Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up h ...
, alongside bandmate
Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
. Across his career he has recorded nine albums: one solo, and eight with Twenty One Pilots. He has been nominated for six
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s as a member of the duo, of which he has won one.
Early life
Tyler Robert Joseph was born on December 1, 1988, in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
, to Christopher Anthony Joseph and Kelly Joseph (née Stryker). He has two younger brothers and a younger sister. His mother was a math teacher in the
Olentangy school district before being named
Olentangy Orange High School
Olentangy Orange High School is a public high school in Lewis Center, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Olentangy Local School District.
Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships
* Boys Basketball - 2025
* Girls Golf - ...
's basketball coach in 2013.
His father, was born to a father of
Lebanese descent and American mother and was a coach at
Worthington Christian High School
Worthington Christian School is a private Christian school in Worthington, Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The school was founded in 1973, and teaches grades kindergarten through twelve.
The school includes two separate campuses, the Wort ...
from 1996 to 2005,
as well as being a former school principal.
Joseph was
homeschooled
Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...
in his childhood.
His first real exposure to music was the
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
rap rock
Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...
group
DC Talk, and one of Joseph's favorite bands is
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band
The Killers
The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
.
Joseph cites Canadian actor and comedian
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
as another influence, saying that Carrey "helped raise me". Joseph played basketball from a very young age
and went on to play
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game.
A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
for Worthington Christian. In 2008, the varsity basketball team placed second in the Division IV state tournament.
Future Twenty One Pilots bassist Nick Thomas also played on the same team as Joseph, the pair having performed "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
" together at one of their games.
After seeing a songwriter perform at a High Street Club, he rejected an opportunity to play basketball at
Otterbein University
Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio, United States. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder, Philip William Otterbein. It has been as ...
along with a scholarship to the university.
He began playing music after finding an old keyboard in his closet, a Christmas gift from his mother, and began to mimic various radio melodies.
From around 2007 to 2008, Joseph recorded a solo project titled ''No Phun Intended'' in his basement. It was later revealed that Thomas contributed guitar to several songs on the album.
Among Joseph's first performances with Twenty One Pilots, he recounts that his mother would often stand outside
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
giving away tickets to his shows. "She'd be like, 'Come see my son play music, Joseph says.
Career
2007–2009: ''No Phun Intended''
Between 2007 and 2008, before assembling the band Twenty One Pilots, Joseph recorded a variety of songs. On November 30, 2008, Joseph uploaded six of these songs to his
PureVolume
PureVolume (formerly Unborn Media) was a website for uploading and streaming of music files, the first independently run of its type. PureVolume was created by Unborn Media, Inc; Mitchell Pavao; Brett Woitunski; and Nate Hudson, all from the Univer ...
account, titling the release ''No Phun Intended''.
The album was recorded in Joseph's senior year of high school from 2007 to 2008, in his basement. The six tracks were "Taken by Sleep", "Drown", "Tonight", "Save", "Hole in the Ground", and "Blasphemy" in that order. Some of Joseph's earlier music has been reworked into Twenty One Pilots recordings. It was later revealed that aside from Joseph, bassist Nick Thomas contributed guitar to several songs. The song "Save" off the release, was redone and released as a free download for some time on Twenty One Pilots' official website before it was pulled.
The project became unavailable in 2015, and PureVolume itself shut down in 2018.
2009–present: Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots was formed in 2009 in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
and consisted of frontman Joseph, bassist Thomas, and drummer Chris Salih; the latter two left the band in 2011.
On December 29, 2009, they released their debut,
self-titled album and began touring Ohio, followed by their second album, ''
Regional at Best
''Regional at Best'' is the second studio album by the American band Twenty One Pilots, and its first as the core duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Self-released on July 8, 2011, it was the band's final independent record before being signed to ...
'' in 2011, which consisted only of Joseph and newly-recruited drummer
Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
.
Twenty One Pilots' third full-length album, ''
Vessel'', was released on January 8, 2013.
They also embarked on a tour in support of the album, in which they named the "Quiet Is Violent World Tour".

