Ed Sheeran Cold Called Beyoncé | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you know what amazed me you're obviously. uh you're very young uh man especially. contrasted with myself and yet you're so. many musical influences are these people. that uh you know Eric Clapton it was a. huge influence on you and I think well. you're very young to be influenced by. Eric Clapton but of course he's Timeless. the way the Beatles are Timeless the way. I basically I just had my dad's record. collection it's very like cliched of. like that's what I listen to but it. wasn't until like you know Christmases.

where maybe an aunt sends you £10 and. then you can go out and buy the CD that. you want to get but I was very much like. I only listen to my dad's record. collection cuz that's what we had in the. house so I guess I was like 10 or 11. when I started forming my own tastes but. but yeah there was I mean my dad has. some great records and they're still. like some of my like Moon Dan Van. Morrison I think is like a perfect album. for any time like anytime you put that. on it could be like the end of the night. it could be the start of the night it. could be like dinner like it's just just.

it's a perfect album did you say your. dad is is he from Belfast no so my dad's. dad is from Belfast and my dad's. M Ben Morrison's from Northern Ireland. and so I just think you never know where. some things are coming to you or why. things appeal to you he doorstepped me. at my uh um Hotel like it was like I was. I in like 2014 I just made Thinking Out. Loud um and it had become a hit and uh I. I remember my grand had actually come to. the gig and we had a lot of whiskey. afterwards as you do and I'd gone to bed.

at like 4:00 in the morning and I. remember getting this phone call at like. 6 I was like really blur just like what. and the person at the front Des is just. like Van Morrison's here he wants to. have breakfast with you and I was like. no he's. not thought someone was taking the piss. so I hung up and then they rung back and. they're like no no no he's actually. downstairs he wants to have breakfast. with you and I was like cool showered. really quickly went down and yeah just. essentially had breakfast with him it. was really surreal cuz I was still drunk. I was still it like 7:00 in the morning. I was just like is. this but he's really sweet I've got to.

sort of like meet him a couple of times. since then but it was like such a nice. thing he's like he's like one of my. heroes and I was people always say don't. meet your Heroes and it was such a like. not that thing it was just sitting down. he was really interested in Spotify on. talk about that you were explaining it. to him then you explained how VCRs. worked I it it was relatively new at. this point all I knew is that on my. first album I remember cuz no one really. put their records on Spotify to begin. with cuz they didn't really know what.

the what is this yeah it work and I was. like I want my I want everyone to have. my music and I just remember never. selling a record in Sweden and I it was. always like record sold in Sweden was. zero and then I'd go there and I'd play. the biggest gigs of my European tour and. I'm like this is weird the like. correlation like have I sold no records. here but the most people want to come. and see the songs and it's because. Spotify was so accessible I see okay you. know it was and that and I think I think. that's what's good about music now and. it's I mean it's more difficult to break. through with new songs because there's.

100,000 new songs released every day but. like the quality will inevitably go up. because you know like back when I was a. teenager and buying albums and I think. this is why piracy became a thing is I. think record labels took the piss they. had like one great song that they' put. on an album with a bunch of filler and. they'd sell it to you for $22 or what 22. and you'd buy it and be like I feel. ripped off here and you be like I wish I. could just download that one song that I. liked and I think that's why it all they. basically pushed it too far ripped off.

people too much right I'm curious um you. mentioned don't meet your Heroes I was. shocked you came. uh oh my God Sona please oh God but. Ed. Ed he is funny he he is. funny the point is. Ed who are other people that uh that you. met that obviously I mean you have. achieved this incredible success this.

insane success you get to meet whoever. you want now in the music world were. there people where you thought I I mean. you have you have you checked off every. box you must have checked off my R was. always I'm never going to seek out. someone to meet them I'm going to wait. until they want to meet me I remember I. remember doing SNL not even doing SNL. I'd made my album with Rick rubben and. Rick Rick was also making M&M's album at. the time and Rick was like I want to do. SNL with uh Eminem you want to come down.

and I was like yeah I'd love to and then. when I when I was there Rick was like do. you want to meet him and I was like no I. like I I want I want to but I want him. to be like hey I like your stuff so I. just waited and four years later was. then the time that he was like oh I like. your stuff we should do a song and now. we're actually friends and I feel I feel. like that's like a I I completely. understand what you're talking about my. I don't want the picture and the I no. and my constant assumption is which I I. mean I don't know I think it's the maybe. the healthier way to approach it but my.

constant assumption is oh they don't. want to meet me and I definitely don't. want to ever have that feeling of well. here's a nice little treat for them. hello and they're they're not that happy. to see me that's I would die but I think. that that's sometimes why it's don't. meet your Heroes because people are. premature with with it what the guy that. made me start songwriting was Damen rice. and he is like a bit recl reclusive and. like you know at my Peak I met his.

sister and stuff and I was like do you. think he'd ever like want to hang or. anything and she's just like I don't. know I guess you'll see him at some. point and you know I I guess I met him. when I was 12 and then when I was I. played in Iceland in rovic and it just. so happened he was there and that's the. time we hung out and we spent a good 48. hours together we like went on a hike we. got on a hot pool we had and it was like. one of those things of like this is why. I waited this is like it's it was a. really nice interaction yeah you waited. till it was organic and it was a real a. real moment rather than people pushing.

you towards people forced yeah but no. I'd say I've met. allart from I haven't met Dylan that's. the only one that I would love to meet. but again like if you meet Bob Dylan. prematurely like I've told this story. and I met him in the worst way uh but I. think it Bears repeating which is I was. with I was yeah naked in the sauna I was. with my friend um right after a good. swim in the North Sea. uh um um no I went I went I went to see.

