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Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including two Grammy Awards, as well as nominations for four
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
and three
Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
. In 2012, VH1 named her one of the Top 100 Greatest Women in Music. After signing with Epic Records, Bareilles rose to prominence with the release of her second studio album and major label debut, '' Little Voice'' (2007). Its lead single, " Love Song", peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and earned nominations for Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Bareilles made her Broadway debut when she composed music and wrote lyrics for the 2015 musical '' Waitress'', for which she earned nominations for the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She subsequently received Olivier Award nominations for its 2019 West End transfer production. Her fifth studio album, '' What's Inside: Songs from Waitress'' (2015), includes several of the musical's songs, as well as some that were not included in the show. She has since worked on other Broadway productions, including the 2016 musical ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' and a revival of
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
's '' Into the Woods,'' both of which earned her Tony nominations. Bareilles is also known for her work in television. In 2018, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...
in the NBC musical television special '' Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert'', for which she was nominated for an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
. She played the lead role of Dawn Solano in
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
and
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's musical comedy '' Girls5eva'' (2021–2024).


Early life

Bareilles was born on December 7, 1979, in
Eureka, California Eureka ( ; Wiyot: ; Hupa: ; ) is a city and the county seat of Humboldt County, located on the North Coast of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Bay, north of San Francisco and south of the Oreg ...
. Her father, Paul Bareilles, is an insurance adjuster, and her mother, Bonnie Jean (), is a funeral home worker. Bareilles is the youngest of three daughters; she also has a younger half-sister. Bareilles's paternal grandfather was of French and Italian descent, while her paternal grandmother was of Swiss-Italian descent. Bareilles's maternal grandfather was of Portuguese descent, while her maternal grandmother was of German and Portuguese descent. Bareilles speaks some Italian and lived in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
for a year during college. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old, and her mother later married Ron Halvorsen. Bareilles was raised Catholic and attended
parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...
until junior high, when she transferred to public school. Bareilles still attends
Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
with her family when she visits her hometown. Bareilles participated in the high school choir, Limited Edition, and local community theater musical productions, including her high school's production of '' Little Shop of Horrors'', in which she appeared as Audrey. After graduating from Eureka High School in 1998, Bareilles studied communication studies at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
(UCLA), where she was a member of the co-ed
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
group Awaken a Cappella; she can be heard on their album ''Dysfunktional Family'', singing her original selection "
Gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
" and " I Want You Back" by
The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
. The group's rendition of "Gravity" was featured on the ''Best of College a Cappella 2004'' compilation CD. Bareilles and the
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
band Maroon 5 have been acquainted since their college days at UCLA, when the latter was known as Kara's Flowers. Bareilles performed in the annual student concert UCLA Spring Sing, winning twice. She taught herself to play multiple instruments, including the piano.


Career


2002–2006: Career beginnings and ''Careful Confessions''

After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs (such as the
Hotel Café The Hotel Café is a live music venue located off an alley on the Cahuenga Boulevard strip in Hollywood, California, United States, that has become known for helping to establish the careers of new singer-songwriters in the 2000s. It began as a C ...
and Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles), building a following before performing in larger venues. She released two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: ''The First One'' in April and ''The Summer Sessions'' in October. In January 2004, Bareilles self-published her first studio album, '' Careful Confessions''. In mid-2004, she opened for Rocco DeLuca and the Burden during their inaugural headline tour, supported Guster on their first UK tour and co-headlined a tour with Jon McLaughlin. Also in 2004, she appeared as a singer in a bar in the award-winning indie film '' Girl Play'', performing the song "Undertow" and her songs "Gravity" and "Fairy Tale" also appeared in the film. She signed a contract with Epic Records on April 15, 2005 and spent the rest of the year and the early months of 2006 writing, composing and reworking songs for her upcoming album. She was the opening act in 2006 for Marc Broussard's "Carencro" tour. Her song "Gravity" appeared briefly in the 2006 independent film '' Loving Annabelle''. In 2007, Bareilles toured as the opening act for Aqualung and Mika and later that year opened for several shows on both Maroon 5 and Paolo Nutini's U.S. tours. She opened for James Blunt on his U.S. tour in association with VH1 You Oughta Know.


