Brian "Head" Welch is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist, and author who has a net worth of $20 million.

Brian Welch is best known as a founding guitarist of Korn, the pioneering nu-metal band whose mix of heavy metal, alternative rock, funk, and hip-hop helped reshape hard rock during the 1990s. Alongside James "Munky" Shaffer, Head developed Korn's signature dual-guitar attack using down-tuned seven-string guitars, dissonant chords, unusual effects, and riffs that often functioned as rhythmic textures rather than traditional metal guitar parts.

Welch was a member of Korn from its formation in 1993 until 2005, meaning he participated in the band's biggest-selling period and shares songwriting interests in much of its classic catalog. Albums recorded during his original tenure included "Korn," "Life Is Peachy," "Follow the Leader," "Issues," "Untouchables," and "Take a Look in the Mirror." He left the band after struggling with drug addiction and undergoing a religious conversion, subsequently launching a solo career and forming Love and Death.

Welch returned to Korn in 2013 and resumed touring and recording with the group. His second tenure has included albums such as "The Paradigm Shift," "The Serenity of Suffering," "The Nothing," and "Requiem."

Brian Philip Welch was born on June 19, 1970, in Torrance, California, and grew up in Bakersfield. He became interested in music at a young age and gravitated toward guitar.

Welch became friends with Munky and eventually joined the band Creep, which also included bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and drummer David Silveria. After the musicians recruited singer Jonathan Davis, the group became Korn.

Korn's self-titled 1994 debut gradually developed into a major commercial success, fueled by extensive touring and songs including "Blind" and "Shoots and Ladders." "Life Is Peachy" followed in 1996, but the band's true mainstream breakthrough came with 1998's "Follow the Leader."

"Follow the Leader" debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and produced "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash." Welch shares writing credit on "Freak on a Leash" with the other original members of Korn, giving him an ongoing publishing interest in one of the band's defining songs.

Korn followed with another #1 album, "Issues," in 1999. Welch remained with the band through "Untouchables," "Take a Look in the Mirror," and the 2004 compilation "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1."

By Korn's commercial peak, Welch's personal life had deteriorated. He struggled with methamphetamine addiction and became increasingly unhappy with the touring lifestyle. Concern over his health and the effect of his behavior on his daughter became major factors in his decision to change his life.

Welch became a born-again Christian, stopped using drugs, and left Korn in 2005. His departure came at an especially significant financial moment. Korn subsequently entered a broad partnership with EMI that paid the band's four remaining members millions of dollars upfront in exchange for a share of publishing, touring, merchandise, and other income.

Although Welch had earned substantial money during Korn's peak years, he later acknowledged that poor financial decisions, business problems, generosity, and mismanagement greatly reduced his fortune after leaving the band. Those setbacks help explain why his wealth has historically been lower than that of some other original Korn members despite his substantial catalog royalties.

Welch chronicled his transformation in the 2007 memoir "Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story." In 2008, he released a solo album also titled "Save Me from Myself."

He subsequently formed the band Love and Death. The group released the album "Between Here & Lost" in 2013 and "Perfectly Preserved" in 2021.

Welch later wrote another memoir, "With My Eyes Wide Open: Miracles and Mistakes on My Way Back to Korn." His relationship with his daughter and his struggles with addiction, religion, family, and fame were also explored in the documentary "Loud Krazy Love."

Welch reunited with Korn onstage in 2012 and officially returned to the group the following year. His return restored the guitar partnership between Head and Munky that had been so important to Korn's original sound.

His first album after returning was 2013's "The Paradigm Shift." He remained for "The Serenity of Suffering," "The Nothing," and "Requiem," while resuming Korn's extensive international touring schedule.

Welch's return dramatically changed his long-term financial picture. In addition to continuing to receive royalties from Korn's classic catalog, he once again began participating in the band's current recording and touring income.

Welch has a daughter, Jennea, and has frequently described fatherhood as one of the central motivations behind his decision to leave drugs and change his lifestyle. His relationship with Jennea became a major subject of both his books and "Loud Krazy Love."