Wave Wire Services
HOLLYWOOD — A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled May 6 honoring Josh Groban for a singing career in which each of his first four studio albums received multiple-platinum certification.
“This street represents so much to the world, but to me, this is home,” Groban told the crowd gathered for the midday ceremony. “I grew up not far from this corner, just about a mile and a half from here, and I’d walk over these inspiring names my whole life, never expecting in a million years that I would be among them.
“In fact, walking on these streets, if I was lucky, my parents would take me to the Hollywood Magic Store. If you remember, there was an incredible magic store not that far away from here, and I would astound and annoy friends and relatives at dinner tables with my tricks.
“Yes, when I wasn’t singing show tunes in my bedroom, I was practicing magic,” he said. “So you can imagine my surprise that I’m now engaged to be married to the coolest, most wonderful, beautiful inside-and-out woman. Natalie (McQueen), you are my North Star.”
Music producer David Foster, who played a key role in Groban’s career; actor, comedian, writer and producer Ben Schwartz; and actor Josh Gad were among those on hand for the ceremony in front of Amoeba Records at 6212 Hollywood Blvd., just east of Arygle Avenue.
Schwartz and Groban are longtime friends who were castmates in the 2013 comedy film “Coffee Town.” Gad and Groban’s friendship began when they were briefly classmates at Carnegie Mellon University before Groban dropped out after receiving a recording contract.
The ceremony came two days before the release of Groban’s ninth studio album “Cinematic.”
Born Joshua Winslow Groban on Feb. 27, 1981, Groban was introduced to Foster in 1997, then worked for him as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events while attending the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, which is located on the Cal State Los Angeles campus.
Groban rehearsed Foster’s “The Prayer” in a duet with Céline Dion before the 1999 Grammy Awards, which led to show host Rosie O’Donnell asking him to appear on her talk show the following week, which in turn led to an appearance on the Fox legal comedy-drama, “Ally McBeal.”
Foster signed Groban to a contract with his 143 Records imprint in 1999. After joining Sarah Brightman on her 2000-01 La Luna World Tour, Groban’s self-titled debut album was released Nov. 20, 2001. It sold 5.2 million copies, earning quadruple platinum certification from the recording industry trade group, the Recording Industry Association of America.
Groban’s next album, “Closer,” released on Nov. 11, 2003, did even better, selling 6.1 million copies, receiving six times platinum status and topping the Billboard 200 chart.
Sales for his next album, “Awake,” released Nov. 7, 2006, slumped to 2.3 million sold, but still achieved double-platinum status.
However, Groban rebounded with his next album, “Noél,” which was released Oct. 9, 2007 and featured such Christmas songs as “Silent Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” The album was also certified as six times platinum, selling 6.32 million copies, still the most of his career.
“Noél” also brought Groban the second of his five Grammy Award nominations, receiving a nomination for best traditional pop vocal album in 2008, losing to Natalie Cole for “Still Unforgettable.”
Groban would next be nominated in 2015, also for best traditional pop vocal album, this time for the compilation of Broadway tunes, “Stages,” losing to Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap for their recording of “The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern.”
Groban was nominated the following year in the same category for “Stages Live,” losing to “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin.”
Groban’s most recent nomination came in 2023 for best musical theater album as one of the two principal vocalists for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” along with Annaleigh Ashford.
The winner was “Some Like It Hot.”
Groban received his first Grammy nomination in 2004 for best male pop vocal performance for “You Raise Me Up,” losing to John Mayer for “Daughters.”
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” also brought Groban a best actor in a musical Tony Award nomination for his performance in the title role. He lost to J. Harrison Ghee, who portrayed Jerry the bass player and music student Daphne in “Some Like It Hot.”
Groban also received a best actor in a musical Tony Award nomination in 2017 for his portrayal of Count Pyotr Kirillovich “Pierre” Bezukhov in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” the sung-through musical adaptation of a 70-page segment from Leo Tolstoy’s 1869 novel “War and Peace.”
The winner was Ben Platt from “Dear Evan Hansen.”