On March 17, 2015, the band announced their fourth album's title, ''
Blurryface
''Blurryface'' is the fourth studio album by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on May 17, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. Lyrically, the album incorporates themes of mental health, insecurity, doubt, and religion. It con ...
'', and unveiled its track listing and release date. The band's fans crashed their website attempting to pre-order the album.
The album was released on May 17, 2015, two days ahead of its intended release date. Joseph and drummer
Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
embarked on two international tours in 2015 and 2016: the Blurryface Tour and
Emotional Roadshow World Tour
Emotional Roadshow World Tour (stylized as EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WØRLD TØUR) is the fifth concert tour by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, in support of their fourth studio album '' Blurryface'' (2015). The tour began on May 31, 20 ...
.
At the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year ...
, the duo won the award for
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards.
According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this categ ...
.
On July 11, 2018, the band announced the release date of their fifth studio album, ''Trench'', which was released on October 5, 2018. A world tour, called
The Bandito Tour
The Bandito Tour (stylized as THE BANDITØ TØUR) is the sixth concert tour by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, in support of their fifth studio album ''Trench'' (2018). The tour began at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee o ...
, began on October 16, 2018, as well. On July 25, 2018, a music video for the song "
Nico and the Niners
"Nico and the Niners" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on July 11, 2018, as the second of the lead singles from their fifth studio album ''Trench'' (2018), alongside "Jumpsuit". The son ...
" was released, as a second addition to a three part music video series, regarding Tyler Joseph's fictional city, "
Dema". A 10-second snippet of the song "
My Blood My Blood may refer to:
* ''My Blood'' (Artillery album), 2011
* ''My Blood'' (Christopher album), 2021
* "My Blood" (song), a 2018 song by Twenty One Pilots
* "My Blood", a song by Ellie Goulding, from the album '' Halcyon''
* "My Blood", a song ...
" was played at the end of a commercial for ''Trench'' during the 2018 VMAs on August 20. On August 27, 2018, a Twitter user leaked the full song onto his Twitter account in low quality, after they found that it could be played on their Apple
HomePod
The HomePod is a series of smart speakers developed by Apple Inc., Apple. Designed to work with the Apple Music subscription service, the HomePod incorporates beamforming and eight speakers and is sold in two colors: white and midnight. It is s ...
. The leak was confirmed real when the band made the song available on streaming services later that day as the album's fourth single. The audio was uploaded onto YouTube on the same day, which shows singer Tyler Joseph in his home studio playing the song's bass line. A music video for the song was released on October 5, 2018, the day of the album's release.

On April 9, 2020, the band released a new single "
Level of Concern
"Level of Concern" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released as a standalone single on April 9, 2020, through Fueled by Ramen, and was later included on the livestream reissue of ''Scaled and Icy'' ...
". The song's lyrics reference the anxiety during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, with the accompanying music video for the track filmed in Joseph and Dun's homes while they were under lockdown due to the
. Joseph directed a portion of the song's proceeds to Crew Nation, a charity for live music crews who cannot be paid during the international quarantine.
On December 8, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas song, titled "
Christmas Saves the Year", during a
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
livestream hosted by Joseph.
Originally, Joseph was reluctant to write a Christmas song, although he said that he was inspired by the fact he was "experiencing Christmas through a little girl's perspective". The sound of the track was inspired by a musical instrument called the
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...
.
The duo's sixth studio album, ''
Scaled and Icy
''Scaled and Icy'' is the sixth studio album by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released on May 21, 2021, through Fueled by Ramen and Elektra. Its title is a play on "scaled back and isolated", a phrase frontman Tyler Joseph associa ...
'', was released on May 21, 2021.
The duo's seventh studio album, ''
Clancy
Clancy is an Irish name coming from the Gaelic ''Mac Fhlannchaidh/Mac Fhlannchadha'', meaning "Son of the red/ruddy warrior" (Mac being for sons, ''Ní Fhlannchaidh/Ní Fhlannchadha'' would be for daughters), or as a hypocorism for Clarence. ...
'', released on May 24, 2024, nine years after the release of their breakthrough album ''Blurryface''.
