Josh Groban Biography
(Reprise Records Press Release, September 13, 2006)
The legions of Josh Groban fans will slumber no more as Reprise Records announced today a November 7th worldwide release of the hotly anticipated "Awake," the follow-up CD to the mega star's previous two albums, the self-titled "Josh Groban" and the multi-platinum "Closer," which collectively sold well over 13 million CDs.
Groban's 'hands on' approach in the creative process of "Awake" is reflected in several Groban penned and produced songs along with musical contributions from Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Dave Matthews, Glen Ballard, Eric Mouquet, John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) Marius DeVries, David Foster, Imogen Heap and Herbie Hancock.
"Awake's" 13 new songs including the just released first single, "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" show the Grammy nominated Groban's tremendous growth as a vocalist, producer and songwriter since he first appeared on the musical landscape.
"I learned from touring that my fans are really open-minded, musical, intelligent people and I feel like they want to come on this new journey with me. The music still sounds like it's coming from my heart and my soul and my voice. That is always the most important thing to me. My goal on "Awake" was to create the music and find the best people to help me create it," commented Groban.
With a lineup of stellar producers including Marius DeVries, Guy Sigsworth, Glen Ballard and David Foster, the album contains songs in Italian, Spanish and of course English. An early stand-out, "February Song" with Josh on keyboards came to the 25-year-old Los Angeles native on a sleepless night. “I wanted to write a song that melodically and lyrically represented the craziness I felt in that moment in the dark dark space. I walked over to the piano and it just came to me in a half hour in the most magical way."
Additionally, Groban recorded a suite of two stunningly haunting songs where he harmonizes with longtime idols Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The first song, the Groban/Dave Mattthews penned "Lullaby" is sung a cappella and the follow up, the South African song, "Weeping" which Josh first heard on a trip to South Africa. "The musical tapestry of the country and their heated history, the honor of meeting Nelson Mandela and visiting schools in Soweto was totally inspiring. And, it was a dream of a lifetime for me to sing with Ladysmith in the studio. I've loved them from the moment I heard Paul Simon's Graceland."
Josh Groban burst on to the international music scene in 2001 with the release of his self-titled debut album featuring the hit single, "To Where You Are." His follow up CD "Closer" with the smash hit "You Raise Me Up" brought enormous success to the young singing sensation. He has made scores of television appearances beginning with Ally McBeal and continuing with countless performances on Oprah Winfrey, Good Morning America, The Today Show, two PBS specials, the Superbowl, the Oscars and the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics with an audience of over 2 billion people. His first PBS Special went on to become the No. 1 selling DVD of 2002. On the touring front, Groban started out his now legendary 40-city concert tour (which sold out in a record breaking 20 minutes) and then went straight forward to a two year arena tour across the US. A Josh Groban tour for 2007 is expected to be announced shortly.
(Bio from Josh Groban's Official Website - 2004)
Josh Groban, the 22-year-old singing sensation, has garnered a worldwide audience with a rare mix of talent and style that is equal parts star power and boy-next-door appeal. The gifted baritone's self- titled debut release on Warner Bros./143 Records has become a certified musical phenomenon.
Discovered by multi-Grammy-winning producer/writer/arranger David Foster, Josh's CD has become the breakaway hit of the year, deftly sidestepping the pop-classical divide with a sound that borrows from both to fashion something instantly accessible yet entirely original.
A skyrocketing career by any measure, his now break-out performances on Ally McBeal, a major profile on ABC's 20/20 and appearances on Oprah Winfrey, The Tonight Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Larry King Live, NBC's September llth Concert For America, Boston Pops on PBS with John Williams Conducting and The Today Show amongst others, have all contributed to his growing legion of fans. His duet with Charlotte Church at the closing of the Winter Olympics Ceremony in Salt Lake City, which reached over one billion viewers worldwide, was an instant classic TV moment. Following each TV appearance, sales of Josh Groban soar, and his website is bombarded by fans in unprecedented numbers, with his most devout fans calling themselves "The Grobanites."
Josh has participated in his very own PBS special as part of the Great Performance Series, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and NBC's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Rockefeller Plaza.
Josh's artistic odyssey is a saga of talent, determination and more than a little good luck. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he joined his school vocal group as a young teen because, "everyone else was doing it." But it was only when he began attending the prestigious Interlochen Arts Program that the fledgling vocalist began to take his talent seriously, subsequently appearing in several musical theatre productions.
It was in l998 that his vocal abilities began to attract professional attention. "I was studying with a vocal coach who knew David Foster," he recounts, "and David called and told me he needed a singer right away for an inaugural program for the Governor of California." What followed was a string of performing and recording opportunities presented by David Foster, whose unerring ear for talent had honed in on Josh's extraordinary facility with both pop and classical material.
