Groban originally studied acting, but moved to singing as his voice developed. Groban attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, a free public school on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, where students receive a conservatory-style education. David Foster called Groban to stand in for an ailing Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet, "The Prayer", with Celine Dion at the rehearsal for the 1998 Grammy Awards. Rosie O'Donnell immediately invited him to appear on her talk show. Foster asked him to sing at the California Governor's Gray Davis' 1999 inauguration. He was cast on Ally McBeal by the show's creator, David E. Kelley, performing "You're Still You" for the 2001 season four finale.
In 2016, he made his Broadway debut as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, to critical acclaim and nomination for a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His performance at the 72nd Tony Awards earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations, one for Outstanding Live Variety Special and one for Original Music and Lyrics for the song "This One's for You". Groban co-starred as Tony Caruso Jr. in the Netflix original series, The Good Cop. Groban was also the host of Rising Star, he also appeared in the films, Coffee Town, Muppets Most Wanted, The Hollars and Crazy, Stupid, Love. He also appeared on TV such as Danny Chase in The Crazy Ones, as well as Walter Bernard Jr in The Office.
Career
1997–2001: Debut
In late 1997, the 16-year-old Groban was introduced by his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, to Grammy-winning producer and arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet.[18][failed verification] At the time, Groban had no recording experience and was preparing for his studies at Carnegie Mellon.[18] Groban worked for David Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events, including the January 1999 California gubernatorial inauguration of Gray Davis and the 1999 Grammy Awards where—as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli—he rehearsed Foster's "The Prayer" with Céline Dion. According to Avnet, Groban was very nervous about standing in for Bocelli and had to be talked into it; his performance prompted the show hostess, Rosie O'Donnell, to ask him to appear on her show the following week, which in turn led to an appearance on Ally McBeal.[18] Creator David E. Kelley wrote the character Malcolm Wyatt for Groban in the season finale, aired in May 2001. Groban as Malcolm Wyatt was so popular that the show received upwards of 8,000 emails from viewers;[19] thereafter, Groban was asked to return the next season to reprise his role as Wyatt and to perform "To Where You Are". Avnet claims this sequence of events effectively got Groban's career off the ground.[18]
Groban was offered a recording contract at Warner Bros. Records through Foster's 143 Records imprint. Avnet told HitQuarters that Warner Bros. initially proved resistant to the deal because "They were afraid they wouldn't be able to get a voice like that on radio."[18] Explaining his reasons for signing the artist, Foster said: "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."[19] Under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on classics such as "Gira Con Me Questa Notte" and "Alla Luce Del Sole".
Groban performed "There For Me" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000–01 La Luna World Tour, and was featured on her "La Luna" concert DVD. He recorded "For Always" with Lara Fabian for the movie soundtrack of A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). Groban performed in many benefit shows, including "The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children," alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams; "Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; "The Family Celebration" (2001), which was co-hosted by President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and David E. Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raised funds for cancer research.
His self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released on November 20, 2001. Over the next year it went from gold to double-platinum.[20]
2002–2005: Closer
Groban in concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2007
On February 24, 2002, Groban performed "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and by November, he had his own PBS special titled "Josh Groban In Concert" (2002). In December 2002, he performed "To Where You Are" and sang "The Prayer" in a duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. He joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie, and others for a Christmas performance at the Vatican. In 2003, Groban performed at the David Foster concert for World Children's Day, singing "The Prayer" with Celine Dion and the finale song, "Aren't They All Our Children?" with artists including Yolanda Adams, Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, and Celine Dion.
Groban's second album Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released on November 11, 2003. Groban said he believed that his second album was a better reflection of him, and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of his personality from listening to it.
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.[19]
Two months after Closer was released, it rose on the Billboard charts from number 11 to number one.[21] Groban's cover of "You Raise Me Up" became his third most popular song on the adult contemporary charts as of March 2004. Later that year, he also performed the song "Remember" (with Tanja Tzarovska) on the Troy soundtrack, "Believe" on the soundtrack to the 2004 animated film The Polar Express and a cover of Linkin Park's "My December".
