Ed Sheeran is now one of the world's best-selling music artists. But contrary to popular belief, his journey to success was anything but easy.
I’d be genuinely surprised if you tell me you have never grooved to Ed Sheeran’s songs - at least "Shape of You"! The English singer-songwriter is a worldwide phenomenon that's impossible to ignore. And his music, as Michael Cragg aptly put it, "unites people all across the globe". Whether it's his mellifluous voice that feels like honey to the ears, meaningful lyrics that hit the right chords in our hearts, or his unmatched charisma that makes the world go gaga over him - Sheeran's legacy truly comes second to none.
Having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, Ed Sheeran is one of the world's best-selling music artists today. However, before fame and success found him, he had to deal with a long and challenging period of struggle. And that's what shaped his artistry.
Today, on Sheeran's 34th birthday, let's learn an interesting fact about him that many are unaware of.
Before making it big as a musician, Sheeran was homeless for two-and-a-half years, when he used to sleep rough outside London’s Buckingham Palace.
As he shared in his book, 'A Visual Journey', "There was an arch outside Buckingham Palace that had a heating duct and I spent a couple of nights there... I didn't have anywhere to live for much of 2008 and the whole of 2009 and 2010, but somehow I made it work."
"I knew who I could call at any time to get a floor to sleep on. Being sociable helped. Drinking helped. I spent a week catching up on sleep on Circle Line trains. I would go out and play a gig, wait until 5 am when the Underground opened, sleep on the Circle Line until 12, go to a session - and then repeat. It wasn't that bad."
In several of his interviews, Ed Sheeran has mentioned how the experience of being homeless shaped his artistry. He explained to MTV during his documentary, 'Nine Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran', "2009 I'd been doing it [playing gigs in London] for about four years. I lost my place to live and just started staying at friends' that I met along the way and it was a very fun time. I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of people that [and] had a lot of experiences that an 18-year-old probably shouldn't have, and when I didn't have a place I would stand onstage and be like, ‘If anyone has got a couch tonight,' and it would usually work."
(Credit: Ed Sheeran)
Not many know that his song "Homeless" is actually based on that phase of his life. In his words, "... That's where I wrote the song "Homeless" and the lines, "It's not a homeless night for me, I am just homeless than I would like to be."
Well, Ed Sheeran's story is an inspiration for anyone facing struggle today. Whatever you're currently dealing with, do not give up on your dreams. Remember that in 2012, Sheeran visited Buckingham Palace, but this time for a live show at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert.