2007–2008: Breakthrough with ''Little Voice''

In June 2007,
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
featured Bareilles's single " Love Song" as the free single of the week. The song documents her frustration with the pressures of meeting the demands of Epic Records in creating her first album, though there was no specific request to write a "love song". In fact, the bulk of the songs on her major label debut -- '' Little Voice''—were improved versions of songs from Careful Confessions. In July 2007 Little Voice shot to No. 1 on the list of most downloaded albums of the music store in its first week of release, and debuted at No. 45 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. After being featured on a Rhapsody commercial in 2007, "Love Song" began climbing the pop charts, jumping from No. 73 to No. 16 in one week. It entered the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on December 27, 2007, and peaked at No. 4. On other charts, such as the Pop 100 and Hot AC, "Love Song" hit No. 1. Bareilles performed the song on '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on Thursday, January 17, 2008, and on the ''Today'' show on Thursday, February 21, 2008. Soon after that, the song entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 4. The music video was directed by Josh Forbes, and it starred the British actor Adam Campbell. As of 2010, ''Little Voice'' had been certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. The album peaked in the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 7, and the UK Top 40 at No. 9. Its breakthrough single, "Love Song", was later certified triple platinum. On October 28, 2008, Bareilles released ''Between the Lines: Sara Bareilles Live at the Fillmore'' on DVD and CD. The package is a recording of her first headlining tour at The Fillmore in San Francisco. This package also included live recordings of her unreleased song "August Moon", as well as a cover of Otis Redding's " (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". She concluded the tour in her home town of Eureka, California, on December 19, 2008, at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts. She toured with Counting Crows and Maroon 5 between July 25 and August 26, 2008. The first stop was
Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...
, and the last stop Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Bareilles was selected as MTV artist of the week for July 7–11 and appeared again on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on Wednesday, July 9, 2008; and on December 9, 2008 (with
Ingrid Michaelson Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "The Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson song), The Way I Am" and her 2014 single "Girls Chase Boys", both of which achieved success ...
). During the spring of 2009, Bareilles was on her second headlining tour, the Gravity Tour, to promote "
Gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
", the third and final single from her album ''Little Voice''. She made her third appearance in
Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...
, during the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
's annual Springfest on March 28, her first as the opener for Marc Broussard in 2005 and the second being an opening act for Maroon 5. Bareilles also played multiple college shows in April and May. Some were for college students only and others were open to the public. She sent out a special holiday message to fans on her mailing list and gave out a free live acoustic EP recorded during her Gravity Tour. The EP contained seven acoustic songs, including a new song "Free Ride", "I'm on Fire" (a
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
cover duet with Tony Lucca), and two speaking segments. In early 2010, Bareilles recorded video of what she called "An Ode to '' Jersey Shore''" and posted it to her official website as a gag for fans.


2009–2012: ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' and ''The Sing-Off''

Exhausted by her rise to stardom and daunted at the prospect of writing another major hit—as documented in her song " Uncharted"—Bareilles experienced a period of writer's block, where she came to fear she would never write another song. She began work on the follow-up to her major label debut in the summer of 2009, collaborating with the likes of Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, members of
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
, and
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
. As new songs began to take shape,
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
was assigned to produce, record, and mix the entire album. Titled ''
Kaleidoscope Heart ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, which was released on September 7, 2010, through Epic Records. The lead single from the album, " King of Anything", was released digitally on May 10, ...
'', the album was recorded at The Village Recorder and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. The first single from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', " King of Anything", began receiving radio airplay in the United States in May 2010, and was released for sale in June. "King of Anything" had its first play on British radio airwaves on Paul Kay's ''Album Download'' show on Mid-Wales commercial radio station Radio Maldwyn – The Magic 756 in August 2010. "King of Anything" was later certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. In anticipation of the new album, Bareilles released a series of webisodes, featuring the making of select songs from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', including "King of Anything", "Uncharted", "Gonna Get Over You", "Bluebird", and a strings-only version of "King of Anything". The first webisode also contains Bareilles writing the chorus/refrain lyrics for "Hold My Heart". She was selected as VH1's Posted Artist of the Month for July 2010, chronicling her life leading up to the album's release. ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' was released on September 7, 2010, and debuted at number 1 in the United States, selling 90,000 copies. Her previous album, ''Little Voice'', re-entered the charts at number 200 in the same week, bookending the charts. Bareilles toured in support of ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' from September to December 2010, with most of the shows being sold out. Bareilles toured Europe and parts of Asia and Australia with Maroon 5 throughout spring 2011. She embarked on a small headline tour in April 2011 with openers Elizabeth & the Catapult and Ximena Sariñana in support of the second single from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', " Uncharted", which concluded April 23, 2011, in Memphis, Tennessee. She also opened select shows for the country music duo Sugarland on their Summer 2011 Incredible Machine Tour. The third and final single released from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' is "Gonna Get Over You", with a music video directed by Jonah Hill. Bareilles was added in the third season of the NBC television series '' The Sing-Off'' as a celebrity judge following the departure of Nicole Scherzinger, alongside Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman of
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men ( ) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanya Morris, Wanyá Mo ...
. Bareilles also guest-starred on '' Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures''. On August 13, 2011, the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage at the Indiana State Fair collapsed right after Bareilles finished performing as the opening act for Sugarland. She was uninjured, tweeting, "I'm speechless and feel so helpless; my heart aches for the lives lost." Seven people were killed, and more than 45 injured, in the collapse.