The lead single for the album, "
Overcompensate", was released on February 29, 2024. On March 18, Joseph announced that each song on the album would have an accompanying music video, with all of them having been released alongside the album.
On May 21, 2025, the duo had announced their eighth studio album, ''
Breach
Breach, Breached, or The Breach may refer to:
Places
* Breach, Kent, United Kingdom
* Breach, West Sussex, United Kingdom
* ''The Breach'', Great South Bay in the State of New York
People
* Breach (DJ), an Electronic/House music act
* Mirosla ...
'', for release in September. Its lead single, "
The Contract", was released on June 12, accompanied by a music video.
Other ventures
In 2010, Joseph was featured on the song "Live" by the hip hop artist and rapper Joseph Michael Langston (better known by his stage name Jocef, or sometimes as Jocef Michael), who is a friend of Joseph's from college, along with two other rappers, Juda and Alon. The song is the opening track to Jocef's debut album, ''In Search of: L.O.V.E.'' The track was co-written by Tyler Joseph and Jocef. Jocef eventually returned the favor a year later by being featured on the song "Be Concerned" off of Twenty One Pilots' 2011 album ''
Regional at Best
''Regional at Best'' is the second studio album by the American band Twenty One Pilots, and its first as the core duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Self-released on July 8, 2011, it was the band's final independent record before being signed to ...
''.
In 2011, Joseph was performed a leading role in Five14 Church's three episode
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
titled "The (moderately inspiring tale of the) Longboard Rodeo Tango". According to the mockumentary, Joseph was an intern at the church at the time.
In 2012, Joseph was featured in an internet-use awareness video titled "What's Your Story?" The video was produced and directed by Mark C. Eshleman, a regular collaborator for Twenty One Pilots, for
Trend Micro
is an American-Japanese cyber security software company. The company has globally dispersed R&D in 16 locations across every continent excluding Antarctica. The company develops enterprise security software for servers, containers, and cloud ...
's annual Where Are You Contest. The room used in the video is the same room in which the original music video for "
House of Gold" was filmed.
On December 24, 2013, Christmas Eve, Joseph participated and sang "
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
"O come, O come, Emmanuel" (Latin: "''Veni, veni, Emmanuel''") is a Christianity, Christian hymn for Advent, which is also often published in books of Christmas carols.Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., ''Hymns of the Kingdom of ...
" at Five14 Church's ''Christmas with the Stars'' in
New Albany, Ohio
New Albany is a City (United States), city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located northeast of the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. Most of the city is located in Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin County and a small portion extends i ...
. The official video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube on February 14, 2014. He also performed a magic segment with the church's host and
emcee David McCreary for the show.
Joseph also contributed to a few tracks for Five14 Church's
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...
album ''Clear'' by the
gospel rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus. This music is typically performed by Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Chri ...
band New Albany Music, led by Travis Whittaker. Joseph appears on four tracks out of 13 in total. Additionally, another single was recorded, titled "Dead Come Alive".
In December 2014, Joseph contributed backing vocals to the song "Sickly Sweet Holidays" by
Dallon Weekes
Dallon James Weekes (born May 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the frontman of the indie pop band the Brobecks, which temporarily operated as a solo project through the late 2000s. He was then a ...
(then-bassist of
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco was an American pop rock band formed in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2004 by high school friends Ryan Ross (guitar) and Spencer Smith (musician), Spencer Smith (drums), who recruited classmates Brendon Urie (vocals and ...
).
Joseph initially had an entire verse in the song, but it was excluded due to Joseph's label.
Joseph assisted in much of the production of singer
Shania Twain
Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...
's sixth studio album ''
Queen of Me'', and is a writer on the last song, "The Hardest Stone" as well.
On September 12, 2023,
Jon Foreman
Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician who is the lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter, and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. As a solo act, Foreman has released 14 extended plays and two st ...
posted a cover of "
Stressed Out
"Stressed Out" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at studios in Los Angeles and London, it was released as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, ''Blu ...
" on social media along with an announcement that Joseph would be covering his band
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...