In the summer of 2004, Groban returned to Interlochen, performing and discussing his earlier experiences with local residents and campers. On November 30, 2004, his second live DVD, Live At The Greek, was released; it was also shown as a Great Performances special on PBS. That same year, Groban performed "Remember When It Rained", backed by a full orchestra, at the American Music Awards, where he was nominated for Favorite Male Artist in the pop category; he was also nominated for a People's Choice Award. His recording of "Believe" secured an Academy Award nomination in 2005 for the songwriters Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri,[22] and earned them a Grammy in the category Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the ceremony held in February 2006.[23]
2005–2010: Awake
Groban earned his first Grammy nomination in 2005 for his single "You Raise Me Up" in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. During the first week of September 2006, Groban's single entitled "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" was released exclusively on AOL's First Listen. His third studio album Awake was officially released on November 7, 2006. Groban performed "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" as well as two other tracks from Awake at his recording session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on 26 October 2006. On that album, Groban also collaborated on the single "Now or Never" with British musician and songwriter Imogen Heap. He performed two tracks with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby" and "Weeping". Groban's "Awake" world tour visited 71 cities between February and August 2007, and toured Australia and the Philippines with Lani Misalucha as his special guest in October 2007. He performed a duet with Barbra Streisand ("All I Know of Love") and with Mireille Mathieu ("Over the Rainbow"). As to his future, Groban was open to a plethora of possibilities. He said, "I am fortunate enough to have had many really big moments in my career. I think the mistake a lot of people in my position make is to always search for the next big thing. I am looking forward to playing some small theaters. I'm looking forward to writing more. I want to delve further into my acting career and explore some of the film and TV opportunities that I haven't had time for. My outlook is to expect the unexpected. And when the next step comes, I'm prepared to take it."[9]
2010–2015: Illuminations; All That Echoes
Groban finished his fifth studio album, entitled Illuminations, and the album was released on November 15, 2010.[24] Most of the songs on the album are about "specific situations that I've had where love has existed and ultimately failed," Groban told The New York Times, adding: "And other songs are about the quest, and it just not working out." Groban wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the album.[25] The first single from the album, "Hidden Away", was made available for free download via Facebook on September 8.[26] "For me to sit in a room with a piano in one take with some of Johnny Cash's musicians—that was totally new for me." Josh added. "and I think that excitement is on the record."[25] On October 12, a second single from the upcoming album, "Você Existe Em Mim", was made available on iTunes.[27] This song is sung in Portuguese and was written by Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown. The Washington Post said: "Illuminations" is not a revelation, but it offers a perfectly fine, and often quite lovely, glimpse at a pop-classical crossover artist in the middle of crossing over."[28] Groban plans on making one more record with Rick Rubin.[29] Beginning May 12, 2011 and continuing through December of that year, Groban undertook the 81-city Straight to You Tour to promote Illuminations, encompassing appearances in North America, Europe, and South Africa.[30]
Groban's sixth studio album, All That Echoes, was released on February 5, 2013, debuting at number one by selling 141,000 copies.[31][32] Groban promoted the album with the All That Echoes World Tour in 2013. A year later, he embarked on his Summer Symphony Tour.[33]
2015–2017: Stages and Broadway debut
In early March 2015, Josh Groban's Facebook page announced the release of the album Stages, consisting of covers of songs from Broadway musicals. The album was released on April 28, 2015.[34]
Starting October 18, 2016, Groban performed on Broadway as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera by composer Dave Malloy based on War and Peace.[35] For his performance as Pierre, Groban was nominated for the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His final performance as Pierre was on July 2, 2017.[36] Groban also performed the song "Evermore" during the end credits of the 2017 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.[37]
2018: Bridges
On March 12, 2018, tour dates were announced for Groban's Bridges Tour with special guest Idina Menzel. The US leg of the tour began on October 18, 2018, in Duluth, Georgia and concluded at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 18. The European leg of the tour began on December 12 at the O2 Arena in London and concluded on December 18 in Poland.[38]
On June 26, 2018, Groban announced via social media that his album Bridges would be released on September 21 and would contain a cover of Céline Dion's song "S'il suffisait d'aimer" along with new tracks.[39] The album debuted at number two in the US[40] and in the top 10 in the UK[41] and Scotland.[42]
2020: Harmony
On August 17, 2020, Groban's album Harmony was announced to release in November 2020. Groban will also offer a virtual livestreamed concert series in the fall and winter of 2020.[43] On October 2, the album was announced to be released on November 20, 2020. The album is now available in all the platforms from the regular to deluxe edition.
