.
He has also worked as a judge on Nigerian Idol during this time.
But Daniel doesn’t live exclusively in Nigeria.
He has consistently traveled to Japan for more than twenty years and is happy to have two bases.
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Net Worth 2024
Jeffrey Daniel, UK, 29th February 1984 – @Getty
So, how much is Jeffrey Daniel worth?
As a global soul icon, you might be wondering how much money Jeffrey Daniel is worth.
Here’s what we know:
One of the primary sources of Daniel’s wealth is the royalties he’s earned from Shalamar’s music.
Popular hits such as A Night to Remember, Make That Move, and The Second Time Around have bolstered Daniel’s earnings since their release in the 1980s.
Although exact figures are unavailable, assuming Shalamar’s royalty rate for their 25 million albums sold is around 15% as the industry standard, we can assume that the group made tens of millions of dollars in royalties at the height of their popularity, with a significant cut going to Daniel.
Interestingly, Daniel mentions that the reason for Shalamar’s split was due to “the record company being unfair with the financial side of the business.”
This may have resulted in Daniel and the other members receiving fewer royalties than they were due, affecting his net worth somewhat.
Still, he admits that “we were making money,” but his experience with SOLAR records motivated him to start other projects.
That’s when Michael Jackson hired him as a choreographer, and he became the first “street dance” choreographer for MTV as a result.
For twenty years, Daniel was MJ’s choreographer and was employed by his record company MJJ Records, earning him excellent money throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Since 2000 and Shalamar’s reunion, Daniel has mainly been making money from touring and ticket sales, as well as industry choreography collaborations with various artists. He was also paid handsomely for his role as a judge on Nigerian Idol.
Therefore, Jeffrey Daniel has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.