Charles Otto Puth Jr., born on December 2, 1991, is an American artist known for his singing, songwriting, and music production. He first gained attention by sharing cover songs on YouTube that went viral. In 2011, after an impressive performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he signed a deal with the record label eleveneleven. Alongside his YouTube success, he was busy writing and producing music for other artists.
Later on, Charles signed with Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group. In 2015, he released his first single, “Marvin Gaye,” featuring Meghan Trainor. That same year, he collaborated with Wiz Khalifa on the hit song “See You Again,” which held the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks. The song received diamond certification from the RIAA and earned Charles a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song, as well as three Grammy Award nominations.
In 2016, Charles released his debut album, “Nine Track Mind,” which had moderate commercial success but received mixed reviews from critics. One of its singles, “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” featuring Selena Gomez, reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, “Voicenotes,” released in 2018, fared better both critically and commercially. It produced the hit single “Attention” and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
In 2021, Charles Puth co-wrote and produced “Stay” for Justin Bieber and The Kid Laroi, marking his first successful non-performing production on the Billboard Hot 100. His third studio album, “Charlie,” was released in 2022, featuring singles like “Light Switch” and “Left and Right,” the latter of which reached the top thirty on the Hot 100.
As for his early life, Charles was born in Rumson, New Jersey, to Debra, a music teacher who also worked on HBO commercials, and Charles Otto Puth Sr., a builder and real estate agent. He has two younger siblings, Stephen and Mikaela. The family has a mixed religious background, with a Catholic father and a Jewish mother.
When he was just two years old, Charles had a serious dog-bite incident that left a permanent scar on his right eyebrow. His mother introduced him to classical music and started teaching him to play the piano at the age of four. He began learning jazz at the age of 10 and even joined a summer youth jazz ensemble at the Count Basie Theatre’s Cool School when he was 12. Puth’s talent was evident, as he was hired by The Count Basie Theatre to play in a Charlie Brown production. During his sixth-grade year, he even went door-to-door to sell a Christmas album he had recorded and produced, making $600 in sales.
His educational journey took him to Holy Cross School and Forrestdale Middle School, followed by his graduation from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in 2010. During his middle and high school years, he attended the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College, majoring in jazz piano and minoring in classical studies. In 2013, he graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in music production and engineering.
