Ed Sheeran's 36th Birthday Countdown

Ed Sheeran's songs

Ed Sheeran Timeline

About Ed Sheeran

Armed with an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal, Sheeran went from busking to stadium tours, 'Shape of You' spent years as Spotify's most-streamed song, and his ÷ tour became one of the highest-grossing in history.

Six weeks on Jamie Foxx's couch

In 2009 Sheeran moved to London and played more than 300 gigs in a single year, crashing on sofas between shows. In 2010 he flew to Los Angeles with little more than a guitar, talked his way onto Jamie Foxx's radio show The Foxxhole, and earned a standing ovation within seconds at Foxx's live-music night. Foxx let the unknown teenager sleep on his couch for six weeks and record in his home studio -- and within two years 'The A Team' was a worldwide hit.

One man, one loop pedal, $776 million

The Divide tour ran from 2017 to 2019: 255 shows, 8.9 million tickets, and a $776.2 million gross that broke U2's all-time touring record -- often with nothing on stage but Sheeran, a guitar and his loop pedal. 'Shape of You' matched that scale on its own, spending 12 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the first song ever to reach 3 billion streams on Spotify.

Suffolk gets the encore

Sheeran's giving starts at home. His Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation makes small grants so young musicians under 18 in his home county can study and play music, and he has been an ambassador for East Anglia's Children's Hospices since 2014. One recent gesture: he emptied his wardrobe and donated nearly 450 items -- boxer shorts included -- raising close to 30,000 pounds, on top of a 2016 gala he performed at that brought in over 262,000 pounds.

Quick facts

• Born February 17, 1991, in Halifax, England; raised in Framlingham, Suffolk
• Played more than 300 gigs in 2009 alone while couch-surfing in London
• Slept on Jamie Foxx's couch for six weeks while chasing a break in LA
• 'Shape of You' was the first song to reach 3 billion streams on Spotify
• His Divide tour grossed $776 million over 255 shows -- an all-time record at the time
• Founded the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation for young musicians in his home county

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