Ryan Benjamin Tedder was born on June 26, 1979 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He is a self-taught musician, learning to play the piano at age three and spending a minimum of two hours a day on vocals. His family relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado his senior year where he attended Colorado Springs Christian School where he played soccer and met future band mate Zach Filkins. Tedder went on to attend Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma where he earned a degree in Public Relations and Advertising in 2001. It is while he attended the University that Tedder began showcasing his musical work. Upon graduation, Tedder landed an internship at DreamWorks SKG in Nashville, Tennessee where he began his goal of breaking into the music industry. He competed in a musical singer-songwriting competition sponsored by Lance Bass. Tedder has stated that the competition did not end up being "just a bunch of hype that didn't turn into anything," but it did get the attention of producer Tim Mosley which would ultimately end up giving him his big break into the industry. He is now front man of pop rock band OneRepublic, providing leading vocals and keyboard. The group has three successful albums written or co-written by Tedder. He is also writes and produces for other successful performers, most notably with Adele , Taylor Swift , Kelly Clarkson , and Beyoncé Knowles. Tedder resides in Colorado with his wife, Genevieve, and their two sons, Copeland and Miles.
