Ryan Tedder
He's the stealth hitmaker behind pop's biggest names, crafting chart-toppers for Beyoncé and Adele while fronting his own band, OneRepublic.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American singer, songwriter, and producer·Birthday: June 26·Generation X
Biography
Ryan Tedder grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a preacher father and a musical ear that absorbed everything from gospel to The Beatles. His big break wasn't on stage but in a writing room, after a demo landed him a publishing deal. While OneRepublic's 2007 debut "Apologize" became a global smash, Tedder quietly built a parallel empire as a songwriter-for-hire. His genius lies in a chameleon-like ability to channel an artist's voice, whether penning the soaring anthem "Halo" for Beyoncé or the piano-driven heartbreak of "Rumour Has It" for Adele. He operates out of his own studio, a kind of pop music laboratory where he blends organic instrumentation with electronic textures, creating a signature sound that is both emotionally resonant and meticulously crafted for radio dominance.
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.
Ryan was born in 1979, 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 Ryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Ryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
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
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Grammy Award for his songwriting work on "Halo," performed by Beyoncé.
- Co-wrote and produced the global number-one single "Rumour Has It" for Adele's album '21'.
- Fronted his band OneRepublic to a worldwide hit with "Counting Stars," which spent 68 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Founded the music publishing and production company Patriot Games to develop new songwriting talent.
Did You Know?
He was a contestant on the television show 'Star Search' as a teenager.
He wrote Leona Lewis's hit "Bleeding Love" in under an hour.
He is a distant relative of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
He is ambidextrous and often plays multiple instruments on his recordings.
““I treat every song like it's my last, and I treat every artist like they're the only artist.””
