1. Benjamin Ivan Jelen was born on 8 July 1979 and is a Scottish-born American former singer-songwriter who plays the piano, violin, and guitar.
13 Facts About Ben Jelen
1. 2.
Ben Jelen has lived in Scotland, England, Texas, New Jersey and New York.
3.
Ben Jelen's career has been characterized by near-stardom, with his debut album, Give It All Away peaking at No 113 on the Billboard 200 list.
4.
Ben Jelen completed high school at Princeton High School in Princeton, New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in biology.
5.
Ben Jelen was discovered by Joseph Janus of Fearless Management, who originally wanted to sign him as a model.
6.
Ben Jelen wrote and recorded a song for a compilation album for Tori Amos' RAINN organization and joined the Natural Resources Defense Council and Wildlife Works.
7.
Ben Jelen appeared on the compilation album Breaking for the Holidays in 2006 with his self-produced cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" through Breaking Records.
8.
Ben Jelen performed at the 2007 South by Southwest conference and music festival in Austin, Texas, in a lineup that included Taylor Hicks, Amy Winehouse, Tom Morello, Mika, Martina Topley Bird, The Fratellis, Bloc Party, Paolo Nutini, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Mogwai and Spoon.
9.
Ben Jelen has placed his solo career on hold to focus on a new group Under The Elephant.
10.
Ben Jelen met model Fern Palmer in a New York City night club on 6 January 2004.
11.
Ben Jelen and Palmer have one child together, a daughter named Tallulah Rose Ben Jelen born in 2013.
12.
Ben Jelen's music has been featured on the TV shows One Tree Hill, Smallville and Las Vegas, and was used to promote the Academy Award-nominated Finding Neverland starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.
13.
In 2013, Ben Jelen's single "Come On" was used in promotions for the film Monsters University.