A month later Foster called again and asked Josh to fill in for Andrea Bocelli to sing The Prayer at a Grammy rehearsal. "At first I said no. I was afraid the song was too high and I didn't want to embarrass myself." But a persistent Foster prevailed, and the then l7-year-old Josh sped down to the auditorium, where he sang the Oscar nominated song. "The whole experience was unreal," remembers Josh. Shortly thereafter, the singer received news that he had been selected for Carnegie Mellon's prestigious musical theatre department. "I was thrilled to be singing for David," Josh reveals, "but also knew that Carnegie Mellon was a great opportunity." But at that moment, Warner Bros. Records offered the artist an exclusive recording contract. Work began immediately on a debut album, with Foster at the production helm.
"I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with," comments Foster. The two already had a selection of songs recorded for the debut album, including Alla Luce Del Sole, and Gira Con Me.
The final result Josh Groban has a roster of special guests including The Corrs, Charlotte Church, Rhys Fulber and Lili Haydn, with selections ranging from the above mentioned operatic perennials to a memorable reworking of Don McLean's Vincent and a Richard Marx original, his first hit single, To Where You Are.
Dubbed by The New York Times as "The New Boy Wonder of Voice," Josh Groban has, by any measure, set a new standard for musical success with a style that transcends musical boundaries.
(William Morris Agency Official Bio, October 2003)
“What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I’ve tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title.”
So says talented vocal phenomenon Josh Groban on the subject of his aptly-titled new Reprise Records release, Closer.
Featuring the glorious new single, You Raise Me Up, Closer is a stunning collection of thirteen diverse and distinctive new tracks, including three original songs by the young artist, that together comprise a musical landscape both richly detailed and sweepingly cinematic; a resonant and revealing self-portrait in sound and a memorable journey through melody and lyric, language and emotion.
Co-produced by a stellar supporting cast, including David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Martin Page and Eric Mouquet, Closer boasts a guest artist roster led by world-class violinist Joshua Bell and the innovative French duo Deep Forest. Recorded over seven months in 2003, the CD reveals brilliant new facets of a young man The New York Times crowned “The New Boy Wonder of the Voice.”
Since the release of his extraordinarily successful 2001 self-titled debut album, featuring the International hit To Where You Are, Josh Groban has become a musical phenomenon, selling well over five million albums worldwide, making scores of televised appearances, most notable his wildly popular 2003 PBS Great Performances special, which itself became a number one selling DVD and the best selling long-form music video of 2002. His appearance at the closing ceremonies of the Salt Lake City Olympics was seen by over a billion people, many of whom were instantly converted into rabid “Grobanites,” as the artist’s global fan following has affectionately dubbed themselves. Most recently, Josh appeared on stage at Broadway’s Amsterdam Theater for an Actors Fund benefit performance of Chess, bringing to fruition a long-standing ambition of this former Carnegie-Mellon musical theater major.
But that, of course, was then and this is now, and for Josh, the difference could not be more self-evident. “Of course I felt tremendous pressure to repeat the success of the first album,” he confides. “The unspoken question was ‘Can you top that?’ I felt that vocally I’d grown so much, that I was more grounded and that I had a lot more to say. The challenge became not so much reaching the bar I had already set, but setting it higher.”
Nevertheless it was, by his own admission, a “daunting” task to ramp up for the new project. “It felt as if one day we’d finally finished everything that had to be done to take the first album as far as it could go. And the next, I was in the studio starting on another one.”
A self-styled “scribbler” in poetry and lyrics for most of his life, Groban adds, “when I started putting words to music in the studio, it all just seemed to fit.” The results are nothing short of spectacular, thanks in part to the partners he picked. “Walter Afanasieff had been involved on the first album and we had a great working relationship,” explains Josh, of his co-writer on the Closer standout, Per Te. “It carried over into songwriting and really gave me the encouragement to push myself. I realized early on the benefit of finding the right creative chemistry, which is why Eric was also such a natural choice.”
The Eric in question is Mouquet, one half of the renowned French World Music duo, Deep Forest. “I’m a huge admirer of what they’ve done with artists like Peter Gabriel,” Josh enthuses, “and I knew that they would take me in a whole new direction.” Josh, in fact, ended up in Mouquet’s converted chateau in Northern France for a week-long writing and recording odyssey that yielded two more outstanding Closer selections, Never Let Go, with a guest performance from Deep Forest and Remember When It Rained, featuring Josh on vocals and, for the first time, on piano.
Collaborating closely once again with David Foster (who produced Josh’s debut), work on the album proceeded at a determined pace through the Summer and Fall of 2003. Along with Josh’s newly minted originals, a tune stack was assembled remarkable for its depth and diversity. Included among the Closer standouts: Mi Mancherai, featuring Joshua Bell from the score to the film II Postino, and a continuation, of sorts, to Josh’s fascination for Italian film music (as evidenced by Se from Cinema Paradiso on his first album); the unabashedly romantic My Confession, penned by Richard Page and the aforementioned single You Raise Me Up. “I have a natural affinity for sad songs,” Josh confides with a laugh. “In a way this is a response to the song To Where You Are on the last album. I wanted to give my fans a definite uplift this time.”
The list goes on: the sweeping opener, Oceano; the Spanish fire of Si Volvieras A Mi, the sheer virtuosity of Caruso. “I knew I was going to be actively touring for this album,” Josh reveals, “and I kept that in mind as one of the criteria for the songs. This is music that needs to sound as good on stage as it does in the studio.” Groban is scheduled to embark on his first world concert tour in January 2004.