2012–2014: ''Once Upon Another Time'' and ''The Blessed Unrest''

Soon after joining ''The Sing-Off'', Bareilles announced she was in the process of recording a new EP, with co-star Ben Folds producing it. She also collaborated with fellow singer songwriters
Greg Laswell Greg Laswell (born April 26, 1974) is an American musician, recording engineer, and record producer from San Diego, California. He attended Valley Christian High School in Cerritos, California. He has released 7 studio albums: ''Good Movie (Gre ...
and Jon McLaughlin on their new singles in February. In March, she was slated to release ''A Trace of Sun'', a documentary of the time she had spent volunteering in Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Her EP, '' Once Upon Another Time'', was released on May 22 and contained 5 new recordings. The first and only single from the EP, "Stay", was released on April 21, 2012, on 7" vinyl, exclusive to Record Store Day participants with a vinyl-only B-side, "Beautiful Girl". During her Stageit show on September 10, 2012, Bareilles stated that she was working on a new record in New York. She also premiered a new song which might be appearing on the new album in question, which was titled "Only Shadows". In January 2013, she revealed the plans for what was to come later in the year. After moving to New York, Bareilles finished her record, and released the lead single from that album "soon" thereafter. In January, Bareilles was a featured artist of the a cappella group Straight No Chaser on the Jackson 5 song, "I Want You Back" which premiered on ''Billboard''. In February 2013, Bareilles began teasing her fans to her upcoming album through her Twitter and YouTube accounts. The first tease was a video she released on her website, titled "Sara is Making a Record...". On March 27, 2013, Bareilles announced that she would conduct an 18-city tour to promote the new album. The first single, " Brave", was released digitally on April 23. On April 17, 2013, Bareilles released a lyric video for her single "Brave" on YouTube. The album she had been teasing, finally titled '' The Blessed Unrest'', was eventually released on July 16, 2013. Bareilles performed two songs for the feature film ''
Bounty Killer Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant fl ...
'', which was released in September 2013. The first, titled "The Kill", was written and composed by Will Collyer and Sujata Day. The second, titled "Gonna Getcha", was written and composed by Will Collyer and the film's director, Henry Saine. Her live album, '' Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse'', was released on October 22, 2013. The concert was recorded at the Variety Playhouse in
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. In October 2013, two nurses from University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital Brittany Bloemke and Natalie Snyder, along with former patient Sarah Ewald, produced a
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video containing coworkers and young cancer patients dancing and singing to Bareilles's song "Brave". As of August 2019, it had over 1.6 million views. On October 31, 2013, while the trio were being interviewed by host Nischelle Turner on the HLN show ''
Showbiz Tonight ''Showbiz Tonight'' is a defunct American entertainment news program that aired from February 20, 2005, until February 6, 2014, on HLN. ''Showbiz Tonight'' was hosted by A. J. Hammer at CNN New York at the time of its cancellation. The show ...
'', Bareilles surprised them by Skyping into the interview. Of the video, she said: "I was sent this video by a friend of a friend who lives in Minnesota, and I watched it late at night and immediately my eyes welled up with tears. It's moments like this that remind me of the importance of music, and I can't think of a more perfect incarnation of this song. It's exactly the kind of thing that gives the life to this song that we were hoping for." On October 16, 2019, she visited the hospital before her show at the Xcel Energy Center to sing the song with them live. On January 26, 2014, Bareilles performed a duet with
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid co ...
. The pair performed renditions of King's "Beautiful" and Bareilles's "Brave". On April 28, 2014, Bareilles performed with
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
at The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Annual Hot Pink Party Fundraiser. In May, Bareilles recorded a cover of Jackie Wilson's song " (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" for the
Oprah Winfrey Network The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel, which one month later merged with ...
. Bareilles toured 24 American cities between July 10, 2014, and August 14, 2014, in her The Little Black Dress Summer Tour. The tour supported her album '' The Blessed Unrest'', and it featured opening performances by at least three "special guests": American singer Emily King, indie pop band Lucius, and Canadian singer Hannah Georgas. Bareilles sang " Smile" during the In Memoriam" segment of the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards show on August 25, 2014.


