Ed Roland
As the driving force behind Collective Soul, his anthemic songwriting defined a strand of 1990s rock that was both melodic and muscular.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American singer·Birthday: August 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ed Roland’s path to rock frontman status was unconventional, beginning behind a recording console as an engineer and staff songwriter. Hailing from Stockbridge, Georgia, he funneled years of musical craft into a set of demos recorded in his basement, which unexpectedly ignited the career of Collective Soul. The band’s 1993 debut, 'Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid', exploded via the irresistible guitar riff and soaring chorus of 'Shine', a song that became an inescapable radio staple. Roland, serving as primary songwriter and vocalist, anchored the group with a knack for crafting crisp, hook-laden rock that balanced introspection with arena-ready power. Across decades, he has steered Collective Soul through shifting musical trends with consistent output, while also exploring rootsier sounds with his side project, the Sweet Tea Project.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ed was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ed Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Ed's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
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
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote and performed 'Shine', a #1 rock chart hit that became a defining anthem of mid-1990s alternative rock.
- Led Collective Soul to sell over 20 million records worldwide, with seven albums charting in the Billboard Top 200.
- Co-wrote the song 'Tremble for My Beloved', which was featured on the multi-platinum 'Twilight' film soundtrack.
- Founded the Sweet Tea Project, releasing the album 'Devils 'n Darlins' in 2014.
Did You Know?
He worked as a guitar tech for fellow Georgia band The Black Crowes before Collective Soul's success.
The hit song 'December' was written and recorded in just one day.
He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
His brother, Dean Roland, has been the rhythm guitarist in Collective Soul since its formation.
“We never set out to be the biggest band in the world. We set out to be the best band for our fans.”
