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Ben Folds Net Worth - Pulptastic

What is Ben Folds’ Net Worth?

Ben Folds, the singer-songwriter, musician, and producer, has a net worth of $5 million. He is most famous for being the frontman of the alternative rock group, Ben Folds Five. Folds has also released many albums as a solo artist and has worked with other musicians such as Regina Spektor and “Weird Al” Yankovic. In addition to his music career, Folds served as a judge on the singing competition show, “The Sing-Off.”

Early Life and Education

Ben Folds was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 12, 1966. At age nine, he began playing popular songs by ear on the piano. He attended Richard J. Reynolds High School and played in several bands. Folds received a full percussion scholarship to the University of Miami but dropped out. He later attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Career Beginnings

Folds formed the alternative rock band Majosha in the late 80s with friends Millard Powers and Evan Olson. After the band broke up, he played drums in the band Pots and Pans. Folds then secured a music publishing deal and moved to Nashville, where he briefly played in the band Power Bill. He later acted in theater troupes in New York City after moving to Montclair, New Jersey.

Ben Folds’ Music Career

Ben Folds formed the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five in 1993 with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee. They released their self-titled debut album in 1995, followed by “Whatever and Ever Amen” in 1997, which included the hit singles “Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Brick.” Their third studio album, “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner,” came out in 1999 and featured the hit song “Army.” The band disbanded in 2000.

In 2008, Ben Folds Five reunited for a one-off concert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where they played their third album in its entirety. They reunited again in 2012 to release their fourth studio album, “The Sound of the Life of the Mind,” which debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 and became Ben Folds’ first top-ten album on the chart.

Ben Folds’ Solo Career

Ben Folds released his debut solo album, “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” on September 11, 2001. It peaked at number 28 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, and at number 42 on the Billboard 200. Folds followed this with three solo EPs: “Speed Graphic,” “Sunny 16,” and “Super D.” His second solo album, “Songs for Silverman,” came out in 2005 and became his highest-charting album to date, reaching number 13 on the Billboard 200.

In 2006, Folds released “Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP,” which compiled songs from his earlier EPs. He had his most commercially successful solo album yet in 2008, when “Way to Normal” debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200. Two years later, he collaborated with English novelist Nick Hornby on the album “Lonely Avenue,” which spawned the single “From Above.” In June of 2020, Folds released the COVID pandemic-themed single “2020.”

Collaborations of Ben Folds with Other Artists

Ben Folds played piano on “Why Does This Always Happen to Me?” by “Weird Al” Yankovic and “Black Glasses” by Angela Aki. He produced, arranged, and backed up William Shatner’s album “Has Been” and Amanda Palmer’s solo album “Who Killed Amanda Palmer.” Folds collaborated with the yMusic Ensemble on the 2015 album “So There” after premiering a commissioned piano concerto with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He has also collaborated with various musicians on tours worldwide.

Ben Folds’ Career Contributions to Soundtracks

Over the course of his career, Ben Folds has contributed both previously recorded tracks and original songs to the soundtracks of various movies and television shows. For the animated film “Hoodwinked!” in 2005, Folds provided his song “Red is Blue.” The following year, he contributed three original songs to the animated film “Over the Hedge,” titled “Heist,” “Family of Me,” and “Still.” And in 2017, Folds wrote the soundtrack for the Netflix film “Handsome.”

Ben Folds’ Media and Arts Career

In 2009, Folds became a judge on “The Sing-Off” and returned for its subsequent three seasons. He also appeared in an episode of “Community” and as himself in “You’re the Worst.”

Since 2017, Folds has been the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at Washington’s Kennedy Center. In 2019, he published his memoir “A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons.”

Ben Folds’ Marriages and Divorces

Ben Folds has been married and divorced multiple times. His first marriage was to songwriter Anna Goodman, with whom he was with from 1987 to 1992.

Next, he was married to Kate Rosen until 1996. Folds subsequently wed Frally Hynes in 1999, and lived with her in her native Australia. Together, they had twins named Louis and Gracie. The couple divorced in 2006.

The next year, Folds married Fleur Stanbrook, whom he later divorced in 2011. In 2016, Folds started dating former Royal Ballet dancer Emma Sandall; they married in 2020.