Ben Folds (Benjamin Scott Folds) was born on September 12, 1966, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is an American singer-songwriter and the former frontman of the musical group Ben Folds Five.

He is widely acclaimed for his prowess as a pianist, composer, songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist. Because of his father's work as a builder and carpenter, Folds moved frequently throughout his childhood. As a result, making friends was difficult. Consequently, Folds became attached to a piano his father brought home when he was 9, the result of a barter trade his father made with a customer who was unable to pay for his work.

During this time, Folds listened to songs by Elton John and Billy Joel on AM radio, and learned them by ear. Folds eventually got a music-publishing deal and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue it in 1990. He formed a new band, Jody's Power Bill, and he again attracted interest from major labels. He ended up playing drums there as a session musician.

"In Nashville, I was running eight miles a day, hanging out with my friends, walking around eating chocolate-chip cookies and playing a lot of drums, which I enjoyed. Life was easy. I was never frustrated -- even though I wasn't fulfilling my contract obligations. If you are failing in Nashville, at least your standard of living is nice. Nashville is a nice way to fail."