You’ve probably heard "Beautiful Things" blasting from every car window and TikTok feed for the past couple of years. It’s one of those songs that just sticks. But while everyone knows the voice, not everyone knows the guy behind it or where he actually comes from. If you’re wondering where was benson boone born, the answer is a place that feels about as far away from the glitz of the Grammys as you can get.
Benson James Boone was born on June 25, 2002, in Monroe, Washington.
Monroe isn't exactly a bustling metropolis. It’s a smaller city in Snohomish County, tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, known more for its fairgrounds and rainy evergreen trees than for churning out global pop stars. Honestly, that’s probably why his rise feels so grounded. He didn’t grow up in a Hollywood studio or a New York conservatory. He was just a kid in a rainy Washington town who happened to have a voice that could shatter glass.
The Monroe Roots: Life Before the Fame
Growing up in Monroe, Benson’s life looked a lot different than it does now. He wasn’t the "theater kid" or the aspiring musician everyone expected to go viral. He was an athlete. Specifically, he was a competitive diver.
He attended Monroe High School, where he spent most of his time at the pool rather than behind a microphone. In fact, he was pretty incredible at it, placing sixth in the 2020 state championships. Imagine that—just a few years before headlining arenas and opening for Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium, he was focused on nailing the perfect backflip off a three-meter board.
- Birthplace: Monroe, Washington, USA.
- Family: One of five kids (he has four sisters: Kaylee, Natalee, Emma, and Claire).
- Parents: Nate and Kerry Boone.
- Education: Monroe High School (Class of 2020).
Family life in the Boone household was big and loud. With four sisters, Benson was the only boy, and he’s often credited his parents for keeping him sane through the whirlwind of the last few years. His dad, Nate, works in the tech world, and his mom, Kerry, has spent years volunteering in the Monroe community. They weren't "stage parents" pushing him toward the spotlight. If anything, the spotlight found him.
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The Accidental Discovery: Where Was Benson Boone Born as a Singer?
This is the part of the story that sounds like a movie script, but it's actually true. Benson didn't even know he could sing until his junior year of high school. That’s late! Most pop stars are training from age five.
In 2019, a friend asked him to play piano and sing for a "Battle of the Bands" competition at Monroe High. He’d been playing piano since he was about 12, mostly teaching himself by ear while listening to his sisters' lessons, but he hadn't really found his voice yet. When he finally stepped up to the mic, everyone—including Benson—was floored.
It was like a switch flipped. He started posting snippets of his singing on TikTok, and the rest is history.
The BYU and American Idol Detour
After graduating high school in 2020, Benson took a brief detour to Rexburg, Idaho. He enrolled at Brigham Young University-Idaho to study architecture and interior design. He’s always been artistic, but the music bug had already bitten him hard. He stayed for exactly one semester.
Then came American Idol in 2021.
He auditioned in front of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. Katy Perry literally told him, "I see you winning American Idol if you want to." But Benson being Benson, he did something almost unheard of. He made it to the Top 24 and then... he quit. He didn't want to be "the American Idol guy." He wanted to be a songwriter. He wanted to do it on his own terms.
Moving Beyond the Washington Borders
While Monroe, Washington, is where benson boone was born and raised, his career quickly took him elsewhere. After he left American Idol, Dan Reynolds (the lead singer of Imagine Dragons) saw his potential. Reynolds signed him to his label, Night Street Records, and Benson started splitting his time between Washington, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
His debut single, "Ghost Town," was written about a friend's toxic relationship, but it resonated globally, charting in 16 countries. By the time 2024 rolled around, he released his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, followed quickly by his 2025 project, American Heart.
Despite the global tours and the 2026 Grammy buzz, he still carries that Pacific Northwest energy. He’s still into cliff jumping and high-adrenaline sports—the same stuff he loved doing back home.
Why the Location Matters
Where an artist comes from usually bleeds into their music. For Benson, the "Monroe" of it all shows up in his lyrics. It’s confessional, raw, and a little bit DIY. He isn't overly polished or manufactured. There’s a sincerity there that you only get when someone spent their formative years diving into cold lakes and hanging out with their four sisters rather than networking at industry parties.
He’s moved on from his LDS roots to find his own spiritual path, as he famously noted in a Rolling Stone interview, but the core values of his upbringing remain. He’s a guy who values his family, stays sober, and still seems genuinely shocked that millions of people want to hear him sing.
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Next Steps to Explore Benson Boone’s Roots:
If you want to get a real feel for the environment that shaped his sound, your best bet is to look at his early TikTok videos from 2020-2021. You can see the Pacific Northwest backdrop in many of his outdoor clips. Also, check out the music video for "Ghost Town" or "Beautiful Things"—both capture that intense, emotional energy that he brought with him from Washington to the world stage. If you're planning on seeing him live, his 2026 tour schedule is the place to watch; he often makes "homecoming" stops in the Seattle area that are notoriously high-energy.