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SINGING SENSATION
By Samantha Gleisten
While Eminem and Christina Aguilera fight it out for the number one spot on the BILLBOARD charts and the hearts and dollars of the MTV generation, there is an unlikely force on the music scene who is giving them a run for their money.
Josh Groban may not win an award at the next MTV Video Music Awards show or be heard on many radio stations, but he is steadily rising in popularity as more and more people discover his brand of classical pop. Despite limited radio play and a modest presence on the pop-music circuit, Groban's self-titled debut album has gone double platinum in the United States and sold almost four million copies worldwide. Not to mention the fact that the CD has remained on The BILLBOARD 200™ for almost as long as it has been available, soaring as high as number 8.
The 21-year-old singer has all the makings of an American idol: a strong baritone belt, a face that could easily appear on the cover of PEOPLE, and extremely devoted fans. But Groban doesn't sing catchy pop tunes, he sings romantic ballads in English, Italian, and Spanish, and his rise to prominence is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Four years ago, when Groban was a youthful 17, multi-Grammy-winning producer David Foster found himself in need of a singer to fill in for Michael Crawford at an inauguration party for the newly elected governor of California, Gray Davis. Foster called Groban's voice teacher at the time, Seth Riggs, and asked for some tapes. Groban's was among those that Foster received.
Foster recognized something special in Groban's submission and called on him to sing at the governor's gala. Groban's performance marked the beginning of a fantastic series of events that have catapulted him into the eyes, ears, and living rooms of millions. As Foster explains in JOSH GROBAN IN CONCERT, "It only happens a few times in a lifetime that a tape sticks out so dramatically. ... I heard all these other tapes and they were all good, but when your voice came on it was just breathtaking. ... There is such a place in this world for your voice." And together, they have been finding that place.
Shortly after Groban's successful substitution, Foster called on him again, this time to stand in for Andrea Bocelli and sing "The Prayer" with Céline Dion at the 1999 Grammy Awards rehearsal. Though initially hesitant and more than a little nervous, Groban came through, and while Bocelli actually sang at the awards ceremony, Groban had been noticed. Grammy host Rosie O'Donnell was the first of many in the entertainment industry who was taken with the sheer vocal power of the young talent. She immediately booked him on her talk show, jokingly referring to him as "opera boy."
Top banner photos: Record producer David Foster and Josh Groban. |
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Josh Groban is joined by singer Angie Stone in the duet "The Prayer." |
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Lead singer of The Corrs, Andrea Corr, performs "Canto Alla Vita" with Josh. |
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