Tyler Joseph

Tyler Joseph
Joseph performing with Twenty One Pilots in Munich, Germany in 2016
Born	(1988-12-01) December 1, 1988 (age 28) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter rapper multi-instrumentalist
Years active	2007–present
Spouse(s)	Jenna Black (m. 2015)
Musical career
Genres	Alternative hip hop electropop indie pop rock
Instruments	Vocals ukulele piano keyboards synthesizers bass programming accordion drums tambourine
Labels	Fueled by Ramen
Associated acts	Twenty One Pilots Dallon Weekes Whittaker Jocef

Tyler Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American musician and rapper. He is the lead vocalist for the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots.

Joseph was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up with two brothers, Zack (also a singer) and Jay, and one sister, Madison. His mother, Kelly, was a math teacher in the Olentangy school district before being named Olentangy Orange High School's basketball coach in 2013. His father, Chris, was also a coach at Worthington Christian High School from 96–2005, and is a school principal. Joseph played basketball from a very young age and went on to play point guard for Worthington Christian. In 2008, the basketball team placed second in the Division IV state tournament.

After seeing a songwriter perform at a High Street club, he rejected a basketball scholarship offer from Otterbein University and began playing music after finding an old keyboard in his closet, a Christmas gift from his mother, and mimicking radio melodies.

Twenty One Pilots was formed in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. Initially an idea from Joseph, he eventually called his high school friends Nick Thomas and Chris Salih to form a band. He came up with the band's name while studying All My Sons by Arthur Miller, a play about a man who must decide what is best for his family after causing the death of twenty-one pilots during World War II, because he knowingly sent them faulty parts for the good of his business. Joseph explains that this story of moral dilemma was the inspiration for the name of the band. On December 29, 2009, they released their debut, self-titled album and began touring Ohio. Followed by their second album, Regional at Best in 2011, which consisted only of Joseph and Dun.