Tiësto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tiësto
OON
|
|
|---|---|
Tiësto at Airbeat One 2017
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tijs Michiel Verwest |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 17 January 1969 Breda, Netherlands |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
Tijs Michiel Verwest, who is famous worldwide as Tiësto, is a Dutch DJ and record producer. Many people call him the "Godfather of EDM" because of his huge impact on the genre. He is one of the most successful DJs of all time.
In a 2010/2011 poll by Mix magazine, fans voted him "The Greatest DJ of All Time." In 2013, readers of DJ Mag also named him the "best DJ of the last 20 years." His exciting live shows and hit songs have made him a global superstar.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Tijs Michiel Verwest was born in Breda, Netherlands, on January 17, 1969. He fell in love with music when he was only 12 years old. By the time he was 14, he was already DJing at school parties.
From 1985 to 1994, he started playing at several clubs in the Netherlands. He worked hard to develop his own unique style, often playing long sets from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. At the start of his career, he mostly played styles like new beat and acid house.
Career
1994–2000: Starting a Career
In 1994, Tiësto began releasing his own music. He was discovered by a record label in Rotterdam and started making hardcore and gabber tracks under different names like Da Joker.
In 1997, he and his friend Arny Bink started their own record label, Black Hole Recordings. This allowed him to release his own music series, like the popular Magik CDs.
From 1998 to 1999, Tiësto teamed up with another Dutch DJ, Ferry Corsten, to form a duo called Gouryella. Their songs were huge hits in the trance music scene. But his biggest breakthrough came in 2000 with his remix of the song "Silence" by Delerium. This remix became a massive international hit and introduced Tiësto to a much wider audience.
2001–2003: Becoming a Star
In 2001, Tiësto released his first solo album, In My Memory. It had several hit singles, including "Lethal Industry" and "Flight 643", which helped launch his career as a solo artist. For three years in a row, from 2002 to 2004, DJ Magazine readers voted him the World's No. 1 DJ.
Tiësto became known for his long solo concerts. He was the first DJ to hold a concert in a stadium all by himself. On May 10, 2003, he performed for 25,000 people at the GelreDome in the Netherlands. This show, called Tiësto in Concert, was a huge success and was released on DVD.
2004–2006: Olympic Performance and Global Fame
In 2004, Tiësto released his second album, Just Be. The album's first single, "Traffic", became the first instrumental track in 23 years to reach number one in the Dutch music charts.
That same year, he achieved something incredible. He was asked to perform at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Athens, Greece. He was the first DJ ever to play live at the Olympics. He played a 90-minute set for billions of viewers around the world, mixing classical music with modern electronic sounds.
In 2004, he was also made an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Queen of the Netherlands, a special honor for his contributions to music.
2007–2012: New Sounds and Projects
In 2007, Tiësto launched his famous radio show, Tiësto's Club Life. He also released his third album, Elements of Life, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. The album showed his style was changing, mixing trance with rock and experimental music.
In 2009, he released his fourth album, Kaleidoscope. This album was even more experimental and featured collaborations with famous artists like Calvin Harris and Nelly Furtado. He also started his own record label, Musical Freedom.
During this time, Tiësto began to move away from the trance music that made him famous. He started exploring other genres of electronic music, which helped him become very popular in the United States.
2013–2018: A Grammy Win and Continued Success
In 2014, Tiësto released the album A Town Called Paradise. It included the hit singles "Red Lights" and "Wasted", which were his first gold-certified singles in the U.S.
A huge moment in his career came in 2015 at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. He won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of John Legend's song "All of Me".
He continued to release his popular Club Life compilation albums, with volumes dedicated to cities like Stockholm and New York City. In 2017, the city of Las Vegas gave him the key to the city and named January 14 "Tiësto Day" in his honor.
2018–Present: Recent Hits and Albums
In 2018, Tiësto released the hit song "Jackie Chan" with Dzeko, Post Malone, and Preme. The song was a huge success around the world. In 2020, he released his seventh studio album, The London Sessions.
His 2020 single "The Business" became another global smash hit. He followed it up with more successful songs like "The Motto" with Ava Max and "10:35" with Tate McRae.
In April 2023, he released his album Drive, which included many of his recent hits. In early 2025, he released a new collection of songs called Prismatic: Pack One.
Charity Work
Tiësto has used his fame to help others. In 2005, he performed at a fundraiser for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
In 2006, he became an ambassador for the Dance4Life foundation, which raises awareness about HIV/AIDS among young people. He recorded the song "Dance4life" with Maxi Jazz to support the cause. He has also worked with other charities, including Product Red and Global Citizen, to raise money for important causes.
Personal Life
In September 2019, Tiësto married model Annika Backes. They have two children, a daughter born in November 2020 and a son born in August 2022.
Discography
- Studio albums
- In My Memory (2001)
- Just Be (2004)
- Elements of Life (2007)
- Kaleidoscope (2009)
- A Town Called Paradise (2014)
- The London Sessions (2020)
- Drive (2023)
Awards and Nominations
See also
In Spanish: Tiësto para niños
