Peter Hollens

Peter James Hollens, born in Ashland, Oregon, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. His career in a cappella music began in 1999 when he co-founded the University of Oregon’s a cappella group, On The Rocks, alongside Leo da Silva. This group was the first official collegiate a cappella group in Oregon. Hollens graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Following his graduation, he continued his involvement in collegiate a cappella, taking on roles in recording, producing, and judging competitions across the United States. In 2010, Hollens gained wider recognition as a participant in NBC’s “The Sing Off” with On The Rocks, where his solo performances received acclaim from judges such as Shawn Stockman, Nicole Scherzinger, and Ben Folds. The group was eliminated 6th out of 10 competing groups.

Hollens established his YouTube channel in 2011, where he primarily posts multi-tracked a cappella music videos, often collaborating with other artists like Lindsey Stirling and Taylor Davis. His channel has accumulated over 3 million subscribers and more than a billion total views, marking his transition into a prominent online music creator. In 2013, he leveraged the crowdfunding platform Patreon to support his musical endeavors and later became an adviser for the platform in 2017. He has released over 200 digital singles and eight studio albums, frequently releasing new music every other week across various genres including folk, spiritual, Disney, gaming songs, and pop. Hollens also records and produces from his home studio in Eugene, Oregon, and has worked on projects for Sony and Epic Records.

In 2014, Hollens signed a deal with Sony Masterworks, though he later regarded this as a misstep and ended his association with the label in 2015. His self-titled album was released on October 27, 2014. Throughout his career, Hollens has collaborated with notable artists such as Gladys Knight, Brian Wilson, Jason Mraz, Lindsey Stirling, David Archuleta, and The Piano Guys. In 2015, he performed guest lead vocals on “Our Special Love” for Brian Wilson’s album “No Pier Pressure.” His album, “Legendary Folk Songs,” debuted at #1 on both the Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Billboard charts. He also became the first a cappella artist to reach the top 10 of the Emerging Artists chart. Recognizing his influence in the digital age, Hollens regularly offers advice to peers and consults for companies like Patreon, Loudr, and Tubular. He delivered the commencement speech at the University of Oregon’s graduation ceremony in 2015 and advocated for music education to members of the U.S. Congress in 2016. In 2020, he founded Legendary Vocals to support other artists in promoting their work outside traditional music label structures, embodying his commitment to the “Creator Revolution.”