Benjamin Levi Madden is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, as well as pop rock collaboration The Madden Brothers. He formed both of these acts with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden. Take a look below for 25 more fun and fascinating facts about Benji Madden.
1. Benji was a coach on “The Voice Australia” from 2015 to 2016 with his brother Joel.
2. Madden was born Benjamin Levi Combs on March 11, 1979, in Waldorf, Maryland, to Robin Madden and Roger Combs.
3. He has an identical twin, Joel Madden, with whom he formed the band Good Charlotte.
4. He has an older brother named Josh and a younger sister, Sarah. All attended La Plata High School in La Plata, Maryland.
5. Madden started the fashion line called Made Clothing, along with his brothers Joel and Josh, but the line became defunct.
6. In early 2006, it became DCMA Collective. A DCMA Collective store opened in Los Angeles on March 15, 2008, but later closed.
7. In 1996 Madden started a band with his twin brother Joel named Good Charlotte. The band still tours.
8. While still playing in Good Charlotte, Madden and Joel wrote and produced for other artists.
9. Madden was a co-writer and co-producer of some of the songs on Hilary Duff’s “Most Wanted” compilation album.
10. He later helped write the songs “Amnesia” for pop rockers 5 Seconds of Summer and “No Ordinary Girl” for pop artist Kalin and Myles.
11. As of September 2009 Madden has guest played in the band Taintstick, led by radio talk show host, professional MMA fighter, and pro skateboarder, Jason Ellis.
12. On April 3, 2010, Madden took part in a boxing match against MTV and VH1 host Riki Rachtman at Ellismania 5: Get These Brawls. The event was hosted by Jason Ellis at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
13. Madden beat Rachtman by knockout at 1 minute and 42 seconds into the first round.
14. On November 11, 2011, Madden and his brother Joel Madden released a free mix-tape, “The Madden Brothers: Before Volume 1”. It contains new artists the brothers were personally interested in.
15. In 2012, Benji appeared on the TV show “The Voice Australia,” alongside Joel as joint mentor-judges.
16. In early 2013, Benji helped write Tonight Alive’s song “Breakdown”. He sang back-up vocals at the end of the song and made an appearance in the video.
17. In 2014, electronic dance music artist TJR released his track “Come Back Down”, which features Benji on the track’s vocals.
18. In mid-2014, both of the Madden brothers appeared as coaches on The Voice Kids Australia in a double chair, after the example of the Dutch “The Voice of Holland” and “The Voice Kids” edition in which the singer’s duo Nick and Simon appeared as a judging duo between 2010 and 2015.
19. In 2015 Madden and his two brothers formally started their company MDDN, of which Benji is CEO, offering artist management, artist development and creative services.
20. Madden lives in Beverly Hills, California, with his wife, Cameron Diaz.
21. In January 2008, media outlets reported that Madden and his long-time fiancée, Australian starlet Sophie Monk, had split up.
22. Madden began dating actress Cameron Diaz in May 2014. The two were unofficially engaged before Christmas Day in 2014 and were spontaneously married on January 5, 2015 in a Jewish ceremony, at their Beverly Hills home.
23. He has many tattoos, including a tattoo of Benjamin Franklin, which covers his entire back.
24. Madden is an avid MMA and boxing fan. He has competed in several amateur fights since 2010.
25. Growing up in Maryland, Madden and his brother became big fans of the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Redskins. He has the Orioles O’s tattooed by his ear.