Josh Groban

Joshua Winslow Groban, born February 27, 1981, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his successful recording and stage career, having sold over 25 million records worldwide as of 2022. His first four solo albums were certified multi-platinum, and in 2007 he was recognized as the number-one best-selling artist in the United States after selling over 22.3 million records. Throughout his career, Groban has earned multiple Tony and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work in music, television, and Broadway theater.

Groban was raised in Los Angeles, California, by his parents Jack Groban, a businessman, and Melinda Groban, a school teacher. He first performed in public in the seventh grade, singing a solo at his school's cabaret night. While initially focusing on acting, he attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp in Michigan during the summers of 1997 and 1998 to study musical theater and vocal performance. He graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 1999 and briefly attended Carnegie Mellon University before leaving during his first semester to pursue a professional music career.

In late 1997, Groban was introduced to producer David Foster and manager Brian Avnet. He gained early experience working as a rehearsal singer for Foster, including standing in for Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet with Celine Dion at the 1999 Grammy Awards rehearsals. This led to appearances on television shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show and Ally McBeal in 2001. Signed to Warner Bros. Records through Foster's 143 Records, Groban released his self-titled debut album in November 2001, which achieved double-platinum status within a year.

Groban's second studio album, Closer, was released in November 2003 and reached number one on the Billboard charts, featured alongside his popular cover of You Raise Me Up. He followed this success with a series of additional solo albums, including Awake in 2006, Illuminations in 2010, All That Echoes in 2013, Stages in 2015, Bridges in 2018, and Harmony in 2020. Over his music career, Groban has embarked on several global concert tours and contributed to movie soundtracks, such as singing Believe for the 2004 film The Polar Express.

In addition to his recording career, Groban has acted in feature films and television series, including Crazy, Stupid, Love, Muppets Most Wanted, and the series The Good Cop. He made his Broadway debut in 2016 as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, earning a Tony Award nomination. In 2018, he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performance hosting the 72nd Tony Awards. Groban later starred as the Beast in the 2022 television special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration and returned to Broadway in 2023 playing the title role in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, receiving his second Tony Award nomination.