Ben Lee

About Ben Lee

Benjamin Michael Lee (born September 11, 1978 in Sydney, Australia) is an ARIA Award winning Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake (2003). Lee dated Claire Danes for several years, but their relationship ended in 2003. He is currently dating the actress Ione Skye. The couple got engaged on January 11, 2008.

Ben Lee recently released Ripe with producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Mandy Moore). Guests appearing on the album include Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Mandy Moore, the members of the band Rooney and many more. Ben Lee kept a detailed journal of the recording process at his official website.

Ben Lee's musical career began in 1993 with the band Noise Addict, who were signed to Steve Pavlovic's independent label Fellaheen Records, on the strength of a self-produced and distributed four-track demo recorded in Lee's bedroom. Pavlovic's connections brought the band to the attention of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Beastie Boys' Mike D, both of whom released the band's material in the US. The group put out several releases on the Beasties' Grand Royal Records. These including the acoustic Young and Jaded EP in 1994, which contained Lee's Evan Dando tribute, "I Wish I Was Him." In 1995 Grand Royal released the band's only full length, the Brad Wood produced Meet the Reel You. Noise Addict made a music video for the song '16', toured with Sebadoh, but then broke up. Lee was also briefly a member of the alternative act Gerling.