Celebrity Tax Evasion: Musicians Who Got Caught by the Taxman
- Posted by Spinner Staff
- Comments (37)
George Harrison seemed like the gentle Beatle, but even he reserved special animosity for the one figure we all love to hate -- the taxman. Here's a list of vocalists, from Nas to Luciano Pavarotti, who have sung the blues over their failure to pay their back taxes.

In October 2009, the Queens, N.Y. rapper was reportedly charged with neglecting to pay taxes in 2006 and 2007, and has been socked with a lien of more than $2.5 million. Nas' financial standing is definitely looking a bit 'Illmatic' these days: While Uncle Sam is dipping into one pocket, ex-wife Kelis is yanking alimony payments to the tune of $55,000 a month out the other.

When the Red-Headed Stranger was hit with more than $16 million in tax debt in 1990, he signed over to the Internal Revenue Service the profits from a new album, 'The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?' He'd already recorded an appropriate pop standard, 'All of Me': "Why not take all of me?"

When the Isley Brothers urged us to 'Fight the Power,' we didn't think they meant "Don't file your 1040 tax form." Singer Ron Isley was sentenced to three years in prison in 2006 for more than $3 million he owed the IRS. The term "serial tax avoider" was not inappropriate, said the judge. Isley is due for release in April 2010.

Judy, Judy, Judy: The divine Miss Garland lived out of hotels after admitting she owed more than $4 million in arrears. When the taxman came knocking in 1967, the financially troubled songbird might have hummed a few bars of 'I Can't Give You Anything but Love.'

The Killer was about to go to prison for a crime of another sort when he was assessed with $560,000 in overdue tax debt in 1984. Cutting a deal with the government, Lewis set up a phone number charging callers $2.75 a minute to hear stories of his first date and his childhood fight with a schoolteacher. We're guessing mathematics class.

The diminutive rapper with the hefty assets found herself uncomfortably exposed when the IRS charged her with nearly $1 million in back taxes in 2005. At her trial, the defendant surprised the judge with the news that she'd worked for tax preparers H&R Block in her years before stardom.

When tax collectors informed J-Lo's husband he owed $2.5 million for unpaid taxes from 2000 to 2004, the gaunt singer claimed ignorance, saying he had no idea his accountants had failed to pay. Apparently, when it comes to his finances, he's not on a 'Need to Know' basis.

From the late 1960s till his death in 2006, the Godfather of Soul grappled with the US government over millions of dollars in back taxes. He used twisted logic to argue that he shouldn't have to pay: Since he never got a proper education, he reasoned, "they have no legal boundaries over me." The Feds weren't buying it -- they still expected the big 'Payback.'

When the Wu-Tang Clan rapper had his luxury SUV repossessed in March 2009 over his failure to pay $33,000 in back taxes, he claimed his chronic pot smoking made him forgetful. In October '09, Mef turned himself in to the police, whose pursuit of the delinquent rapper has been Methodical.

The rock 'n' roll pioneer was sentenced to four months in jail and a thousand hours of community service in 1979 when Uncle Sam brought the hammer down for evading $200,000 in taxes – the same year old softie Jimmy Carter invited the artful dodger to play at the White House.

