He wasn’t supposed to make it. A scruffy redheaded kid with a guitar, sleeping on friends’ couches, playing tiny gigs for barely any money, and busking on the streets of London. He had no record label, no industry connections—just a relentless drive and a belief that his music could change his life. And it did.

Born in Halifax, England, in 1991, he grew up in a small town, writing songs before he was even a teenager. Inspired by Damien Rice, he started performing at open mic nights and recording homemade EPs. At 16, he dropped out of school and moved to London, determined to break into the music scene. But success didn’t come easy. He played over 300 shows in a year, sometimes sleeping outside or on strangers’ floors because he had nowhere else to go.

He uploaded a raw, heartfelt song online, and it caught the attention of an unexpected fan—Jamie Foxx. The Hollywood star invited him to Los Angeles, gave him a place to stay, and let him record in his studio. Soon, a self-released EP called No. 5 Collaborations Project started making waves. One of the songs reached #2 on iTunes—without a record deal. The industry had no choice but to notice.

His debut album, + (Plus), dropped in 2011, and suddenly, the world couldn’t get enough of his soul-stirring voice and heartfelt lyrics. Songs like “The A Team” and “Lego House” launched him into stardom. But that was just the beginning.

By 2014, he was selling out stadiums, collaborating with Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Eminem, and releasing hit after hit. His album x (Multiply) made him a global superstar, with “Thinking Out Loud” becoming the wedding song of a generation.

Then came ÷ (Divide) in 2017—and with it, “Shape of You”, one of the biggest songs in history. It topped charts in 34 countries, became the most-streamed song on Spotify for years, and cemented him as one of the best-selling artists of all time.

The kid who once played for pennies on the streets of London became a Grammy-winning, stadium-filling, chart-dominating icon. His name? Ed Sheeran.