Voice
Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor[62] and others as a baritone.[63][64] In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G2 (as in the songs "To Where You Are", "Higher Window", and "The World We Knew (Over and Over)") and extends up to at least B4 (as heard in "The Duel" from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812[65]). This places his voice lower than the usual tenor range on the low end (although still within the vocal fry register of a tenor), and just short of tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end.[66][67]
Symphony
Josh Groban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A thousand miles away and I am missing you
It's late at night, afraid that I
I might let you down
I'm staring at an empty page
Trying to write the things I didn't say to you
And we move so fast, the words get lost
You deserve a symphony
Soaring strings and tympani
But all I have's this melody
Written from my heart
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
No poetry between the lines
Our symphony will come in time
But all I need to know tonight
Is that you're still mine
Another sun, another moon
Can't look you in the eye and say I'll be home soon
You've been so good and strong for me
Standing by my side
I'm out here chasing the dream
Living up to all that I'm supposed to be
Missing out on the one
Who means the most to me 'cause
You deserve a symphony
Soaring strings and tympani
But all I have's this melody
Written from my heart
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
No poetry between the lines
Our symphony will come in time
But all I need to know tonight
Is that you fill me with you
Even while I'm gone
And that you're holding on
'Cause you and I belong
If I could send you all the love I have inside
It's in every note I sing
It's in every word I write
'Cause you deserve a symphony
Soaring strings and tympani
But all I have's this melody
That's written from my heart
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
No poetry between the lines
Our symphony will come in time
But all I need to know tonight
Is you're still mine
You're still mine
The lyrics of Josh Groban's song "Symphony" convey a message of longing and love for a person who is far away. The song begins with the singer being physically distant from his loved one, describing himself in a hotel room a thousand miles away. Despite the distance, he reveals that he is missing them and fears that he may disappoint them. The reference to the late night atmosphere adds to the sense of loneliness and vulnerability.
As the singer looks at an empty page, he expresses the difficulty in finding the right words to say to his loved one. The pacing of life has caused the words to get lost, but he hopes that they understand his feelings. He acknowledges their deserving of a grand symphony, with soaring strings and tympani, but all he can offer at that moment is a simple melody written from the heart. Even if the song lacks sophisticated poetry, the singer believes that their symphony will come in time.
The lyrics then shift to the singer acknowledging the sacrifices his loved one has made for him, staying strong and supportive as he pursues his dreams. He mentions that he feels the absence of the person who means the most to him while he is out chasing his ambitions. Despite the physical separation, he reassures his loved one that they fill him with love even from afar and that they still belong together.
In the final lines, the singer expresses his desire to send all the love he has inside, emphasizing that his love is present in every note he sings and every word he writes. He repeats the idea that his loved one deserves a symphony, but all he can offer is this melody from the heart. The song concludes with the singer longing to know that they are still together and that his loved one is still his.
