Interviewer: Josh Groban
Interviewee: Hollywood Reporter
Date: January 26, 2008

Striking the middle ground between pop and classical music, Josh Groban has become a household name in music. Josh Groban, who is famous for his baritone, has sold 23 million albums the world over.

He was America’s biggest-selling musician for 2007, thanks to the unprecedented showing of Noel, his Christmas album. Noel sold four million copies in the US, making it the bestselling album there in 2007. Lording over the Billboard 200 for five weeks, Noel dislodged Elvis Presley’s record in holiday-themed album sales.

A guest appearance on the television series Ally McBeal was all it took to transform Josh Groban into today’s megastar. After singing “You’re Still You” in the series’ season finale in 2001, he was bombarded with fan mail requesting an encore.

Suddenly, Josh Groban found himself with bigger fan bases, who have come to call themselves “Grobanites.” Impressed, Warner Records struck a deal with him, which resulted in his self-titled debut album in 2001. Produced by David Foster, Josh Groban sold two million copies in six months, on the strength of the song, “To Where You Are.”

Until he obtained his recording contract, Josh Groban had been studying theater in Carnegie Mellon University. In 1998, he met David Foster, who built up the former as a rehearsal singer with acts like Celine Dion.

His celebrity status on the rise, Josh Groban launched his follow up album Closer in 2003. It boasted of first week sales of 375,000 copies, enough to give him his first US No.1 album. The album’s famous cut, “You Raise Me Up,” gave Josh Groban a Grammy Award nod for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Josh Groban’s third studio album came out in 2006. Entitled Awake, its 13 tracks feature work from, among others, David Foster, Marius DeVries, Guy Sigsworth, Glen Ballard, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Dave Matthews, Imogen Heap, and Herbie Hancock.

In support of Awake, Groban embarked on a World Tour in 2007, which crisscrossed 81 cities in Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America. It was recorded for the bestselling DVD, Awake Live, which was released in 2008.

This is only his third live performance DVD. The first one, Josh Groban in Concert, is 2002’s biggest-selling DVD in the US.