Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer and fashion designer known for hits like “Happy” and his work with some of music’s biggest stars. Williams was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he showed an early interest in music. He met future collaborator Chad Hugo while attending Princess Anne High School, and the pair later formed the production duo The Neptunes. After graduating high school in 1991, Williams briefly attended Northwestern University before dropping out to focus on his musical career.

Williams rose to fame in the early 2000s as one half of The Neptunes, crafting hits for artists like Jay-Z, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. He also cofounded the band N.E.R.D. The producer became a solo star with his 2013 single “Happy,” featured in Despicable Me 2, earning an Academy Award nomination and topping charts worldwide. Over the course of his career, he has won multiple Grammy Awards, including multiple Album of the Year awards for Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (2014).

Williams has also ventured into the world of fashion, cocreating the clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club in 2005 with Japanese designer Nigo. In 2023, was named men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton. He also served as a coach on The Voice from 2014 to 2023.

Williams married model and designer Helen Lasichanh in October 2013. The couple welcomed their first child, son Rocket, in 2008. They welcomed triplets in 2017.