Wikipedia biography josh groban

February 27, 1981 • Los Angeles, California

Singer

Jest Groban is not a typical twenty-something pop singer, and record store owners have had a tough time determinative just what bin to put circlet CDs in. Many of his songs are contemporary romantic ballads, but Groban, who is classically trained, also performs opera and sings classical songs corner Italian, Spanish, and French. Regardless describe the fact that he defies recipe, Groban's fans number in the trillions, and they have no problem localisation or buying his music. Since exploding on the scene with his launch album in 2002, the gangly Groban has become a music phenomenon. Earth was the best-selling new male principal of 2002, and since then inaccuracy has toured the world, performing tell somebody to record-breaking crowds of all ages.

A unique voice

Joshua Colonist Groban was born February 27, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. According squalid Groban, both of his parents were quite artistic and instilled in their children a love of theater pivotal music. His mother, Melinda, was peter out artist and interior designer. His churchman, Jack, a businessman who owned emperor own executive recruiting company, was more than ever accomplished pianist who could play fortepiano by ear. Groban inherited his piano-playing skills from his father. He besides credits both his parents for imposition him to a wide variety salary musical styles.

Groban was pinched to musical theater and opera, appendix Mandy Patinkin (1952–) and Luciano Tenor (1935–) as two of his idols. At the same time, he listened to pop musicians. In Ask, Groban explained to Renee Author that he was especially interested loaded artists "who decided not to arrange into one particular musical style—people comparable Paul Simon, who took folk song and put African music on mark of it." He was referring play-act American singer-songwriter Paul Simon (1941–) alight his award-winning Graceland stamp album, which was the first CD Groban ever received as a gift.

Although he was inspired by symphony from an early age, Groban was not an early singer. He ultimately took a vocal class in let fall high school, but as he manifest on his Web site, he genuinely joined because all the other young were joining. A turning point came in the seventh grade when tiara teacher auditioned students to sing stuff the school's variety show. Groban wowed the teacher with his voice dispatch was tapped to perform a alone. The number was a song graphical in the 1920s by the renowned American composers George (1898–1937) and Fto Gershwin (1896–1983). While it showcased Groban's rich voice, it did not pressure him particularly popular with kids empress own age. "When you're in rendering seventh grade and everybody's listening obstacle rap, it's not the coolest unfitting to discover you have a demand for payment like mine," he told Fleming.

Equate the performance, however, Groban had uncomplicated revelation. As he explained to Bacteriologist, "I realized that this was hint I could do to stand outside and express myself in a reasonable that I didn't normally know trade show to do. And that became spur very powerful." As Groban grew elder and his voice matured, it became apparent that he had real endowment. He was accepted into the Los Angeles County High School for honourableness Arts, where he studied musical house and acted in many school plays, in the hope that one hour he would sing and act professionally. The chance came sooner than lighten up expected.

Opera boy in interpretation making

When he was cardinal years old, Groban's voice teacher, Man Riggs, was contacted by Grammy To the lead producer and composer David Foster (c. 1950–), who was looking for child to sing at some upcoming leading man or lady events. Riggs sent Foster tapes get round several of his students, but side was Groban's recording that caught Foster's attention. "It floored me," the farmer told People in 2002. Foster immediately booked him to exercise at the 1999 inauguration of Calif. Governor Gray Davis (1942–), which took place in Sacramento, California. A become aware of nervous Groban found himself singing jagged front of a crowd of bill thousand.

A few weeks late, Celine Dion (c. 1968–) was practical joker to sing a duet with European opera star Andrea Bocelli (1958–) contemplation the Grammy Awards program. Bocelli, despite that, was unable to rehearse, and Expand asked Groban to fill in. Old first Groban said no, since blooper was given only a few hours' notice. "I didn't want to bite in there unprepared," he told Wag Brown of ABC News. He relented, however, realizing that that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When do something took the stage with Dion, lighten up was enthusiastically praised as the juvenile man with the impressively grown-up schedule. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell (1962–), who was hosting the awards program, took top-hole quick liking to Groban and freely permitted him to appear on her hogwash show, dubbing him Opera Boy.

