Ed Sheeran thinks not having a games console as a child was “one of the best things” his mom could do.
The Don’t singer grew up in Suffolk, England with his parents and older brother. And in his new book Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey, the 23-year-old revealed the good things about his upbringing.
“Mum and Dad made sure they stimulated us rather than leaving us to our own devices. For years we didn’t have terrestrial TV in our house,” he recalled. “We didn’t even have a TV licence because my mum didn’t want us to be sat in front of the TV all the time. We didn’t own a video games console and I honestly think that was one of the best things my mum never did.”
While Ed has gone on to have a hugely successful music career in his home country and in America. He can afford many luxuries, but one thing from his childhood has never changed despite his newfound wealth.
“So all the time that my friends were playing Grand Theft Auto, I was sat there practising the guitar over and over and over again. To this day, I don’t know what to do on an Xbox or a PlayStation,” he added.
While his mom inadvertently got him started with the guitar, Ed also credits his dad with developing his musical knowledge.
While he wasn’t an academic at school, his father could see his son had a deep interest in music and performance, which he encouraged.
“It was something that I was actually passionate about and worked hard for. So he took me to shows as often as he could, from when I was very young,” he said. “My first gig was when I was 11. I played Layla in the school concert, accompanied by a friend on piano. I often think that if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I had a real fear of performing to begin with, though. It was a nerve thing, a barrier. I remember sh***ing myself beforehand, being at home and crying to my dad ‘I don’t want to do it!’”
