Portrait of Aaron Dessner

Birthday profile

Aaron Dessner

Aaron Dessner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Born
April 23, 1976
Age in 2026
50
Zodiac sign
Taurus
Birth year
1976

About Aaron Dessner

Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, teaming with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; and a collaborator on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed studio albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the former winning the accolade; as well as The Tortured Poets Department (2024). Dessner has co-written, produced or co-produced songs by Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Michael Stipe, Gracie Abrams, Frightened Rabbit, Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, Local Natives, This Is the Kit, Adia Victoria, Lisa Hannigan, Fred Again, Girl in Red, Mustafa the Poet, Brian Eno, Laufey, Mumford & Sons, Florence and The Machine, Brandi Carlile, Kevin Morby and Lone Bellow, among others. Dessner co-founded and curates three music festivals: Eaux Claires in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, alongside his Big Red Machine partner Vernon; HAVEN in Copenhagen with his brother Bryce, and Boston Calling Music Festival. On May 19, 2022, alongside Questlove, Dessner was awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa from The University of the Arts, for "his eagerness to seek out opportunities, to really be a thoughtful collaborator, and someone who would encourage every single student at UArts to explore with their peers across disciplines, new opportunities, and new ideas." Dessner, along with his twin brother Bryce, was named the 243rd greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023. The band's self-titled first album was released in 2001 on Brassland Records, a label Dessner co-founded along with his brother Bryce and Alec Hanley Bemis.

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

The world when Aaron Dessner was born

Aaron Dessner was born in 1976. 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 1976

  • #1 song"Silly Love Songs" – Wings
  • Top movieRocky
  • Top TV showHappy Days
  • Best-selling bookRoots – Alex Haley

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentNadia Comaneci scores first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics
  • Top headlineAmerica celebrates its 200th birthday
  • Technology milestoneApple Computer founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
  • Defining fadCB radios
  • Notable inventionLaser printer
  • World population4.16 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderGerald Ford
  • Sports championCincinnati Reds (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population218.0M

1976 versus 2026

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

Measure19762026
Gas$0.59$3.45/gal
Average home$48,000$435,000
Average income$14,958$67,500
Minimum wage$2.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.13$11.95
Postage stamp$0.13$0.73
Population218.0M341 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.