Pharrell Williams was born in 1973 in Virginia Beach.

He grew up surrounded by rhythms and sounds.

Pharrell was the kind of kid who loved to turn everyday objects into drums by tapping on them. He also hummed tunes everywhere he went!

Pharrell played in the drumline in his school's marching band. It was through band that he met a shy but talented saxophone player named Chad Hugo. They became best friends.

Virginia Beach really was the place to be as a creative musician in the 1990s. Pharrell and Chad's classmates included Missy Elliott and Timbaland. 

When they were in high school, Pharrell and Chad formed a band called The Neptunes, named after the famous sculpture of King Neptune in Virginia Beach. 

A few years later, they also formed a side project called N.E.R.D.

Pharrell's first big break in the music business was when local music producer Teddy Riley asked him to write some lyrics for famous rapper Wreckx-n-Effect in 1992. The song became a huge hit!

Pharrell and The Neptunes began making beats and music for the most famous artists of the late 1990s and 2000s, including Britney Spears, Jay-Z, and Justin Timberlake. 

Pharrell's music was made up of funk, hip-hop, pop, and other genres. His one-of-a-kind ideas made each of his songs sparkle.

By 2007, Pharrell and his various projects had won three Grammys and numerous other prestigious awards. 

In 2013, Pharrell wrote and performed lead vocals on a song for the sequel to the wildly successful animated feature Despicable Me. The song, titled "Happy," became an instant hit. To date, it is the 9th highest-selling single of all time. The music video features Pharrell and many, many celebrity cameos as they dance with joy in a number of settings. 

After many years "behind the scenes" in the music industry, Pharrell had become a household name.

Pharrell is known not only for his musical genius but also a bold and creative sense of style. He even started his own clothing line called Billionaire Boys Club. 

Pharrell took his many gifts and successes and channeled them into good deeds.

He founded a nonprofit organization called the From One Hand to AnOTHER Foundation to fund projects for students exploring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). 

The foundation funded a $35 million after-school center in Pharrell's hometown.