Humble Beginnings: An Early Love of Music
Ed Sheeran was born in Halifax, England in 1991. His interest in music started early - his father recalls little Ed asking for a guitar when he was just three years old. Though his parents couldn't afford lessons, Ed taught himself to play by listening to records from his father's collection. He also sang in the local church choir from age four.
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| Ed Sheeran |
As a shy, red-haired boy with a stutter, Ed often felt like an outsider growing up. But with a guitar in hand, he could express himself fully. He began writing his own songs at age eleven, filling notebooks with lyrics about his struggles to fit in. According to Ed, the other kids would "rip the mickey out of his ginger hair" but music was his refuge. Through passionate, relentless practice, Ed gained skill and confidence. By his mid-teens, he was performing his original songs at local pubs and for his classmates, who once made fun of him.
The Climb to Stardom: Persistence and Hard Work
After dropping out of school at 16 to pursue his passion, Ed played over 300 gigs in 2009, including five hours a day at London's Finsbury Park. He performed originals and covers for small crowds – his ambition far exceeding his fanbase. Though discouraged, Ed persevered: “I wasn’t going to go to uni, so it was either get a McJob or try and make music work.”
He pressed homemade EPs on audiences and slept rough, believing in his talent. His breakthrough came when an Asylum Records scout, drawn by his flamboyant covers, met him after a show. Recognizing Ed’s potential, Jamie Oborne signed on as manager – a pivotal moment as Oborne’s marketing genius paired with Sheeran’s songcraft. Still, fame took years more hustling. Ed played bills with more popular acts and continued busking, winning over fans individually, however modest the venues.
In 2010, Ed released his “Loose Change” EP and landed several high-profile collaborations through relentless self-promotion. “I worked and worked constantly – that’s how I made it happen,” he reflects. Success still required playing over 300 shows that year alone. Ed Sheeran earned renown through sheer graft and patiently nurtured talent.
Finding His Voice: Songwriting Successes
Ed’s creative voice emerged through songwriting – his true passion. He credits relentless practice, stating “I wrote a song every day for three years.” His effort paid off when in 2011, Ed co-wrote the smash “Moments” for boyband One Direction. The song went platinum in the US and UK, earning Ed serious industry attention.
Still, he vowed only to release his personal, quirky songs however they’d chart. The risk paid off hugely with Ed’s first major label album “+” in 2011, which spawned all-time-greats “The A-Team”, “Lego House”, and “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.” His tight melodies and candid lyrics about substance abuse and shattered dreams, drawn from observations and own travails coming up, struck a chord. As Ed reflects: “Songwriting is one of those things that I think you can only get better at. I don’t think I’ve written my best song yet.”
Ed found fame giving his truest self through songcraft honed over years of dedication. Even after hitting it big however, he continues striving to improve his musical voice.
Giving Back: Charity and Advocacy Efforts
Despite his fame, Ed remains grounded and generously gives back. He founded The Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation in his hometown to provide grants and instruments to kids lacking resources. Having used music as an escape, Ed wants all children to access that outlet. As he says: “If I wouldn’t have found music, I don’t know where I would be.”
Ed also supports East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice after friends were treated there. In 2015, his charity ball raised £300,000 through a spectacular show and auction. According to the charity’s CEO, “Ed’s continued support builds confidence that we can be there for local children.”
Amongst other causes, Ed advocates for the homeless. He played a Shelter charity gig and donated winter clothes to York’s homeless during his 2017 tour. Having once slept rough himself, he connects with displaced youth especially: “They just fell down the wrong path - they deserve warmth and safety too.”
Through is organization and personal efforts, Ed uplifts vulnerable young people - ensuring others can turn to music as he did growing up. His generosity springs from remembering his own past hardships.
Still Just "Ed": Staying Grounded Through Fame
Despite his wild success, Ed remains the same humble, genuine guy enchanted by music. He still lives close to home in rural Suffolk, England with his high school sweetheart, far from a celebrity lifestyle. Ed reflects “I’ve always gotten on with everyone, I’m not a hierarchy guy.”
Fame hasn’t warped Ed’s values formed young, busking at small venues. He dressed casually even meeting royalty, prioritizing creativity over his image. As Ed says “My heroes were people like Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton. People who wrote music and performed it.”
Ed inserts quirky jokes in shows, ordering the crowd pizzas or leading a conga line. He vows to keep his ticket prices low for working-class fans. Fame led him across the globe collaborating with heroes, but home life remains simple pleasures - family gatherings or playing with his cats.
Despite his over 100 million records sold, Ed remains that red-haired underdog sharing raw songs. With trademark modesty he says: "I never expected to achieve anything like this, I am just the wrong color and shape.”