| Mostly Credited As: | Josh Groban |
| Birth Name: | Joshua Winslow Groban |
| Date Of Birth: | February 27, 1981 |
| Country Of Birth: |  USA |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California |
| Height: | 6' (1.82 m) |
Josh Groban is an American singer, known for his mature baritone voice. He sings in genres varying from classical to pop.
Born February 27, 1981, Josh was exposed to music of all types at an early age, from musical theater to rock. While his parents were not musicians, they both appreciated fine arts and passed that appreciation for the fine arts to their children. Josh learned to play the piano by ear, would often bang on pots and pans for percussion, and sang around the house. He grew up loving music, and also respecting it and the bonds between musician and fans.
Josh made his singing debut in the seventh grade, in a school production. In 1997, he attended the Interlochen Arts Camp to continue training. He honed his vocal skills through extensive voice lessons, and even learned how to play the drums. Josh found a place where he actually didn’t mind attention being drawn to him: the stage.
In late 1998, Josh met David Foster, a Grammy-winning producer/arranger. Josh sang at the inauguration of Governor Gray Davis, and later sang at the 1999 Grammy Awards when Andrea Bocelli was unable to attend rehearsals. Josh would later appear on the
Rosie O’Donnell Show after she saw him sing with
Celine Dion at the award show. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University, in the musical theater department. His musical career soon began to conflict, however, and he eventually decided to pursue his music career full time, and accept a recording contract that 143 Records had offered him.
Josh started to recognize his potential as a solo artist. He sang at several high-profile events, and was noticed by television producer David E. Kelley, who wrote a role on
Ally McBeal exclusively for him. The character was popular enough to get a reprise role and appear on the show’s next season.
On November 20, 2001, his self-titled album debuted, and over the next year, it went from gold to double-platinum. He began to appear on numerous talk shows. On February 24, 2002, Josh sang “The Prayer” with
Charlotte Church at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. In November later that year,
Josh Groban in Concert aired on PBS. He also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert and a holiday concert at the Vatican theater in Rome.
On November 11, 2003, his sophomore album, Closer, was released. He brought much more of his own personality and style to this CD. He co-wrote three of the songs and played the piano on the hit “Remember When It Rained.” Closer reached the Billboard charts number 1 on January 6, 2004. In November of 2004, his second live DVD, Live at the Greek, was released.
Josh is currently in the process of making his third album, tentatively due to hit stores in spring-summer this year.
Discography
Albums:
- Josh Groban [2001]
- Closer [2003]
- Awake [7 November 2006]
Concerts:
- Josh Groban in Concert [2002]
- Live at the Greek [2004]
Featured In (Vocal):
- Sarah Brightman: La Luna (Live in Concert) (DVD) - [2001] - Duet of “There for Me”
- A.I. - Artificial Intelligence Oringinal Motion Picture Score - [2001] - Duet on “For Always”
- Enchantment - [2001] - Duet on “The Prayer”
- Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church - [2002] - Duet on “The Prayer”
- Enchantment: Charlotte Church (DVD) - [2002] - Duet on “Somewhere” and “The Prayer”
- Duets: Barbara Streisand - [2002] - Duet on “All I Know of Love”
- Concert for World Children's Day (DVD) - [2003] - Performed “Gira Con Me,” “To Where You Are,” “The Prayer” (duet with Celine Dion), and “Aren't They All Our Children Anthem” as a cast.
- Troy Soundtrack - [2004] - “Remember” with Tanja Tzarovska
- Polar Express Soundtrack - [2004] - “Believe”
- Lady In the Water (Teaser Trailer) - [2006] - “Mi Mancherai (Il Postino)”
