Kindly Reminder To Famous Musicians: Pay Your Taxes

jharv | November 19, 2007 3:30 am

And I say that as someone who flubs filing on time almost every year. But it seems folks like Jay-Z’s former partner Damon Dash–“whose estimated $50 million fortune bought him a chauffeur-driven $400,000 Maybach sedan, diamond-encrusted watches and more than 1,000 pairs of sneakers”–still think neglecting to write that $2 million tax check will be totally cool with the really nice dudes at the IRS. And Dame isn’t the only musicianmusic-related duder to make this New York Post article on “the state’s list of tax deadbeats,” including artists more likely to get written up in The Wire than XXL.

“Free jazz” pioneer Ornette Coleman, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music this year, was put on the hook for $7,814 in July. And rocker John Cale of the influential ’60s band The Velvet Underground owes $157,743 according to six warrants filed between 1998 and 2003.

$157,743! Hell, they only got Capone for $215k or so. Watch your back, Cale. (Also, tax folks who might happen to be Idolator fans: If you could avoiding auditing me for the next six months or so, you’d really be a buncha bros. Thanks.)

From The “A” List To The Owe List [NY Post via XXL]

Tags: