• September 12, 1966
• Ben Folds received a percussion scholarship from the University of Miami, but didn't last long at the school. As he recounted to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "I spent maybe six months just running scales with a metronome like a freak. I suppose that did something."
• Before forming Ben Folds Five, Folds was a member of a group called Majosha, which issued a lone full-length recording, 1989's Shut Up and Listen to Majosha. Several compositions would appear on future Folds releases (albeit in re-recorded form), including "Emaline," "Video," and "Kalamazoo."
• Folds is a major fan of William Shatner, having invited the man best known as "Captain Kirk" to sing on the song "In Love" from Fear of Pop's lone album, Volume 1, while he produced an entire musical album of Shatner's, Has Been. The latter release also featured guest appearances by Joe Jackson, Henry Rollins, Aimee Mann, and Adrian Belew.
• One musical artist that does not seem to enjoy the talents of Ben Folds is Korn's Jonathan Davis. In an article in Spin magazine, Davis was quoted as saying, "All we want to do is bring heavy back into rock n' roll. Because goddamned Ben Folds Five sucks."
• In the title track from Ben Folds' debut solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs, the singer/pianist name checks such artists as Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot, and Jon Bon Jovi.
• Ben Folds has served as one of the judges on the NBC television program, The Sing-Off, since the show's premiere in 2009.

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