Josh Groban

Josh Groban, born Joshua Winslow Groban on February 27, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans recording, television, film, and Broadway. His first four solo albums achieved multi-platinum certification, and by 2007 he ranked as the number-one best-selling artist in the United States, with over 22.3 million records sold. By 2022, his worldwide sales had surpassed 25 million records.

Groban was born to Jack Groban, a businessman, and Melinda "Lindy" Groban, a school teacher. His father descends from Jewish immigrants from Poland and Ukraine and converted to Christianity from Judaism upon marrying Melinda, whose ancestry is English, German, Norwegian, and one quarter Ashkenazi Jewish. Both parents are Episcopalians. Groban made his first public singing appearance in seventh grade, performing a solo of "'S Wonderful" at a school cabaret night. During that period he was more focused on acting, including playing Tevye in his high school's production of Fiddler on the Roof. In the summers of 1997 and 1998, he attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp in Michigan, majoring in musical theater and beginning formal vocal training. He went on to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as a theater major, a free public school on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, where students receive a conservatory-style education, graduating in 1999. He was admitted to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh to study musical theater but left four months into his first semester after being offered a recording contract.

His professional trajectory began in late 1997 when his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, introduced the sixteen-year-old Groban to producer and arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet. Groban worked for Foster as a rehearsal singer on several prominent events, including the January 1999 California gubernatorial inauguration of Gray Davis. At the rehearsal for the 1999 Grammy Awards, Foster called on him to stand in for Andrea Bocelli and rehearse the duet "The Prayer" with Céline Dion. His performance caught the attention of host Rosie O'Donnell, who invited him to appear on her talk show the following week. That appearance led to a role on the television series Ally McBeal, where creator David E. Kelley wrote the character Malcolm Wyatt specifically for Groban in the season four finale, which aired in May 2001. His performance of "You're Still You" generated upwards of 8,000 viewer emails and the song was later included on his self-titled debut album, released in November 2001.

Groban's recording career was built through a contract with Warner Bros. Records via Foster's 143 Records imprint. His debut album grew from gold to double-platinum status within a year of release. His second album, Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released in November 2003 and climbed from number eleven to number one on the Billboard charts within two months. His cover of "You Raise Me Up" became his third most popular song on the adult contemporary charts as of March 2004. He also contributed to several film soundtracks during this period, including "Remember" on the Troy soundtrack and "Believe" on the soundtrack to the 2004 animated film The Polar Express. Throughout his early career he performed at numerous benefit events, including the Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams, and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raised funds for cancer research.

Beyond recording, Groban built a substantial stage career. He appeared in two professional productions of Chess before making his Broadway debut in 2016, portraying Pierre Bezukhov in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, a performance that earned him a Tony Award nomination and a Theatre World Award in 2017. He later appeared on Broadway in Freestyle Love Supreme and returned to the stage in 2023 in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, playing the title character, which brought him his second Tony Award nomination. His Broadway credits span from 2003 to 2023.

Groban's work extended into television and film as well. In 2018 he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performance at the 72nd Tony Awards and starred in the limited series The Good Cop. His film appearances include Crazy, Stupid, Love and Muppets Most Wanted. In 2022, he portrayed the Beast in the television special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.