's song "Twenty-Four".
Joseph later described ''
The Beautiful Letdown
''The Beautiful Letdown'' is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Switchfoot, released on February 25, 2003, by RED Ink Records, and later re-released through Sony Music. It marked the band's first release on a major label and their ...
'' as one of his "favorite albums of all time," something that he would listen to "over and over again."
Personal life
In 2014, within regards to religion, Joseph said:
Joseph has a three-part tattoo that represents "something that saved his life".
Though it is assumed it deals with his Christian faith, Joseph has been specific about the fact that he does not want the meaning of his tattoos spread on the Internet. However, he has stated a few times that he is willing to tell people one-on-one if they decide to ask him in person.
Both Joseph and his bandmate
Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
have an "X" tattooed on themselves to represent their dedication to their hometown fans. They received it on stage during their hometown show at the
Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on April 26, 2013. Joseph's is located on his right bicep and Dun's is located on his neck behind his right ear. Joseph also sports the name "Josh" on his right thigh, which he received from Dun onstage during a show at the
Eagles Ballroom in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
on October 30, 2015. Joseph is a fan of the
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
.
In mid-January 2015, Joseph served at former bandmate Chris Salih's wedding as an attendant, alongside Twenty One Pilots producer Mark Eshleman.
Joseph married Jenna Black on March 28, 2015, after they got engaged on July 8, 2014. The two have three children together; two daughters, Rosie and Junie, and a son, Tommy.
Joseph is a supporter of the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movement. He is also an ally of the
LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
+ community, and is strongly against the use and practice of
artificially generated artwork, on which he has said "it sucks, but we may have crossed in to a 'proof of work' era. keep the receipts
ndrecord the process."
Discography
Solo
* ''No Phun Intended'' (2008)
Twenty One Pilots
* ''
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up h ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Regional at Best
''Regional at Best'' is the second studio album by the American band Twenty One Pilots, and its first as the core duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Self-released on July 8, 2011, it was the band's final independent record before being signed to ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Vessel'' (2013)
* ''
Blurryface
''Blurryface'' is the fourth studio album by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on May 17, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. Lyrically, the album incorporates themes of mental health, insecurity, doubt, and religion. It con ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Trench
A trench is a type of digging, excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale (landform), swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or trapping ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Scaled and Icy
''Scaled and Icy'' is the sixth studio album by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released on May 21, 2021, through Fueled by Ramen and Elektra. Its title is a play on "scaled back and isolated", a phrase frontman Tyler Joseph associa ...
'' (2021)
* ''
Clancy
Clancy is an Irish name coming from the Gaelic ''Mac Fhlannchaidh/Mac Fhlannchadha'', meaning "Son of the red/ruddy warrior" (Mac being for sons, ''Ní Fhlannchaidh/Ní Fhlannchadha'' would be for daughters), or as a hypocorism for Clarence. ...
'' (2024)
* ''
Breach
Breach, Breached, or The Breach may refer to:
Places
* Breach, Kent, United Kingdom
* Breach, West Sussex, United Kingdom
* ''The Breach'', Great South Bay in the State of New York
People
* Breach (DJ), an Electronic/House music act
* Mirosla ...
'' (2025)
With other artists
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of songs recorded by Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots have seven studio albums, with their upcoming album, '' Breach'', set to be released in September 2025. While the original line-up had included bassist Nick Thomas and drummer Chris Salih, Josh Dun replaced Salih on drums and ...
References
External links
*
*
Tyler Joseph on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Tyler
1988 births
Living people
American Christians
American male singers
Twenty One Pilots members
Fueled by Ramen artists
Rappers from Columbus, Ohio
American people of Lebanese descent
Musicians from Columbus, Ohio
Basketball players from Ohio
Record producers from Ohio
Singers from Ohio
Songwriters from Ohio
21st-century American rappers
American men's basketball players
American male pianists
American male guitarists
American accordionists
American keyboardists
American poets
Electropop musicians
American rock musicians
American pop musicians
American hip-hop musicians
21st-century American male rappers
American lyricists