The Life, Challenges, and Creative Highs and Lows of the Famous Red-Haired British Singer

The chart-topping singer's dazzling career began with incredibly humble roots — and at one point, he was so lost he believed he'd never make music again.

Before the sold-out stadiums, diamond records, and tear-jerking ballads... there was a red-haired young man sleeping on trains, unable to shower, and scraping by with just his guitar and dreams.

Ed Sheeran, one of the most recognizable names in music, wasn't always a household name. Long before becoming the beloved hitmaker behind "Shape of You" and "Perfect," the Halifax-born star was just another struggling artist — broke, exhausted, but determined.

From Church Choir to Cold Floors

His rise to stardom is the stuff of music legend.

It all started in the quiet English countryside, where a four-year-old Sheeran sang in his local church choir in Framlingham, Suffolk. That little boy with the oversized voice would later busk on the frigid streets of Galway and pound London's pavement, trying to get noticed.

By 2007, he'd moved to London to study music — but his dream came at a devastating cost. No money. No rent. No home.

He later revealed these gritty early years in his 2014 book, "A Visual Journey."

'I Didn't Have Anywhere to Live'

Fans were stunned to learn that Sheeran once spent nights curled up on Circle Line trains, or crashing on friends' floors after late-night gigs.

"I didn't have anywhere to live for much of 2008 and the whole of 2009 and 2010, but somehow I made it work," he admitted. "I knew where I could get a bed at a certain time of night and I knew who I could call at any time to get a floor to sleep on. Being sociable helped. Drinking helped."

Still, he bristled at being labeled "homeless," clarifying that he always had some place to go — just not his own.

"It wasn't that bad. It's not like I was sleeping rough on the cold streets," he insisted. But he did sleep on the Underground. And it took a toll.

The Shocking Toll of Life on the Edge

Personal hygiene was a casualty of his determined grind.

"I didn't have the best personal hygiene at that point because I didn't get a chance to shower," he revealed. The results? Shocking. "I had 23 dreads on one side of my head from not washing my hair. My girlfriend counted them when she took them out with a comb."

Yes, 23 dreadlocks. On one side. That's how deep his commitment ran.

From Blurred Vision to Crystal Clarity

Despite the chaos of his early career, Sheeran continued pushing forward. But behind his signature round glasses was another struggle — he'd suffered from poor vision nearly all his life.

That changed in 2021, when he finally underwent laser eye surgery. The results? Life-changing.

"I'm so annoyed I didn't get it done before. I missed out on like ten years of, like, awesomeness," he said. "I've seen through perspex for the last 28 years."

He described the transformation in vivid detail, "It was kind of like the movie 'Limitless' when I opened my eyes. [...] Everything was full color. I could read everything. It was amazing."

Fame, Family, and the Brink of Quitting

In the midst of global success, however, Sheeran's biggest transformation came not on stage — but at home.

In 2018, he quietly married longtime love Cherry Seaborn, and together they welcomed two daughters: Lyra in 2020 and Jupiter in 2022.

Lyra's birth nearly pulled Sheeran away from music forever. "There was a stage back at the end of last year when I thought I'd never make music again," he told GQ India in 2021.

The emotional shift was profound. "When my daughter was born I just said, 'Maybe this is me now.' It was such a switch in my life and, wow, it was bringing me so much. Joy, of course, but obviously parts of it were really difficult too," he shared.

'I Quit.' But Music Called Him Back

For months, Sheeran didn't sing, didn't write, didn't even touch his guitar. He truly believed he was done.

"I stopped playing the guitar, stopped writing songs and I stopped singing. I actually convinced myself I was never going to sing or pick up the guitar again. I was like, 'No. This is it. I quit,'" he said.

But music, like family, has a way of pulling you back.

He returned to singing and songwriting, rediscovering the power his music has over fans — particularly one song.

The Song He Believes Will Define Him

Ask a fan to name Sheeran's biggest hit and most will blurt out "Shape of You." But Sheeran disagrees. In 2023, he revealed the one song he believes will outlast them all — his 2017 ballad "Perfect."

"'Perfect' is the one where, whenever I play it at a concert, you see the stadium change, and everyone suddenly starts hugging the person next to them," he noted.

It's a love song now played at millennial weddings around the world, often chosen as a first dance track. With Sheeran's observation in mind, "Perfect" might indeed stand a chance.