Ben Folds
A sharp-witted pianist and songwriter who turned geeky angst and suburban stories into anthems for the emotionally perceptive.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American musician·Birthday: September 12·Generation X
Biography
Ben Folds brought a raucous, literary energy to the 1990s alternative scene, not with a guitar, but with a battered piano he often played like a percussion instrument. Leading the trio Ben Folds Five, he crafted a sound that was both sophisticated and raw, merging jazz chords and pop melodies with the force of punk. His lyrics, often autobiographical and laced with dark humor, chronicled breakups, artistic frustration, and the oddities of everyday life with a novelist's eye. After the band's initial run, he launched a varied solo career, collaborating with artists from William Shatner to classical ensembles, and becoming a vocal advocate for music education. Folds has also served as a judge on television talent shows and an occasional conductor for symphony orchestras, all while maintaining his reputation as a fiercely independent and unpredictably brilliant performer.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ben was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Released the critically acclaimed album 'Whatever and Ever Amen' with Ben Folds Five, featuring the hit song 'Brick'.
- Composed a piano concerto and has performed as a soloist with major symphonies across the United States.
- Served as the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.
- Founded the 'Ben Folds Photo Album' project, creating a live album from fan-submitted photos at each tour stop.
Did You Know?
He was a drummer before he was a pianist, and played percussion in his high school marching band.
He produced and arranged the 2015 album 'Shatner's World: We Just Like the Songs' for William Shatner.
An asteroid, 8749 Beatles, was officially renamed 8749 Folds in his honor.
He is an avid photographer and has published books of his photographic work.
“Life is funny, life is a mess, sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're not.”
