What Is Josh Dun's Net Worth?
Josh Dun is an American musician who has a net worth of $16 million. Josh Dun is best known for being the drummer of the band Twenty One Pilots, a band he co-founded with his college friend Tyler Joseph. Josh learned to play drums at an early age and played with the band House of Heroes. In 2011, Dun quit his job at Guitar Center to join Twenty One Pilots. They released the independent album "Regional at Best" in 2011. Twenty One Pilots were signed by Fueled by Ramen records in 2012. Their major label debut album, "Vessel," was released in 2013. It reached #10 on the US Alternative chart. The band's 2015 album "Blurryface" reached #1 on the "Billboard" 200, US Alternative, and US Rock charts. Their singles include "Holding On to You," "Guns for Hands," "Lovely," "House of Gold," "Car Radio," "Fairly Local," "Tear in My Heart," "Stressed Out," "Lane Boy," and "Ride." Twenty One Pilots were nominated for an MTV Video Music Award – Artist to Watch in 2013. In 2017, Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The duo accepted the award in their underwear and told the crowd that this was a promise they had made years earlier if they ever won a Grammy.
Early Life
Joshua William Dun was born on June 18, 1988, in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of hospice social worker Laura Lee Dun and physical therapy assistant William Earl Dun.
Ever since Josh was a kid, he sought to blend genres and make unique music. He took trumpet lessons at school before transitioning to drums and teaching himself how to play. This is where his love for punk rock music began.
As a 13-year-old, Josh eagerly dived into the world of punk music seeking out the fastest tunes he could find. His teen was shaped by the sounds of punk rock, particularly being struck by the genre mixing style of Rancid's album "…And Out Come the Wolves." Some of his early music purchases included Creed's "Human Clay" and an album from NOFX, with the track "Higher" holding a place as a personal favorite.
As puberty kicked in, so did Dun's pop-punk phase. Sum 41's "Does This Look Infected?" became his newest obsession, and Blink-182 provided the soundtrack to his awkward teenage years. When he first sat behind a drum set, the music of Metallica motivated him to improve his drumming skills. His music taste evolved with time, and he found himself drawn to the moodier, slower vibes of alternative rock albums like Brand New's "Daisy."
He worked at Guitar Center for three years where he crossed paths with former Twenty One Pilots drummer Chris Salih, who eventually introduced him to his future bandmate Tyler Joseph.
House of Heroes (2010)
In March 2010, Dun joined House of Heroes as the replacement for the band's drummer, Colin Rigsby, who had taken a break to spend more time with his family. He appeared in the music video for the band's single "God Save the Foolish Kings" and performed on House of Heroes' live tour until October when Rigsby returned.
Josh quit his job at Guitar Center, planning to relocate to Nashville, Tennessee, to chase his dreams of becoming a professional drummer. However, Chris Salih convinced him to stay and offered him his role in the band. Josh jumped at the opportunity and joined Tyler Joseph for a show after Salih and bassist Nick Thomas parted ways with the band. With that, he became the band's official drummer just as they were finishing up their second studio album "Regional at Best." The album dropped on July 8, 2011.
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Twenty One Pilots (2011-Present)
In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots signed with Fueled by Ramen, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, and released their third studio album, 2013's "Vessel," which reached #21 on the "Billboard" 200. The momentum didn't stop there. They dropped their fourth studio album, "Blurryface," on May 17, 2015, and the smash hit "Stressed Out" helped propel their career even further. They shot the song's music video at Dun's childhood home, and it has since received over 2.8 billion views on YouTube.
The duo released their fifth studio album, "Trench," on October 5, 2018. In 2020, they surprised fans with a new single titled "Level of Concern." Its music video was filmed in both Joseph and Dun's respective homes while under lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next year, they released their sixth studio album, "Scaled and Icy."
Twenty One Pilots released "Clancy," their seventh studio album, on May 24, 2024, nine years after their breakthrough album "Blurryface." This album also marked Josh Dun's debut as a director, with the music video for "Backslide" showcasing his vision behind the camera.
Side Ventures
Dun collaborated with George Watsky on his 2016 single "Midnight Heart" from the album "x Infinity" and also appeared in the music video. He was featured on two singles from Lights' album "Skin and Earth," namely "Savage" and "Almost Had Me." In 2017, he teamed up with Paramore's Hayley Williams to support her hair dye brand Good Dye Young.
Filmography
Josh Dun's first appearance in a film-related project was in 2013. He played a character named Jaime in a web series called "This is Wavorly," created by the Mississippi rock band Wavorly. He specifically appeared in the second episode, "Jaime is Dun."
Most recently, he appeared as himself in two productions: "Twenty One Pilots: Cinema Experience" in 2022 and "Fast X" in 2023.
Awards and Nominations
In 2014, Josh Dun received an "Alternative Press" Music Awards nomination for Best Drummer. As part of Twenty One Pilots, he has received 42 awards from a total of 146 nominations, including one Grammy.
Personal life
Dun dated actress and singer Debby Ryan from May 2013 until their wedding on December 31, 2019. They live in a luxurious home that was featured in "Architectural Digest" magazine and YouTube channel. Dun is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. Both he and Tyler have an "X" tattoo on their bodies, symbolizing their love and loyalty to fans in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