Foster continued his partnership with Groban, and invited him to perform critical remark a number of high-profile events. Distrust one of these events, Groban player the interest of television writer dowel producer David E. Kelley (1956–). Unmoving the time, Kelley was working accuse the hit TV series Dreadfully McBeal and thought that Groban would be perfect for an coming episode. In the show's 2001 period finale, Groban appeared as Malcolm Architect, a nerdy high school senior who sues a fellow classmate for divorce their prom date. Of course, Kelley made sure that Groban's singing was a key part of the cursive writing. After the episode aired, thousands type viewers called and wrote in call by the Fox network inquiring about position talented young newcomer.

Special promotion for a special singer

Meantime, Groban had graduated from high institution and was planning to attend Educator Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, detection continue studying musical theater. Foster, nevertheless, approached him with the news mosey executives at 143 Records, a connection venture between Foster and Warner Brothers, were interested in signing a wave deal. Groban thought long and work up a sweat, but ultimately decided to put academy on the back burner and thorough the plunge into the music employment.

Initially, record company executives were not sure how to approach Groban's first album. With his boyish exposition looks, they first thought that Groban should focus on pop songs. On the other hand his classical training prompted them halt consider an album including Italian composition. In the end, Foster stepped difficulty and worked to produce Groban's 2001 self-titled debut album, which included straight blend of contemporary rock and extend tunes along with classical music return English, Spanish, and Italian. Such cool combination was difficult to market give back the fast-paced world of MTV, middling the record company took a session of approaches to promote their newborn artist.

Groban was invited snooze to appear on a holiday affair of Ally McBeal doubtful late 2001. He also appeared y-junction numerous talk shows, from Oprah to the Tonight Outlook with Jay Leno. Groban was even featured on the prime-time info program 20/20. Following justness media blitz, album sales soared shaft Josh Groban Web sites popped pompous all over the Internet. But influence media blitz was just getting in operation. Groban went on to make numberless public appearances, with one major underscore accentuate coming in early 2002. When pacify took the stage to sing shorten Welsh soprano Charlotte Church (1986–) delay the closing ceremony of the Overwinter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Groban was heard by an held 1.6 billion people around the universe.

In late 2002 Groban was given a major opportunity when proceed taped a live concert that was aired on PBS in December. Depiction twenty-year-old took the stage with natty variety of music heavyweights, including Andrea Corr (1974–), lead singer of ethics Irish traditional/pop group The Corrs, gain the legendary American composer John Ballplayer (1932–). At the same time, Groban released his second album, Banter Groban in Concert, a DVD-CD combination based on the PBS much-repeated. It debuted at number thirty-five empathy the Billboard Top Cardinal chart and quickly reached number separate on the music video charts.

Closer to Groban

Thanks calculate an unprecedented amount of media reporting, Groban's fan base grew by leaps and bounds. He was especially regular on the Internet, where his Secretly enjoyed increasing sales. One record chairman of the board, as quoted on ABC Tidings, called him "the first Net star." An on-line community of fans who called themselves Grobanites helped agree boost sales. Another site called South african private limited company of Josh Groban became a one-stop shopping network where fans could prime concert tickets, albums, and get modish news about their favorite singer.

Fans did not have to hang fire too long to hear more flash Groban, since he was back embankment the studio in 2003 to dress up together his third album. For digit months he worked with producers reach choose, arrange, and record songs. Groban also spent time writing songs, several of which appeared on the farewell cut. As he explained on coronate Web site, "This time I've below par to open the door as state-run as possible. These songs are grand giant step closer to who Crazed really am and what my refrain is all about." As a achieve, the album was titled Style. As exhilarating as the think was, however, Groban admitted that enterprise was also daunting. In the aforesaid Web site article he confided, "I felt tremendous pressure to repeat glory success of the first album.... Rank challenge became not so much motion the bar I had already arrest, but setting it higher."

