Dan Reynolds

Dan Reynolds
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Name:
Dan Reynolds
Real name:
Daniel Coulter Reynolds
Who is:
,
Birth date:
(37 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height:
6'4 ft ()
Weight:
176 lb (80 kg)
Relationship:
single
Namesakes:
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:

Biography of Dan Reynolds

Daniel Coulter Reynolds is an American musician and lead vocalist who founded and fronts the rock band Imagine Dragons. The band formed in 2008-2009 and reached their peak between 2012 and 2016. Reynolds and his band became a musical sensation, blending genres like pop, country, R&B, synth-pop, and rock.
Frontman of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds
Frontman of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds

Childhood and Education

Dan Reynolds was born on July 14, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His parents, Ronald and Christine Reynolds, are Mormons, a faith widely practiced in the United States. Mormon families are known for having large families, largely due to their devout Christian beliefs. So it's no surprise the Reynolds family raised nine children, with Daniel being the seventh.
The Extensive Reynolds Family (centered are the musician's parents)
The Extensive Reynolds Family (centered are the musician's parents)
From an early age, Daniel was encouraged to engage in musical activities. He and his siblings began piano instruction at the age of six.

During his school years, Daniel was a troubled teen who struggled to connect with his peers. Struggling with insecurities about his appearance, Reynolds later recalled having only one friend in childhood and feeling unable to fit into any social group. He found solace in his deep passion for music. By the age of 12, Daniel had already started composing his own melodies using a computer.
Young Dan Reynolds
Young Dan Reynolds
In the Reynolds family, music was seen more as a hobby than a serious career. Later in college, while forming Imagine Dragons, Daniel worried about his parents' views on his musical pursuits, especially since his siblings had become lawyers and doctors.

At 19, he went through a turbulent phase: becoming estranged from his parents and leaving home. He turned to the church, doing missionary work with underprivileged families for two years. To make ends meet, Dan worked on farms.
Imagine Dragons Dan Reynolds on His Guilt as a 'Unique Mormon'
Eventually, hoping for a career in the military or FBI, he enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. After just one year, he left his studies, but it was there that he met his future bandmates — Andrew Tolman (drums), Wayne Sermon (guitar), along with temporary members Aurora Florence (keyboards), Dave Lemke (bass guitar), Andrew Beck (guitar), and Brittany Tolman (keyboards).
Dan Reynolds - The pit - Live 2008
From 2008 to 2009, the band gained momentum, starting with performances for peers and at local bars while winning student competitions. Constant practice during this time significantly improved Daniel's vocal skills and his guitar and drum playing. These early successes encouraged Dan Reynolds to leave university entirely and pursue a career in music.

Musical Career

After building a local following in Provo, the band made the move to Las Vegas in 2009, where they started performing at strip clubs and casinos around the city. It was in this setting that they released their first EPs: Imagine Dragons and Hell and Silence.
Imagine Dragons - You Don't Stop (Hell and Silence Live)
The band's breakthrough moment came when they stepped in for Train at the 2009 Bite of Las Vegas Festival, delivering a performance that launched them into the spotlight. Playing to a crowd of over 25,000 people gave Dan Reynolds and his bandmates invaluable experience while earning recognition from fans, organizers, and critics.

Their rapid rise in popularity and media buzz earned Imagine Dragons the title of "Most In-Demand Band of 2010." That same year, they returned to headline the Bite of Las Vegas festival.
Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons
Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons
Dan Reynolds hit a major milestone in 2010 when he met Aja Volkman, lead singer of Nico Vega, who would later become his wife. Together, they recorded four tracks, which were incorporated into the EP "Egyptian."
Egyptian – Fade
In November 2011, Imagine Dragons signed with Interscope Records, setting up a game-changing partnership with Grammy-winning producer Alex Da Kid. This collaboration produced hit singles like "It's Time" (2012) and acclaimed albums including "Night Visions" (2012), "Smoke and Mirrors" (2015), and "Evolve" (2017). Their tracks have become radio staples globally, garnering both critical and popular acclaim.
IT's OKAY to be NOT OKAY! Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons
Their biggest hits include "Believer" (2017), "Radioactive" (2012), and "Thunder" (2017), all of which topped charts across the United States, Canada, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.