There was high drama when the celebrated operatic tenor was hit for multiple millions in unpaid taxes in 1999 and again in 2001. The big man agreed to pay the Italian government 24 million lire, then was acquitted of charges that he filed false returns. You know what they say about death and taxes: It ain't over until the fat man sings.
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Reader Comments(1 of 2)
Mr. Edawat 10-25-2009
The headline says "10 music stars busted by the IRS". The list does include Judy Garland, who was the "Wizard" star...You're not very bright, are you, Cynthia?
thinkat 10-27-2009
That would be Judy Garland - the star of the Wizard of Oz - the headline was fine.
paulat 10-25-2009
Judy Garland played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
Guessing it's way before your time.
Frankat 10-25-2009
Cynthia, Judy Garland was a consumate musician and singer as well as an accomplished dancer. In her day she was also an in demand actress. She was the lead actress, or star, of "The Wizard of OZ." Does the character of Dorothy and her little dog Toto ring any bells for you? In 1967 she was hit by the IRS for $4M in back taxes. How about you do some fact checking before you go off an a useless rant that shows your obvious lack of knowledge on the subject at hand.
robertat 10-25-2009
Cynthia, you would have made a wonderful Scarecrow from the "Wizard" of Oz, seeing as how you need a brain too! RETARD!
Chuckat 10-25-2009
It's easy to see that slavery is still alive and well in the USA. Only the "Master" has changed.why not a simple federal sales tax to replace all this mess? Then no more running from the tax man or playing stupid deduction games.
It does not take a wizard to figure that one out!
Techat 10-25-2009
The FED/IRS scam was foisted on us back in 1913 by the robber baron gangsters JP Morgan and John D.Rockefeller after Rockefeller's Standard Oil was "broken up" in 1911. All your Federal Taxes go into their private banks. Bankers only see human beings as a cost on their balance sheet, a liablity. Useful as cannon fodder, cheap labor, or a trained technical elite used to control the masses. Capitalism is just moneyism and the banksters control ALL of it. They print the dollar, control credit, interest rates, money supply, the "government", the media, and use the IRS to get money back that people think they have-it's really only on loan. Everyone is in the Matrix, the globalist banksters run everything, not the "government".
maryat 10-25-2009
RIGHT ON MARK I LUV YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR
Paulaat 10-25-2009
Cynthia, I don't know how old you are but the "Wizard" actress they were refering to is Judy Garland, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who was also a fantastic singer. Unfortunately, she's better remembered as Dorothy.
Eveat 10-25-2009
WHY ARE ALL THE SENATORS AND SPORTS GUYS GETTING AWAY WITH THEIR TAX EVASIONS??? A BIT OF JAIL TIME AND LOSS OF JOBS PLUS PENALTY CHARGES SEEM FAIR.
sarahbat 10-25-2009
Jimmy who? Carter? Seems like I do remember a president who had an ugly wife, ugly child and said he lusted after women. He had a rather popular brother named Billy who was a riot. He had a beer named for him called "Billy Beer". That's all I can remember about that president. He sure didn't do anything for our Country. He tries his best to stay in the spotlight
so occasionally he does or says something stupid, certainly nothing worth remembering, them fades right out again.
King of Stone Mountainat 10-25-2009
Thus, your comment proves my point. Gee, thanks for being so predictable.
Fred Noweckat 10-25-2009
you left out Lou Costello (of Abbot and Costello comedy team). After WWII, Lou was socked with a tax debt for everything he had for failing to pay any taxes for the war years.
Maryat 10-25-2009
IRS cracdown on celebrities, now crackdown on members of Congress and Obama Administration.
lostinramat 10-25-2009
First they would have to go after the Bush Administrations for all of the illegal and immoral
activities. Committing perjury, lying to congress, the UN, and the American people ( not to mention lying to the rest of the world ). War crimes (including starting a war with baseless accusations and innuendo). Violating the geneva conventions. Maybe you idiots don't get it, President Obama is not the enemy.
The enemy that left us in this debt, in this bad economy, in this war, and without our civil liberties, is your imbecilic former leader George W. Bush. Instead of trying to make America strong, he left us in the weakest position of any administration ever.
Katieat 10-25-2009
Where is Wesley Snipes on this list and why are the large percentage American African?
Tracy Gibbat 10-25-2009
There's eleven on the list and six of those are African Americans. That's one more than half so I wouldn't say that's a huge percentage.
Timat 10-25-2009
Judy Garland
Judy, Judy, Judy: The divine Miss Garland lived out of hotels after admitting she owed more than $4 million in arrears. When the taxman came knocking in 1967, the financially troubled songbird might have hummed a few bars of 'I Can't Give You Anything but Love.'
she was in the wizard of oz
Carter almost got me killedat 10-25-2009
Jimmy Carter to me was the worst president of my time. During the inept Carter years inflation and unemployment was out of control. People were desperate for money. Thus in reality land a few robbers came in to the store where I was working and put a gun to my 17 year old head. Screw Carter. Now to prove I am not a blindsided person To me Clinton a democrat was the best ever. He balanced the buget!. Theres good and bad in everything. You can't just think I am a republican or I am a Democrat. Think the person. Rudy Giuliani cleaned up NY it was infiltrated with the mob and dirty and full of crime before him. He is republican. As is Mike Bloomberg who I don't have to worry about someone trying to bribe the guy he's incorruptable.
Milagrosat 10-25-2009
The media always tries to make African amerikkkns look bad because of thier racism and hater aide consumption..There is no way African amerikkkn men fail to pay more often than Euros?and any dummy knows why? However, since the Pres is African amerikkkn it seems that the white owned media always tries to drop some twisted stats..
So now my question is..What do u believe are the number of child pedophiles who are white vs black? And as far as taxes are concerned..we AA) should all rize up and refuse to pay this racist GOV another penny until they give us our 40 acres..