Pharrell Williams Discusses His Weird Tour Rider That Requires A Framed Picture Of Carl Sagan

Pharrell Williams

Kimmel Live


Two years ago, news of Pharrell Williams’ tour rider went viral. The tour rider is a document that basically lists a group of items which have to be available to the musician in their dressing room before each concert.

Often times, the tour rider will include 1 or more completely outlandish items on the list but not necessarily because the artist is a crazy person. The studio will often include something ridiculous on the rider simply to ensure that the venue/production company are thorough and are reading the contract and tour rider carefully. It’s all about protecting the artist….Well, not in the case of Pharrell. It turns out that he’s actually just an eccentric artist.

Here’s a look at Pharrell’s rider:

Pharrell Williams

Kimmel Live


As a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, Pharrell Williams talked about why he requests a framed photograph of famed scientist Carl Sagan in his dressing room before every concert on tour and it has nothing to do with a lawyer somewhere reading the contract:

I love science. I’m a big Sagan fan. I’m a bigger Kate Upton fan. I still wouldn’t request a framed photograph of either of them to ever be placed in my dressing room before an event because that’d just be creepy. Yet, somehow, Pharrell Williams managed to explain himself in a way here that left me thinking it really wasn’t that weird at all. He might be the smoothest man in Hollywood. And for a father of young triplets, he also looks like one of the most well-rested fathers alive. This dude really has figured life out.