Overall, "Symphony" conveys the deep love and yearning of someone who is physically separated from their loved one and wishes to express their feelings through music, even if they can only offer a simple melody at the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello from my hotel room
I am far away from you, sending you greetings from where I am staying
A thousand miles away and I am missing you
Despite the distance, I am longing for you and feeling your absence
It's late at night, afraid that I
I might let you down
In the late hours, I have concerns that I may disappoint you
I'm staring at an empty page
I am looking at a blank paper, trying to express what I haven't said to you
Trying to write the things I didn't say to you
Attempting to put into words the thoughts I haven't conveyed to you
And we move so fast, the words get lost
Our fast-paced lives often cause the messages to be overlooked or forgotten
But I hope that you know that
Nevertheless, I desire for you to understand
You deserve a symphony
You are worthy of a grand and majestic musical composition
Soaring strings and tympani
With sweeping strings and thunderous percussion
But all I have's this melody
Yet, all I can offer is this simple tune
Written from my heart
Crafted with sincere emotion
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
This song is uncomplicated and the lines lack poetic harmony
No poetry between the lines
There is no lyrical elegance woven through the verses
Our symphony will come in time
Our grand musical composition will manifest eventually
But all I need to know tonight
However, in this moment, all I require to comprehend
Is that you're still mine
Is that you still belong to me
Another sun, another moon
As days and nights pass by
Can't look you in the eye and say I'll be home soon
I cannot confidently meet your gaze and promise a swift return
You've been so good and strong for me
You have displayed kindness and resilience towards me
Standing by my side
Remaining steadfastly supportive by my presence
I'm out here chasing the dream
I am currently pursuing my aspirations
Living up to all that I'm supposed to be
Striving to fulfill the expectations placed upon me
Missing out on the one
Who means the most to me 'cause
However, I am lacking the presence of the person who holds the utmost significance in my life because
You deserve a symphony
You are deserving of a magnificent orchestral composition
Soaring strings and tympani
With majestic strings and booming percussion
But all I have's this melody
Nevertheless, all I possess is this simple tune
Written from my heart
Crafted with profound sentiment
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
This song is uncomplicated and lacks rhyming lyrics
No poetry between the lines
There is no poetic elegance interwoven within the verses
Our symphony will come in time
Our majestic musical composition will come to fruition at a later moment
But all I need to know tonight
However, in this night, all I require to understand
Is that you fill me with you
Is that you fill me with your essence
Even while I'm gone
Even in my absence
And that you're holding on
And that you are remaining steadfast
'Cause you and I belong
Because you and I are meant for each other
If I could send you all the love I have inside
If I could transmit all the love that resides within me to you
It's in every note I sing
It is embedded within every musical note I vocalize
It's in every word I write
It is present in every word I pen
'Cause you deserve a symphony
Because you are deserving of a grand orchestral composition
Soaring strings and tympani
With magnificent strings and resounding percussion
But all I have's this melody
However, all I possess is this simple tune
That's written from my heart
That is written with heartfelt intentions
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
This song is uncomplicated and lacking in rhymed lyrics
No poetry between the lines
There is no poetic elegance within the verses
Our symphony will come in time
Our grand musical composition will arrive at a later point
But all I need to know tonight
However, tonight, all I need to be aware of
Is you're still mine
Is that you still belong to me
You're still mine
You continue to be mine
Lyrics © CTM Outlander Music LC, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, CTM Publishing
Written by: Josh Groban, Tobias Gad, Bernie Herms
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan
Hello from my hotel room
A thousand miles away and I am missing you
It's late at night, afraid that I
I might let you down
I'm staring at an empty page
Trying to write the things I didn't say to you
And we move so fast, the words get lost
But I hope that you know that
[Chorus]
You deserve a symphony
Soaring strings and tympani
But all I have's this melody
Written from my heart
It's a simple song and the words don't rhyme
No poetry between the lines
Our symphony will come in time
But all I need to know tonight
Is that you're still mine
[Verse 2]
Another sun another moon
Can't look you in the eye and say I'll be home soon
You've been so good and strong for me
Standing by my side
Cavid Chalaby
Josh is one of a few singers whose songs' lyrics just as perfect as their melodies.. every song feels like a mysterious story.
Mindy Maniego
The lyrics,the melody,the person permeates and conveys the emotion of the song. It just Zapps your soul ,the time just slow down.
Aisha Hill
Josh’s songs are so romantic 😍💕💕
Suellyn Simon
Like Josh! His spirit shines with him always
Josh Keys
Nobody makes music like this but only Josh. Love you Josh. Keep it up.
Debs S
I could listen to this voice all day long and never get tired or bored. This song is so beautiful, both in melody and sentiment. Absolutely love it! Thank you :)
Valerie McGrath-Nichols
Classic Josh Groban. Love it!
Geneva Fillips
This might just be THE perfect album, with every song a hit. The other artist that does this would be Angelique Kidjo. Way to go Josh!!
chris kitchen
Wow, wonderful, heartfelt song. Everyone who hears it will be moved!
Joanne Mbrace
Gosh Josh!.... always feel the spiritual heart behind your songs...see it in your eyes. Awesome as always.