He had no intention of succeeding. He was a grungy redheaded boy with a guitar who stayed on friends’ sofas, performed small gigs for very little money, and busked on London’s streets. He had no record label or business connections—only a never-ending ambition and the confidence that his music might improve his life. And it did.
Born in Halifax, England, in 1991, he grew up in a tiny village and began creating music before he was a teenager. Inspired by Damien Rice, he began playing at open mic evenings and producing his own EPs. He walked out of school at 16 and traveled to London to pursue a career in music. However, achieving success was not an effortless feat. He performed almost 300 gigs in a year, often sleeping outside or on strangers’ floors since he had nowhere else to go.
Then everything changed in 2010.
He posted a genuine, sincere song online, and it drew the attention of an unlikely fan: Jamie Foxx. The Hollywood legend welcomed him to Los Angeles, gave him a place to stay, and allowed him to record in his studio. Soon, a self-released EP named No. 5 Collaborations Project gained popularity. One of the tracks hit number two on iTunes without a record deal. The industry couldn’t help but notice.
His debut album, Plus, was released in 2011, and the world became obsessed with his soul-stirring voice and passionate lyrics. Songs like “The A Team” and “Lego House” propelled him to popularity. But it was only the beginning.
By 2014, he was selling out stadiums, working with Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Eminem, and dropping hit after hit. His album x (Multiply) catapulted him to global stardom, with “Thinking Out Loud” becoming the wedding song of a generation.
In 2017, ÷ (Divide) released “Shape of You,” which became one of the most successful singles in history. It topped the charts in 34 countries, was the most-streamed song on Spotify for years, and solidified his status as one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
The youngster who used to play for pennies on the streets of London is now a Grammy-winning, stadium-filling, chart-topping phenomenon. His name is Ed Sheeran.