Dylan play and of course I'm with my. good friend jimy Vino who's amazing uh. guitar player in my band leader for a. long time and he of course the next. thing I knew we were backstage and I've. been doing the show for a bunch of years. at that point and and suddenly I find. myself in this room and I wasn't. prepared and there was just this sort of. people moved around and then I was just. kind of pushed forward and I'm stand at. Bob Dylan's Right Where You Are are and. I'm right where I am and he it's that.

phase where he has the tiny little drawn. on mustache and like the gun Gunslinger. flat hat and he's looking at me and he's. got that little mustache and he went hey. I know you from the. TV and I thought okay well at least I'm. in now and I can start talking to Bob. Dylan and I swear to God this happened. just as I'm about to you know say oh you. know Bob I hear Conan Conan hey hey. how's it going and I look over and it's.

Vice pres former vice president Al. Gore and he's like come here come here. you know let's talk about the. environment. and yeah Al Gore is cool and everything. that's fine but Bob Dillan and then Bob. I turned around and Bob Dillan was like. gotta go and ran and like ran. away and I was blocked by the Vice. President of the United. States and I never saw Bob Dyan again. and that just rings in my head I know.

you from the. TV and then that and then that's it I. think that's it that's it that's all I'm. going to get I had it with I was at the. the the GQ Awards and Tarantino was. there and my manager's wife was like you. got to say hi and I was like no no. honestly I I don't want to meet him. unless unless he wants to me she's like. you have to you have to you have to I. like no no I really don't and then the. more and more we drunk later on in the. night she just goes up to him and she's. just like anybody wants to meet you and. I'm like oh no and same thing just like.

hey man yeah great like your films. thanks I say about the people I mean. that you've I mean like yes you've you. you know elen John and Clapton but you. also Beyonce and Jay-Z you've hung out. with them you've had you've broken bread. with them yes you've had food with yeah. well I I kind of like I got to know them. through really weirdly actually it was. um I played do you know what Jules. Holland is it's like so I played Jules. Holland's hoen anny which is like the. New Year's Eve show show and you play a.

cover and they said what cover do you. want to do and I said well I do Stevie. W's Master Blaster cuz I love I love the. tune and two months later was the. Grammys and the guy that was running the. Grammys uh music Ken erck was like we're. going to do the Stevie W the tribute. concert for Stevie he's going to be in. the audience it's going to be with his. band Greg filling gam is going to be in. it uh we got all these people playing do. you want to play and I was like yeah and. he's like what do you want to play and I. went well I'll play Master Blaster I. just I literally just played it and he. was like great and then like two days. later he rung up and. went Beyonce wants to do Master Blaster.

and I was and I was like that's totally. fine I'll do I I'll do I was made to. love her and then and then he Rong back. and was like would you sing it with. Beyonce and I was like uh. yeah and then you have a different life. than I. do I remember getting to because I'm not. it was with it was with Beyonce and and. and Gary Clark Jr and Gary Clark junr is. one of the best like living living. guitarist and uh uh I just remember like. I'm not a very talented guitarist I can. play to guitar and and chords and I.

remember Ken coming off and being like. I've got this idea jeweling guitars you. and Gary and I was like I can play like. a C cord like but anyway so we did that. and then we all met at that thing and. then I then did like other shows with. her and then it was like one of these. ones of like you don't ask you don't get. I'd made this song Perfect that was uh. starting to pick up steam and become a. hit and um someone said oh we should put. out like a duet version of this cuz done. like a a Italian version with and Andrea.

belli and they were like who would you. want to do it and I was like well. realistically I don't really want to do. do a duet unless it's Beyonce and they. were like well why don't you ask her and. she said yes and it was like it was I. was so surprised I was kind of rung her. up on I was like do you want to do it. she's like yeah I'm in and so it was it. was one of those it's that simple I. could just ring her up no what AM my. misunderstanding son no it's just Ed not. me no no yeah Ed can you can not no do. you know what I've learned what I've.

learned in this in this business said if. you don't. try no but the worst thing the worst. thing that someone can say is no so if. you prepare yourself for the no like I. always say to you know if I'm doing. something like I'm on this tour at the. moment and occasionally I'll be in. cities where like so like Eminem came on. in Detroit but what I said to him was. like you can cancel on the DAT like I'm. not going to feel weird if you suddenly. go I'm coming so it's very much like I'm.

always prepared for the No and when it's. a yes it's it's happy days I have I mean. in comedy I have this thing where all. these people that I grew up with and and. actually I'm going to include other. people that are younger than me who are. just so talented and when I'm around. them I sometimes step outside my own. body and go like oh it's crazy that I'm. with these people I mean how and it and. it's I think it's good not to lose that. you know I mean what's mad as well is. you do that probably with people that do. that with you as well like even you know.

like young comedians now that are like. top of their game that you will hang out. they're probably going holy with. kind in a BRI you're going I can't even. believe they're in you know like it's a. right it's a nice thing I think it's. good to never lose that I think it's. good to to keep that sort of sense of. I'm getting away with murder because we. we are we're getting to do what we grew. up wanting to. do.