Josh Dun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josh Dun
Dun performing with Twenty One Pilots in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Joshua William Dun
Born	(1988-06-18) June 18, 1988 (age 37) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Alternative hip hop indie pop alternative rock electropop rap rock pop rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums percussion trumpet
Years active	2010–present

Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is famous as the drummer for the music group Twenty One Pilots. He plays alongside Tyler Joseph. Josh has also worked with other artists. His band has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and won one.

Early Life and Music

Joshua William Dun was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 18, 1988. His mother, Laura Lee Dun, was a social worker. His father, William Earl "Bill" Dun, was a physical therapy assistant. Josh has two sisters and one brother.

He first learned to play the trumpet in school. Then, he started playing the drums. He taught himself how to play. One way he learned was by listening to music records. He would then try to copy the drum beats on an electronic drum kit.

Josh worked at a music store called Guitar Center for three years. There, he met Chris Salih. Chris was the drummer for Twenty One Pilots at the time. Chris later introduced Josh to Tyler Joseph, who would become his bandmate.

Music Career

Joining House of Heroes

In March 2010, Josh Dun joined the band House of Heroes. He played drums for them on tour. This happened because their regular drummer, Colin Rigsby, took a break. Josh appeared in their music video for "God Save the Foolish Kings." He toured with them until October 2010.

After leaving Guitar Center, Josh planned to move to Nashville, Tennessee. He wanted to pursue a drumming career there. But Chris Salih, the drummer for Twenty One Pilots, stopped him. Chris offered Josh his spot in the band. Josh then played a show with Tyler Joseph. This was after Chris Salih and bassist Nick Thomas left the group. They played one song before the police stopped the show. Josh then became the full-time drummer for Twenty One Pilots. He joined as they finished their second album, Regional at Best. This album was released on July 8, 2011. Josh is credited in the album notes, even though he didn't play on it.

Twenty One Pilots' Journey

In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots signed with Fueled by Ramen. This is a record label under Atlantic Records. Their third album, Vessel, came out on January 8, 2013. It reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Dun performing in Munich, Germany in 2016

The band's fourth album, Blurryface, was released on May 17, 2015. This was two days earlier than planned. Around this time, Twenty One Pilots became very popular. Their hit song "Stressed Out" topped the music charts. The music video for this song was filmed at Josh Dun's childhood home. It has been viewed over 3 billion times on YouTube.

Their fifth album, Trench, was released on October 5, 2018. This was the first album released by the newly restarted Elektra Music Group.

On April 9, 2020, the band released a new song called "Level of Concern". The music video was filmed at Tyler Joseph's and Josh Dun's homes. This was during the time they were under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 8, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas song. It was called "Christmas Saves the Year". They released it during a Twitch livestream hosted by Tyler Joseph. The duo's sixth album, Scaled and Icy, came out on May 21, 2021.

The band's seventh album, Clancy, was released on May 24, 2024. It was originally set for May 17, 2024. The release was delayed so Josh, Tyler, and videographer Mark Eshleman could finish music videos for each song. The first song from the album, "Overcompensate", was released on February 29, 2024. Josh Dun directed the music video for the album's third song, "Backslide". This was his first time directing a music video. It was released on April 25, 2024.

Twenty One Pilots announced an eighth album, Breach, on May 21, 2025. It is set to be released in September 2025. The first song, "The Contract", was released on June 12, 2025. This album is expected to finish the story that began with Blurryface.

Other Projects

In 2017, Josh Dun worked with Hayley Williams. She is from the band Paramore. They promoted her hair dye brand called "Good Dye Young."

Musical Influences

When he was 13, Josh became interested in punk music. He looked for the fastest punk rock he could find. He mostly listened to punk rock while growing up. He says ...And Out Come the Wolves by Rancid was an early influence. He liked how it mixed different music styles. Some of his first music purchases were an album by NOFX and Human Clay by Creed. He said "Higher" was one of his favorite songs.

Later, he started listening to pop punk music. He mentioned Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41 and also Blink-182. When learning drums, Josh would play along to Metallica songs. However, his parents had strict rules about what music he could listen to. He once said, "I'd hide albums like Green Day's Dookie under my bed. Sometimes they'd find them and get real mad. They'd find a Christian alternative, like Relient K, and make me listen to that." Later, Josh moved to slower alternative rock. He liked albums like Daisy by Brand New.

Since he was young, Josh has always wanted to mix different music styles. He likes to create diverse music.

Personal Life

Josh Dun and his bandmate Tyler Joseph both have an "X" tattoo. This tattoo shows their dedication to their fans in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. They got these tattoos on stage during a show in Columbus on April 26, 2013. Tyler's tattoo is on his right arm. Josh's is on his neck, behind his right ear. Josh also has the name "Tyler" tattooed above his left knee. He got this tattoo from Tyler Joseph on stage during a show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 30, 2015. Both Josh and Tyler are fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes sports teams.

Josh Dun dated actress and singer Debby Ryan from May 2013 to September 2014. They later got back together. They were married in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2019. Josh and Debby are big fans of the Fast & Furious movies. They even made a small appearance in Fast X.

Josh and Debby currently live in Columbus, Ohio. In March 2023, Architectural Digest magazine released a video about their home. The couple asked Josh's brother's girlfriend to sculpt a bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of Dwayne Johnson. Josh also loves boxing. He built a boxing ring in his basement. In May 2023, the music store Sweetwater filmed a video about Josh's home music studio. The same company that designed Tyler Joseph's home studio also designed Josh's.

Josh Dun has stated that he supports the Black Lives Matter movement.

Discography

Studio Albums with Twenty One Pilots

• Regional at Best (2011)
• Vessel (2013)
• Blurryface (2015)
• Trench (2018)
• Scaled and Icy (2021)
• Clancy (2024)
• Breach (2025)

Songs with Other Artists

Filmography

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Josh Dun para niños

• Tyler Joseph
• List of songs recorded by Twenty One Pilots