Barry Fey’s net worth is best estimated at about $10 million at the time of his death in 2013. A practical range is $5 million to $20 million, based on his decades as a major rock concert promoter, the value of Feyline, his later buyout from Universal Concerts, book and media work, and private assets that were not reported in detail.
Fey was the Colorado concert promoter behind Feyline, Red Rocks’ rise as a major rock venue, the 1969 Denver Pop Festival, the first North American Led Zeppelin concert, and U2’s famous Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky film. His importance is larger than a simple wealth estimate: he helped make Denver and Red Rocks central to American rock touring.
Barry Fey quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Barry Fey |
| Estimated net worth | About $10 million at death |
| Practical range | $5 million to $20 million |
| Born | December 15, 1938 |
| Birthplace | New York City |
| Died | April 28, 2013 |
| Age at death | 74 |
| Known for | Feyline, Red Rocks concerts, Colorado rock promotion |
| Company | Feyline |
| Major venue link | Red Rocks Amphitheatre |
| Major event | 1969 Denver Pop Festival |
| Notable concert | Led Zeppelin’s first North American show in Denver |
| Notable film link | U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky |
| Book | Backstage Past |
| Children | Alan, Geoffry, Jeremy, and Tyler |
Who was Barry Fey?
Barry Fey was an American rock concert promoter best known for his work in Colorado. He built Feyline into one of the most important independent concert-promotion companies in the United States and became closely associated with Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver rock history, and large outdoor concerts.
Fey was born in New York City on December 15, 1938, grew up partly in New York and Chicago, and moved into concert promotion during the 1960s. His first shows were modest, but his timing was perfect: rock touring was becoming bigger, louder, and more professional, and Fey understood how to bring national acts into markets that were not always treated as primary stops.
He was blunt, colorful, and often controversial, but his influence on Colorado music was enormous.
How much was Barry Fey worth?
Barry Fey was likely worth about $10 million when he died in 2013. The most reasonable range is $5 million to $20 million.
That estimate reflects several income sources: concert-promotion profits, ownership value in Feyline, venue partnerships, later business deals, radio and speaking work, and the long-term value of his name in Colorado music history. Feyline promoted major artists and large events for decades, and Fey later merged with Universal Concerts before being bought out in the late 1990s.
The estimate is still cautious because concert promotion is not the same as owning artist catalogs or stadiums. Promoters can make large sums on successful tours, but they also carry risk from guarantees, weather, ticket sales, production costs, insurance, and venue expenses.
Why nine-figure estimates are too high
Some older celebrity-finance pages give Barry Fey a much larger fortune, but those claims are hard to support from his known career. Fey was a powerful promoter, yet he was not a recording artist with catalog royalties, the owner of Red Rocks, the owner of Led Zeppelin or U2 rights, or a public-company founder with reported stock holdings.
A promoter can handle enormous gross ticket sales without personally keeping the full revenue. Artist guarantees, crew costs, venue costs, taxes, partner shares, and production expenses all come out before profit. That makes a multi-million-dollar estimate believable, while a nine-figure estimate needs stronger evidence than is available.
Feyline, Red Rocks, and Denver rock history
Feyline became Fey’s signature business. The company grew out of Denver’s 1960s rock scene and became tied to the city’s rise as a serious concert market.
One early turning point was The Family Dog Denver, a psychedelic-era venue connected with acts such as the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Feyline then became a major force at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where Fey promoted hundreds of shows and helped turn the natural venue into an international rock landmark.
Fey also opened and operated Rainbow Music Hall in Denver, which became another important Colorado music venue.
Major concerts and artists
Barry Fey promoted or worked with many of the biggest names in rock, including Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Paul McCartney, Van Halen, and many others.
The 1969 Denver Pop Festival was one of his biggest early events. Held at Mile High Stadium, it featured major rock acts and included the final performance by the original Jimi Hendrix Experience.
His Summer of Stars concert series at Red Rocks also became part of Colorado music lore, bringing major touring artists to the venue year after year.
U2, Led Zeppelin, and career-defining moments
Two moments explain why Barry Fey still matters to rock fans.
First, Fey promoted Led Zeppelin’s first North American concert at the Denver Auditorium on December 26, 1968. That makes him part of the band’s American breakthrough story.
Second, Fey helped make U2’s 1983 Red Rocks concert happen despite terrible weather. The show became the concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky, and the film helped raise both U2’s American profile and Red Rocks’ global reputation.
Awards, book, and later work
Fey was repeatedly recognized inside the concert business. He was named promoter of the year by Billboard in the late 1970s and was later voted into the Touring Hall of Fame by Performance magazine.
He was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2012. After his death, he was also honored by Denver and Colorado tourism leaders for his role in making the region a live-entertainment destination.
In later life, Fey hosted radio programming, gave talks about rock history, and published Backstage Past, a memoir about his life in the concert business.
Age, death, wife, and children
Barry Fey was born on December 15, 1938, and died on April 28, 2013. He was 74 years old.
He had been married to Cynthia Rittenberg and later to Lisa Loving. He had four sons: Alan, Geoffry, Jeremy, and Tyler.
Fey died by suicide after a difficult period following hip-replacement surgery. His death led to renewed discussion in the Colorado entertainment community about mental health and support for people in the live-music business.
Bottom line
Barry Fey’s estimated net worth was about $10 million at the time of his death, with a practical range of $5 million to $20 million. His real legacy is not only the money: it is Feyline, Red Rocks, the Denver Pop Festival, Led Zeppelin’s first North American concert, U2’s Red Rocks film, and the modern Colorado concert scene he helped build.