Bryan Turner's net worth is estimated at around $15 million, built from co-founding Priority Records in 1985 and steering it through EMI's buyout of the label for a combined $125 million in 1996 and 1998, plus decades of production income from his later company, Melee Entertainment.
Quick Facts
| Name | Bryan Turner |
| Born | 1955 or 1956, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Known For | Co-founder and CEO of Priority Records (1985-2002); signed N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton" |
| Company Sale | Priority Records sold to EMI in two stages: 1996 and 1998, for a combined $125 million |
| Current Work | Founder of Melee Entertainment (2003-present) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Around $15 million |
Founding Priority Records and Signing N.W.A.
Bryan Turner is a Canadian-American entertainment executive who spent time at Capitol Records and five years at K-tel International working on compilation albums and licensing before co-founding Priority Records in Los Angeles in 1985 with fellow former K-tel executives Mark Cerami and Steve Drath. As chairman and CEO for 16 years, Turner built Priority into what The New York Times called the country's largest independent label in the mid-1990s, with the label selling more than $1.7 billion in recorded music over that span. Priority's defining move was signing N.W.A. and releasing the group's 1988 debut, "Straight Outta Compton," a record made for roughly $10,000 that went on to sell more than two million copies and reshape hip-hop. The label also released the platinum-selling "California Raisins" compilation album in 1986 and later distributed Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" through a partnership with Interscope Records.
The EMI Sale and Priority's Legacy
Turner and his partners sold half of Priority Records to EMI in November 1996 for a reported $50 million, and EMI acquired the remaining stake in 1998 for a reported $75 million, a combined $125 million for the label. That sale price reflects the value of the company Turner co-built and split among its founders and other stakeholders; it is not a personal payout figure. Turner remained with the company he founded until leaving in 2002. Beyond the N.W.A. catalog, Priority under Turner served as an early home for other West Coast rap acts including Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg, and Turner executive-produced the films "Friday" (1995) and "I Got the Hook-Up" (1998).
Melee Entertainment and Later Ventures
In 2003, Turner launched Melee Entertainment in partnership with DreamWorks Records. The company's productions include "You Got Served" (2004), which grossed roughly $40 million at the box office, along with "Next Day Air" (2009), "The Under Shepherd" (2012), and "The Gracefield Incident" (2017). Turner has also partnered with Cirque du Soleil on a touring hip-hop production and, in 2015, co-founded a live concert production venture with rapper Mack 10. In 2020, he joined the advisory board of Beatdapp, a Vancouver-based blockchain music-royalties startup, with the company citing his decades of music-industry relationships and reputation as a principled executive.
Personal Life
Turner has four children. He is not the same Bryan Turner sometimes confused with him online -- he did not found Turner Construction Company, which was established by Henry C. Turner in 1902, more than 50 years before this Bryan Turner was born. Details of Turner's family life beyond his children are not public.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bryan Turner's net worth?
Estimated at around $15 million, built from co-founding and running Priority Records through its sale to EMI and from ongoing production income through Melee Entertainment.
What company did Bryan Turner found?
Priority Records, in 1985, with Mark Cerami and Steve Drath. He later founded Melee Entertainment in 2003.
Did Bryan Turner found Turner Construction Company?
No. Turner Construction Company was founded by Henry C. Turner in 1902. This is a different, unrelated Bryan Turner who built his career in the music and film industry.
What is Bryan Turner best known for?
Signing N.W.A. to Priority Records and releasing "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988, a defining record in hip-hop history.