Turning Money into Music – How Would You Spend Your Lotto Winnings?
A lot of us buy lotto tickets not out of any real expectation to win the biggest jackpot, but more for the smaller wins and the fantasies which the possibilities of a distant win can afford. There are those, however, who do manage to win big, finding themselves with more wealth than they ever dared dream. While some invest carefully, others self-destruct, and a few even use this opportunity to help pursue their dreams.
In this article, we want to take a look at just a few of the latter, those winners who went on to use their newfound wealth to chase a career in music, or just to help them carve out their little part in the world of sound.
Win Big, Play Bigger
Winning is one thing, winning the lottery with one of the biggest jackpots in history is another thing entirely. That is exactly what happened with Adrian Bayford and his wife Gillian back in 2012, as a particularly fortuitous ticket brought them home a massive £148 million. After quitting their regular jobs, the couple followed their hearts to open a music and movie memorabilia store, building off of Adrian’s experience running a smaller dedicated music shop.
“Lottery Tickets, 9/2016, pics by Mike Mo” (CC BY 2.0) by JeepersMedia
Now able to work with on an entirely new scale, the couple even managed to get their hands on a Beatles record signed by Lennon himself just a few weeks before his passing. Not content to take a passive part, Adrian also took a direct role as an executive producer for rock band Last Great Dreamers. He even managed to save the almost canceled Cambridge Rock Festival by moving the venue to his newly expanded property.
Dadhard With a Vengeance
A lucky few of us with the talent, drive, and opportunity have experienced first-hand the thrill of being in a band. This was the case of 34-year-old father Roger Griffiths, who played his part in a university band in the nineties. Even taking part in a Channel 4 documentary, Griffith had established that their group had talent, but what they lacked was funding.
Following a £1.8 million lottery win, Griffith invested a cool £25k into releasing a professional version of their most popular song, in what we have to say is a remarkably good effort.
With Both Feet
Another case of using fortune to follow dreams comes from an unnamed Australian musician from Lismore. Taking home $1m from division one lotto, the man was able to use his winnings to continue his dream of releasing a second CD. We don’t know exactly how this one turned out, but the opportunity to take part in furthering your musical dream would certainly be enough to keep us happy.
How About You?
As lovers of music we have to wonder how we would shape the musical world should the opportunity present itself. Would we hone our skills to make our own music, or would we be better suited to the business side of matters? Maybe we could use our means to help popularize the genres which we love the most, helping them gain traction in both the national and international scene.
What would you do?
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About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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