Career Timeline of Ben Folds: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Ben Folds made an impact.
Ben Folds is an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for his work as the frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. The band was active from 1993 to 2000, and reunited from 2011 to 2013. Beyond his work with the band, Folds has a prolific solo career, releasing multiple albums and collaborating with diverse artists like Regina Spektor and William Shatner. Folds has also engaged in experimental songwriting projects with authors such as Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman. He served as the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center from 2019 to 2025.
1988: Formed Majosha and Won Battle of the Bands
In 1988, Ben Folds formed the band Majosha and they won Duke University's Battle of the Bands. They also released an EP called "Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus".
1989: Recorded Shut Up and Listen to Majosha
In 1989, Majosha recorded the album "Shut Up and Listen to Majosha", which contained remixed songs from their earlier EP and new songs.
1990: Moved to Nashville
In 1990, Ben Folds moved to Nashville, Tennessee, after getting a music publishing deal.
1993: Theater Troupes and Sin-é Gigs
Around 1993, Ben Folds moved to Montclair, New Jersey, acted in theater troupes in New York City, and played weekly gigs at Sin-é.
1993: Ben Folds Five formed
In 1993, Ben Folds became the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock trio Ben Folds Five.
1994: Formed Ben Folds Five
In 1994, Ben Folds formed Ben Folds Five in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
2000: Ben Folds Five Break Up
In 2000, Ben Folds Five initially broke up.
2002: Lease of RCA Studio A
In 2002, Ben Folds leased RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee.
October 2006: Planned Next Studio Album
In October 2006, Ben Folds announced plans to work on his next studio album.
October 24, 2006: Released Supersunnyspeedgraphic and Webcast Concert
On October 24, 2006, Ben Folds released "Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP" and became the first person to webcast a live-by-request concert over MySpace.
April 11, 2008: Announced New Album at Richmond Concert
During a concert in Richmond, Virginia on April 11, 2008, Ben Folds announced that he had completed his newest album and played four tracks from it.
September 18, 2008: Ben Folds Five Reunion Concert
On September 18, 2008, Ben Folds Five reunited to perform their first concert in nearly 10 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall.
September 30, 2008: Way to Normal Released in the US
On September 30, 2008, "Way to Normal" was released in the United States, becoming Ben Folds' highest-charting album in the US.
2008: Produced Amanda Palmer's Debut Album
In 2008, Ben Folds produced Amanda Palmer's debut solo album, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer".
2009: Judge on The Sing-Off
From 2009 to 2013, Ben Folds was a judge on the NBC a cappella singing contest, "The Sing-Off".
2011: Ben Folds Five Reunited
In 2011, Ben Folds Five reunited and released the album "The Sound of the Life of the Mind".
2013: Ben Folds Five Second Break Up
In 2013, Ben Folds Five broke up a second time.
2013: Left The Sing-Off
In 2013, Ben Folds stopped being a judge on the NBC a cappella singing contest, "The Sing-Off".
March 2014: Premiered Piano Concerto
In March 2014, Ben Folds premiered a commissioned piano concerto he composed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
2014: Preservation of RCA Studio A
In 2014, Ben Folds was pivotal to the preservation of the historic RCA Studio A during its developer controversy.
April 2017: Guest Appearance on Billions
In April 2017, Ben Folds guest-starred on the Showtime series Billions, performing his song "Landed".
May 11, 2017: Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra
On May 11, 2017, Ben Folds was appointed as the first Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
May 2017: Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra
In May 2017, Ben Folds became the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
May 2017: Soundtrack for Handsome
In May 2017, Ben Folds wrote the soundtrack for the Netflix original film, Handsome.
September 2018: Commissioned Single: Mister Peepers
In September 2018, The Washington Post commissioned Ben Folds to write and record "Mister Peepers", a song about Rod Rosenstein's conflict with Republicans.
June 2019: Launch of ArtsVote 2020 Podcast
In June 2019, Ben Folds launched a podcast titled ArtsVote 2020 with Ben Folds to interview 2020 United States presidential election candidates about their backgrounds in arts and arts education.
July 2019: Published Memoir
In July 2019, Ben Folds published his first book, a memoir titled "A Dream About Lightning Bugs".
July 2019: Publication of "A Dream About Lightning Bugs"
In July 2019, Ben Folds published his first book, a memoir, titled A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons.
2019: Artistic Advisor at the Kennedy Center
In 2019, Ben Folds became the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
June 2020: Release of "2020"
In June 2020, Ben Folds released the song "2020", which reflects on the difficulties of living during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: ArtsVote 2020 Podcast Goal
In 2020, the stated goal of Ben Folds' ArtsVote 2020 Podcast was to have conversations with candidates for the United States presidential election about their personal background in the arts and arts education.
April 2021: Launch of Lightning Bugs Podcast
In April 2021, Ben Folds launched a podcast titled Lightning Bugs, where he discusses creativity with guests and writes a song with them.
March 2022: Podcast Hiatus Announcement
In March 2022, Ben Folds announced that his podcast, Lightning Bugs, would be placed on indefinite hiatus as he focused on creating a new album.
May 2022: Guest Appearance on The Wilds
In May 2022, Ben Folds made a guest appearance in three episodes of the second season of The Wilds on Amazon Prime Video, featuring a new version of "Brick" and his rendition of "The Ghost in You".
2022: Collaboration with Mo Willems
In 2022, Ben Folds collaborated with Mo Willems and the National Symphony Orchestra, contributing original music to a stage adaptation of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.
February 15, 2023: Album Announcement: What Matters Most
On February 15, 2023, Ben Folds announced the release of his next album, What Matters Most, set for June 2, 2023, and released the first single, "Winslow Gardens".
June 2, 2023: Release of What Matters Most
Ben Folds' album "What Matters Most" was released on June 2, 2023. It was accompanied by a tour of the United States and Europe, and he has indicated that it will likely be his final rock album.
September 25, 2024: Release of Christmas Album Songs
On September 25, 2024, Ben Folds released two songs from his upcoming Christmas album: "The Christmas Song" and "We Could Have This" featuring Lindsey Kraft.
October 25, 2024: Release of Sleigher Christmas Album
On October 25, 2024, Ben Folds fully released his Christmas album, titled Sleigher.
February 12, 2025: Resignation from National Symphony Orchestra
On February 12, 2025, Ben Folds announced his resignation as artistic director to the National Symphony Orchestra after President Donald Trump announced he would fire the current Kennedy Center board of trustees and appoint himself as chairman.
2025: End of Kennedy Center Tenure
In 2025, Ben Folds' tenure as the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. will end.
