Josh Groban Defends Celine Dion
Canoe Jam Showbiz
August 9, 2007
By David Schmeichel (Sun Media)
You’re not likely to find Josh Groban jumping on the anti-Celine Dion bandwagon, even after the much-maligned diva was voted one of Top 10 Worst Canadians in a recent poll.
No, Groban — the fresh-faced 26-year-old whose evocative baritone has made him an unlikely adult-contemporary star — has only the kindest of words for our Celine, with whom he performed one of his first high-profile gigs (as a last-minute replacement for Andrea Bocelli, no less).
“I don’t get it,” sighs Groban over the phone from Pennsylvania, after being told of Dion’s dubious distinction. “She’s a powerhouse. In this day and age, when more and more studio-produced, tiny-tiny voices are being rewarded ... she has this extraordinary instrument. She’s also one of the nicest people in the world. So over-the-top nice, I guess, that people think it’s an act.”
Before stepping into Bocelli’s shoes, Groban was a simple theatre major at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where his vocal teacher happened to be an acquaintance of frequent Dion collaborator David Foster.
As luck would have it, the renowned Canadian producer happened to be shopping around for new voices, and after hearing a tape of Josh singing, Foster enlisted Groban — then 17 — to perform a Phantom of the Opera number for a crowd of 20,000.
Two weeks later, he called on Groban again, requesting his presence at the 1999 Grammy Awards, where Bocelli had just backed out of his duet with Dion.
Groban says Dion’s very un-diva-like behaviour was of great comfort to a nervous teen, especially since everyone else he encountered backstage was as demanding as they come.
“When she came out, she could see my hand was shaking, so she took my hand in hers and ran the lyrics with me to make sure we got everything right,” he recalls. “It takes a lot of energy to be that nice to everyone around you, but somehow, she makes it work.”
Over the years, Groban has been fortunate enough to take part in a number of similarly fruitful collaborations, performing with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Sarah Brightman (with whom he was again paired at last month’s Concert for Diana), and sharing writing credit with such talents as Dave Matthews and Imogen Heap.
“For me, it’s always exciting to get into a room with someone who’s a little bit different from what you do,” he says. “I’m always trying to surprise myself, and to surprise my fans.”
That attitude extends to the artists Groban draws inspiration from — trailblazers like Radiohead, Peter Gabriel and Björk — though he admits he still likes to be reminded of why he fell in love with a performer in the first place.
“There’s a fine line between stretching yourself and stretching yourself too thin,” he laughs.
An interesting choice of words, given that Groban is careful to make distinctions between real opera singers and pop artists like himself.
Though a big fan of opera, he doesn’t see himself recording a traditional album anytime soon, preferring to stick with material that’s better suited to his voice.
He’s also uncomfortable with all the attention that’s been lavished on his puppy-dog eyes and surfer curls, and does his best to keep the focus on his pipes, not his pinup status.
“I was kind of the geek in high school, so when women are screaming at me at my shows, it’s always a big surprise,” he says. “If looks have anything to do with it, that’s fine ... but when people come up to me on the street, it’s always a handshake and a thank you, not a, ‘Hey, it’s that guy, let’s take his picture.’ ”
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