Whether in concert, on CD or simply resonating in the hearts and minds of those who hear it, Closer is a collection by a vocalist and songwriter who understands that intimacy is the first prerequisite in the art of communication. “To me, these songs present something beautiful,” he concludes. “Sometimes they’re personal and sometimes you can just appreciate the story, even if it’s not mine. It all comes from the same place.”
On his new album, Josh Groban has brought us closer to that place.
(Very early biography from the beginning of his career)
19-year-old singer Josh Groban has a story as compelling and as real as you are likely to hear in the world of pop or classical music. Discovered by world-renowned producer/writer/arranger David Foster, Josh's journey to his label home, the Foster/Warner Brothers joint venture - 143 Records - reads like the stuff of show business legend.
"I've had an interesting route getting to this place," says the affable teen. That 'place' he speaks of will find him releasing a Foster-helmed debut album sometime in 2001. Not bad for a kid who had only joined the school vocal group because – in Josh's words: "everyone else was doing it."
Born in Los Angeles, Josh put singing on hold two or three years after his seventh grade debut because he had to change schools. It was only when he attended a Los Angeles County arts school did Josh begin to take his talent seriously. "I started taking music lessons on the side," he recalls. "I was very much into musical theater. I had a pretty good baritone voice, so I began acting and singing in school productions."
Citing Mandy Patinkin as one of his early musical theater heroes, Josh realized late in 1998 that his intense vocal discipline was about to pay off. "I was studying with a vocal coach who knew David Foster. One day David called him and said he needed a singer right away for an event he was putting on for the Governor of California's Inauguration."
Josh sent in a tape to Foster, and the next thing he knew he was called to rehearse for the event. The song was "All I Ask Of You," and Josh nailed it. The Inauguration event was a huge success, and much to Josh's surprise the Foster-Groban juggernaut was on a roll. "A month later David calls me and asks me if I know the Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli song 'The Prayer.' I say 'of course.'" The song, which appeared on both Bocelli's and Dion's own albums, was in fact, written by Foster.
Incredibly, David was enlisting Groban to fill-in at the 1999 Grammy rehearsals for Bocelli, who wasn't able to make the practice session. Josh was in shock. "You have to remember, he was asking me to come down to the Shrine and sing with Celine Dion," he laughs. "At first I said no. I was afraid the song was too high for me, and God knows, I didn't want to embarrass myself." But a persistent Foster prevailed, and the then 17-year-old Josh sped down to the auditorium, where he sang the Oscar nominated song in front of several other Grammy nominated artists, and – much to his disbelief – with Celine herself.
"The whole experience was unreal," remembers Josh. "David invited me back to the dress rehearsal, and there I am sitting in the front row watching Aerosmith and Madonna do their thing." But the story gets even more incredible. The Grammy host for that year, Rosie O' Donnell noticed Josh in the audience of the dress rehearsal and invited him backstage. "You're the opera boy, huh? You were great," she told the young singer, and booked Josh for her TV show on the spot. A few weeks later Groban appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell show, and was even interviewed by the comedian.
Josh continued to perform at events for Foster, but he also began to concentrate on attaining a college education. Soon, Josh received news that Carnegie Mellon's prestigious musical theater department accepted him. When Foster booked Groban for yet another music industry party, "that was the beginning of the conflict," says Josh. "I was thrilled to be singing for David, but also excited about attending classes at Carnegie Mellon. They didn't take well to me leaving school to do these type of events." He kept the commitment, however, and it was at the music industry event where a group of Warner Brothers executives told Foster they were interested in signing Groban to a record deal. David responded quickly, and soon after Josh decided to put school on hold to pursue his singing career.
The two already have a selection of songs recorded for the debut album, including "Alla Luce Del Sole," and "Gira Con Me." Josh also recorded a duet with Barbra Streisand of a Foster-penned song that may be released on a future album. Foster especially admires Josh's versatility. "I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with."
When asked what style suits the vocalist best, he takes his time to answer. "People will want to classify me as opera I suppose, but I won't even be touching opera songs for a long time. I want my voice to mature. I hope to look back on my career five or ten years from now and see that I continued to grow as a singer. I would never want to be pigeonholed."
Josh has been lending his vocal talent at several benefits in the last few months. They include Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation honoring Michael J. Fox and others; The Family Celebration 2001 co-hosted by President and Mrs. Clinton along with David Kelley and wife, Michelle Pfeiffer; Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raises funds for cancer research.
Josh also appeared on the stellar 2001 season finale of the hit television program, Ally McBeal. He performed the heartfelt song, "You're Still You," (from his forthcoming debut) at his character's high school prom - an event that was central to the finale plot line. A second song, "For Always (Duet)," performed by Josh Groban and Lara Fabian, will also be making an early appearance on the "A.I." soundtrack. "It's been like a dream so far," says Josh. "All I can say is stay tuned."
T h e V o i c e o f t h e C e n t u r y ! ! !
HOME