Social Activism

Dan Reynolds has made advocacy a cornerstone of his creative and social work, fighting suicide and LGBTQ+ discrimination while supporting those living with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory spinal condition. Drawing from his own experience with chronic illness and the deep depression that followed, Reynolds launched an interactive course called "This AS Life Live!" focused on disease symptoms, coping strategies, and living with ankylosing spondylitis.
Dan Reynolds's Disease is Called Ankylosing Spondylitis
Dan Reynolds's Disease is Called Ankylosing Spondylitis
The Imagine Dragons frontman battles ankylosing spondylitis himself, which he describes as making life a constant struggle, especially when combined with ulcerative colitis. These health battles also led to an anxiety disorder. Coming out of an especially long depressive episode, he wrote "Radioactive" to symbolize a new chapter in his life. The song subsequently became a signature hit for Imagine Dragons.
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
To manage his conditions, Reynolds follows a strict diet, cutting out processed foods, limiting sugar, and eating complex carbohydrates. Additionally, he maintains a daily exercise regimen.

Dan Reynolds' advocacy also centers on his strong support for the LGBTQ+ community. He works to promote equality for people of all sexual orientations. He focuses especially on the Mormon community, which often doesn't support LGBTQ+ individuals. Reynolds created "The Loveloud Festival," a concert series in Utah dedicated to addressing LGBTQ+ teen suicide.
Dan Reynolds Supports the LGBTQ+ Community
Dan Reynolds Supports the LGBTQ+ Community

Personal Life of Dan Reynolds

The Imagine Dragons frontman met his future wife Aja Volkman, singer and lead vocalist of Nico Vega, at her Las Vegas nightclub performance in 2010. They married in March of 2011.
Dan Reynolds and His Ex-Wife Aja
Dan Reynolds and His Ex-Wife Aja
Early in their marriage, the couple often spoke about their deep emotional bond, both in public and private. Reynolds said their connection went beyond music, built on genuine love and understanding.
At Home With Dan Reynolds
The couple had four children together: Arrow Eve Reynolds (born on August 18, 2012), twins Coco Rae and Gia James (born on March 28, 2017), and a son, Valentine (born on October 1, 2019). Reynolds has frequently shared in interviews that his children and wife have been his source of strength and hope.
Dan Reynolds Has Four Children
Dan Reynolds Has Four Children
In late April of 2018, the couple announced their decision to divorce, without revealing why they were splitting up. It took them eight months to reconcile, and for a while, harmony was restored within the family. "I am proud of you, Dan Reynolds, for your humility and for continuing to be a loving father," Aja wrote on her Instagram.
2018: Dan Reynolds at the Loveloud Festival
2018: Dan Reynolds at the Loveloud Festival
However, in September 2022, Volkman filed for divorce. Both have stayed quiet about why they made this choice. "I've never talked about the details of our marriage, separation, or divorce. I don't plan to. Let's not go on witch hunts without knowing the whole story," Aja pleaded.
Dan Reynolds Opens Up About Separating From His Wife
A few months later, Dan was spotted with a new romantic interest, actress Minka Kelly. The pair took things slow, but by summer 2023, sources told the Daily Mail that things were getting serious between them, despite Minka being eight years older than Dan.
Dan Reynolds and Minka Kelly
Dan Reynolds and Minka Kelly

Dan Reynolds Now

In 2021 and 2022, Dan's band, Imagine Dragons, released two installments of their "Mercury" album. Critics noted that the latest work is far more intimate and conceptual than previous albums. Reynolds has acknowledged that his recent creations are steeped in the grief of personal losses he has endured over the last five years. He lost some of his closest people to cancer, including one of his best friends, his manager, a former girlfriend, and his brother's wife.
I sat beside my brother as he called each of his seven children to tell them their mother had passed away at the age of thirty, even though just a year ago she was perfectly healthy. When you lose so many people dear to you, or even just one person, it forces you to reevaluate life. It negates what you thought was important and shows you what truly matters, so I had no choice but to write about it.
In 2022, Imagine Dragons embarked on their first world tour in three years. Dan was accompanied by Aja, who was his wife at the time, and their children, including the youngest, Valentine. "It was like a traveling circus. I would return to the hotel room at 2 or 3 in the morning after a concert, and by 6 or 7 a.m., the kids were already jumping on me," the musician recounted.
Imagine Dragons - Thunder LIVE (2023)