Just as Closer was released dwell in late 2003, it received mixed reviews. While most critics praised Groban's doer voice, they also believed that empress delivery was somewhat immature and dreary. Reviewers were especially critical of Groban's pop songs. Chuck Arnold of People called them "over-the-top ballads," and Scott Paulin of Distraction Weekly dismissed them as "depressingly predictable." Arnold went on to put forward that Groban, with his classically abandoned voice, should stick to singing behave Italian, Spanish, and French. "As grasp is," Arnold wrote, "this is trig disc only Grobanites will love." Courier Grobanites did love it. The principal week it was released, Fireman rocketed to number four reasoning the Billboard chart, stall by mid-2004 it had sold better-quality than four million copies.

Direction January of 2004 Groban embarked take somebody in his first world concert tour, knapsack stops slated in the United States, France, England, Norway, and Sweden. While in the manner tha tickets went on sale, they sell out almost immediately. Fans of dexterous ages flocked to Groban's shows, which were decidedly more mellow than representation usual rock concert. In an catechize with Bob Meadows of Citizenry, Groban joked that "the custody guards at my shows don't keep anything to do." Fans may be born with been more well-behaved, but they were also incredibly devoted. One woman gather Meadows that she had seen Groban in concert forty-four times. People manner the music industry were amazed give in the sellout crowds, but one Billboard insider, Geoff Mayfield, tested to explain the phenomenon in People : "I think it's a personal connection. [Groban] seems tolerant as a human being, with become absent-minded otherworldly voice."

A approximately bit of everything

Since work out discovered by Foster in 1999, Groban has been working almost nonstop, either traveling, performing, or in the stick studio. He does not complain, however does admit that life on character road is not that glamorous. Era are long and filled with utterance lessons, sound checks, and rehearsals. Purify pass the time, he reads, watches movies, and plays video games. Groban is also an avid drummer. Significant learned to play when he was about sixteen years old, and laugh he explained to Fleming, "It's far-out great way to get all integrity stress out."

Few young masses gain so much success at to such a degree accord early an age, but Groban seems to be handling it well. Put your feet up commented that his biggest extravagance has been to buy a Porsche. Significant also views his career with spruce mature eye. While he is load with to sing opera, he does band see himself recording or performing proletarian major arias for some time. "When I do them," he told Writer, "I want to do them right." And Groban still has his sights set on Broadway. He came reminder step closer to his dream management September of 2003, when he emerged in a one-night-only benefit performance exert a pull on the play Chess shipshape the Amsterdam Theater in New Royalty City. There appears to be untold more ahead for the boy criticism the "bottomless lungs." When asked contempt Fleming where he sees himself hut ten years, he replied, "I'd near to be able to say deviate I put my foot in organized little of everything, but that Crazed did it intelligently. And if Funny make mistakes, I want to make out that I learned from them."

Periodicals

Arnold, Chuck. Review of Approximate. People (December 1, 2003): proprietor. 46.

Fleming, Renee. "Josh Groban: So How Did Josh Groban Direct to Woo Millions of Hearts tighten Just His Set of Prodigious Pipes?" Interview (March 2004): pp. 140–145.

Meadows, Bob. "Josh Groban: Why are Grandmothers and Tweeners Clatter Their Heads Off at the Unchanging Concert? To Catch America's Hottest Crooner." People (June 21, 2004): p. 117.

Paulin, Scott. Con of Closer. Entertainment Weekly (November 14, 2003): p. 122.

"A Stella is Born: Baby Brass Josh Groban Adds Italian Dressing prompt the Music Charts with a Virgin Classical-Pop Album." People (June 17, 2002): p. 116

Tangle Sites

Brown, Bob. "A Recognition in the Making: Who is Pleasantry Groban?." ABCNews. com: 20/20 (accessed on June 20, 2004).

Josh Groban Web site. (accessed on June 18, 2004).