Ed Sheeran Biography

Ed Sheeran was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK, and started showing interest in music from quite a young age. His father John was an art curator and a lecturer while his mother Imogen was a cultural publicist who later became a jewelry designer.

From an early age, Ed started playing the guitar as well as singing in the local church. His father also used to take him to various musical concerts which inspired him to a great extent.

According to him, Van Morrison's studio album ‘Irish Heartbeat’ inspired him the most, and made him decide to choose a career in music. Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan were some of the people who inspired him in his early years.

He studied at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham. Later, he also studied music with the help of ‘Access to Music’, a UK-based independent training provider. He joined the National Youth Theatre when he was a teenager.

From his teenage days, he had started recording CDs and selling them. At the age of fourteen, he released ‘The Orange Room’ and also ‘Spinning Man’, both regarded as important works of his early years.

Ed Sheeran released two albums: one named after himself in 2006, and another one named ‘Want Some?’ in 2007. In 2008, he moved to London. He usually played at small venues, and later he also entered into collaboration with Leddra Chapman, an English songwriter, and musician. He also spent some time at the reputed Academy of Contemporary Music, in Guildford, Surrey, England.

He went to Los Angeles in April 2010, for a poetry night. After his performance, Jamie Foxx, the famous American actor, and comedian, who was quite impressed by him, allowed him to use his recording studio. Slowly Sheeran’s fanbase started growing both online and offline. Later he self-released two Extended Plays: ‘Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford’ and ‘Songs I wrote with Amy.’

He released another Extended Play ‘No. 5 Collaborations Project’ in January 2011. It also starred rappers such as James Davlin and Richard Cowie. It received mixed reviews from critics but was popular with the listeners.

In April 2011, he made an appearance in the TV music show ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ to perform his debut single, ‘The A Team’ which was released later as a digital download. It became a huge hit, selling over 58,000 copies in the first week itself. It also became one of the top ten songs in several countries such as Australia, Japan, Norway, and New Zealand.

His second single ‘You need me, I don’t need You’, which was released in August 2011, also became quite popular. His third single ‘Lego Single’ did well too, reaching the top five in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. It also entered the top 50 in several other countries.

It was after the release of his album ‘+’ (plus) on September 12, 2011, that he rose to international fame. It stood at number one in several countries. Within six months, it sold 1,021,072 copies in the UK alone. It also reached the top five in several countries. His amazing performance impressed Taylor Swift, and she later worked with him on the single ‘Everything Has Changed.’

He released his second album ‘x’ (multiply) on June 23, 2014. It featured tracks produced by the well-known American record producer Rick Rubin and professional rapper Benny Blanco. It peaked at number one not only on the UK Albums Chart but on the US Billboard 200 as well.

In December 2016, he announced that he was returning with his third album ‘÷’ (divide), which would be released on March 3, 2017. He came out with his second collaborative album, ‘No.6 Collaborations Project,’ in 2019. The album featured artists like Cardi B, 50 Cent, Meek Mill, Chris Stapleton, and Bruno Mars, among many others.

In 2021, Ed Sheeran released = ("Equals"), his fourth studio album. While the album was met with a mixed critical response, its singles “Bad Habits,” and “Shivers,” peaked at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. A duet remix version of the album’s single, ‘The Joker and the Queen,’ featuring Taylor Swift, was released in February 2022 and it managed to reach number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. In April 2022, the remix of “2step” came out. The song featured Lil Baby and climbed to number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.

The Extended Play by Ed Sheeran, ‘No. 5 Collaborations Project’, can be regarded as one of his important works. He wanted the record to be free from ‘songs about girls’ and thus featured tracks on topics such as a car crash, saying goodbye to someone, etc.

Sheeran’s debut studio album ‘+’, which was released in September 2011, is one of the most significant works of his career so far. It also marked his commercial breakthrough as all his previous Extended Plays were released independently. The album is strongly influenced by the hip-hop duo Nizlopi as well as musician Damien Rice.

The album ‘+’ was also reviewed positively by critics and it topped the UK Albums Chart. It sold over 102,000 copies in the first week alone. In the UK, it became the eighth bestselling album of the decade. It also became popular in other countries and led to the growth of Sheeran’s popularity worldwide.

His second album ‘x’ (multiply) is another one of his most popular works. It was released worldwide on June 23, 2014, through Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. Like his previous album, it also became an international hit, topping both the UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200, as well as standing at the first position in many countries. By 2016, the album sold more than 8.6 million copies all over the world, becoming one of the best-selling albums ever.

Ed Sheeran has received numerous awards for his performances. They include the ‘British Artist of the Year’ award in 2014, at the BBC’s annual pop music awards, and the ‘American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist’ in 2015.

After their break up in 2014, he started dating Athina Andrelos. The broke up in February 2015, and later, he began dating his high school friend Cherry Seaborn.

In January 2018, Ed Sheeran got engaged to Cherry Seaborn. They walked down the aisle in 2019. In August 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter. The couple welcomed their second daughter, Jupiter, in 2022.

He has purchased a farm in Suffolk, England, which he has also renovated. As stated by him, he plans to raise his family there.

Ed Sheeran once built his own recording studio in his garden so he could work on music whenever he wanted.

He appeared as himself in an episode of "Game of Thrones" in a cameo role.

Ed Sheeran has a cat named Dorito, who often accompanies him on tour.