Portrait of Pharrell Williams

Birthday profile

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and rapper

Born
April 5, 1973
Age in 2026
53
Zodiac sign
Aries
Birth year
1973

About Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams ( fə-REL; born April 5, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and fashion designer. He initially became known as one half of the music production duo the Neptunes, which he established alongside Chad Hugo in 1992. Fifteen of their productions have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, which includes four songs that peaked atop the chart. The two also formed the rock and hip-hop band N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams served as lead vocalist. He has been regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern popular music. He has also contributed music to all Despicable Me animated films. Williams co-founded the record label Star Trak Entertainment with Hugo in 2001, as an imprint of Arista Records. Williams's 2003 debut single, "Frontin'" (featuring Jay-Z), peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He then signed with Virgin and Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, In My Mind (2006), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception. Williams produced and guest performed alongside T.I. on Star Trak signee Robin Thicke's 2013 single "Blurred Lines", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, his guest appearance alongside Nile Rodgers on Daft Punk's single "Get Lucky" peaked at number two on the chart and won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Williams's 2013 single, "Happy"—released for the soundtrack to Despicable Me 2—became his second song to peak atop the chart that same year. It also served as lead single for his second album, Girl (2014), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception. Williams has received numerous accolades and nominations. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (one as a member of the Neptunes). He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee: in 2014 for Best Original Song for "Happy"; and in 2017 for Best Picture as a producer of Hidden Figures. As sole proprietor, he founded the multi-disciplinary media company I Am Other in 2012, which acts as both a record label and creative umbrella for his other endeavors, including his fashion label and retailer, Billionaire Boys Club. He has served as Men's creative director for Louis Vuitton since 2023. Pharrell Lanscilo Williams ( fə-REL; born April 5, 1973), is an American musician, record producer and fashion designer.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Pharrell Williams timeline

  1. Pharrell Lanscilo Williams ( fə-REL; born April 5, 1973), is an American musician, record producer and fashion designer.
  2. He initially became known as one half of the music production duo the Neptunes, which he established alongside Chad Hugo in 1992.
  3. The two also formed the rock and hip-hop band N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams served as lead vocalist.
  4. Williams co-founded the record label Star Trak Entertainment with Hugo in 2001, as an imprint of Arista Records.
  5. He then signed with Virgin and Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, In My Mind (2006), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception.

The world when Pharrell Williams was born

Pharrell Williams was born in 1973. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1973

  • #1 song"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Tony Orlando & Dawn
  • Top movieThe Sting
  • Top TV showAll in the Family
  • Best-selling bookGravity's Rainbow – Thomas Pynchon

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentSecretariat wins the Triple Crown with a record Belmont Stakes
  • Top headlineOPEC oil embargo triggers global energy crisis
  • Technology milestoneFirst mobile phone call (Martin Cooper, Motorola)
  • Defining fadPlatform shoes
  • Notable inventionMobile phone (Motorola prototype)
  • World population3.93 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRichard Nixon
  • Sports championOakland Athletics (World Series)
  • Also wonNew York Knicks (NBA)
  • U.S. population211.9M

1973 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Pharrell Williams's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19732026
Gas$0.39$3.45/gal
Average home$22,100$435,000
Average income$13,500$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.77$11.95
Postage stamp$0.08$0.73
Population211.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.