Ben Folds

Ben Folds
Ben Folds in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Scott Folds
Born	(1966-09-12) September 12, 1966 (age 50)
Origin	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Genres	Rock, power pop, jazz fusion, classical, cabaret
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader
Instruments	Vocals Piano Keyboards Guitar Drums Bass Guitar
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Attacked By Plastic, Epic
Associated acts	Ben Folds Five, Pugwash, The Bens, Fear of Pop, Majosha, Snuzz, Pomplamoose, Julia Nunes, Charlie McDonnell, Regina Spektor, Amanda Palmer, Angela Aki, Kate Miller-Heidke, William Shatner, Sara Bareilles, 8in8, John McCrea
Website	benfolds.com

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. From 1995 to 2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. After the group temporarily disbanded, Folds performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world. The group reunited in 2011. He has also collaborated with musicians such as William Shatner, Regina Spektor and "Weird Al" Yankovic and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with authors such as Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman. In addition to contributing music to the soundtracks of the animated films Over the Hedge, and Hoodwinked!, Folds produced Amanda Palmer's first solo album and was a judge on the NBC a cappella singing contest The Sing-Off from 2009 to 2013.

Folds was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He became interested in piano at age nine. His father, a carpenter, brought one home through a barter trade with a customer who was unable to pay. During this time, Folds listened to songs by Elton John and Billy Joel on AM radio, and learned them by ear. During his years at Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, Folds played in several bands as the pianist, bassist, or drummer.

In the late 1980s, Folds (as a bassist) and longtime friend Millard Powers formed the band Majosha. The group released several locally produced records. They played their first gig at Duke University's Battle of the Bands in 1988, and won. They played at bars and fraternity parties, and self-produced an EP called Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus (1988), which they sold locally. The EP has four songs, none of which are about Jesus. They recorded Shut Up and Listen to Majosha in 1989. It contains, among other tracks, the four songs from Party Night (remixed and/or re-recorded) and "Emaline" and "Video", which Folds would later record with Ben Folds Five. The song "Get That Bug" from Party Night was released as a dance mix in Japan.