2015–2017: ''Waitress'', ''Sounds Like Me'', and ''What's Inside''

In June 2013, it was reported that Bareilles was to score '' Waitress'', a musical adaptation of the 2007 film of the same title. The musical opened on August 20, 2015, produced by the American Repertory Theater. The production was directed by Diane Paulus, and it starred Jessie Mueller in the leading role. Bareilles debuted a song from the musical, " She Used to Be Mine", during some shows on her Little Black Dress Tour. On July 16, 2019, it was announced that ''Waitress'' would end its run on Broadway on January 5, 2020. On October 25, 2012,
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
announced it would publish a memoir written by Bareilles, containing essays and photos. The book was tentatively set for release in 2014; however, Bareilles finished it in March 2015. The title, ''Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song'', was announced in April 2015. The book was released on October 6, 2015. On October 25, 2015, it ranked 13th in ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list's hardcover nonfiction category. Bareilles began work on her fifth studio album, '' What's Inside: Songs from Waitress'', in April 2015 at New York City's Electric Lady Studios, in collaboration with producer
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
, who had previously worked with Bareilles on ''Kaleidoscope Heart''. In June 2015, Bareilles confirmed during a Google Hangouts Q & A session that the album would feature songs she had written and composed for ''Waitress'', which would be reworked "to sound like Sara Bareilles songs." On June 27, 2015, Bareilles and Nadia DiGiallonardo performed "She Used to Be Mine", the album's lead single, with Rich Dworsky and The Berkshire Boys on humorist Garrison Keillor's National Public Radio show '' A Prairie Home Companion''. The album was released on November 6, 2015, through Epic Records. In June 2016, Bareilles performed the part of Ariel in a two-night live presentation of Disney's '' The Little Mermaid'' at the Hollywood Bowl. She performed the
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
song " Both Sides, Now" during the ''In Memoriam'' homage at the 89th Academy Awards in February 2017. On March 31, 2017, Bareilles took to the Broadway stage in the role of Jenna Hunterson in ''Waitress'' for a 10-week engagement. She would return to the role in January 2018 for a six-week run, including two weeks co-starring with friend and fellow musician
Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...
as Dr. Pomatter. Mraz had previously duetted with Bareilles on two songs featuring the Pomatter part on the ''What's Inside'' album. She returned to the role again in January 2019, for a four-week run opposite Gavin Creel as Dr. Pomatter. Bareilles also co-wrote the original song "If I Dare" with Nicholas Britell and performed it for the 2017 movie '' Battle of the Sexes''.


2018–present: ''Amidst the Chaos'', ''Into the Woods'', and television projects

On April 1, 2018, Bareilles portrayed
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...
in '' Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert'', NBC's stripped-down "concert" adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's first full stage musical. Bareilles was well received in the role by fans and critics and was nominated for the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. and the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. On June 10, 2018, Bareilles hosted the 72nd Tony Awards with Josh Groban. She and Groban performed the opening number to the show, "This One's for You", which was an ode to those who would not win an award that night and referencing that neither had won a major award before, particularly noting the Grammy Awards. They also performed three other numbers, a medley tribute to Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber, "8 Times a Week" (a parody of "
Chandelier A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...
" by Sia), and "This One's for the Dreamers"). Bareilles was one of the composers who were nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Original Score for ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
''. She was nominated for two
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
for Outstanding Variety Special and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for her work at the 72nd Tony Awards. In August 2018, it was announced that ''Waitress'' would premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's West End in February 2019. In early 2017, Bareilles announced that she was working on a new album to be released by the end of 2018. The new album's first single, "Armor", was released on October 26, 2018. The same day, pre-orders for the new album were made available through the PledgeMusic direct-to-fan platform with an updated release target of Spring 2019. On February 13, 2019, Bareilles announced the title of her sixth album would be '' Amidst the Chaos''. On April 6, 2019, the album debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 35,000 equivalent album sales, of which 29,000 were pure sales. She also released "Shiny", a song about "wanting moms to see how special they really are," on May 10, 2019, to coincide with Mother's Day. On January 27, 2020, Bareilles made her West End debut, as Jenna Hunterson in ''Waitress'' at the Adelphi Theatre, opposite Gavin Creel as Dr. Pomatter. Bareilles was set to have a limited eight-week run to end on March 21, but performed her last show on March 14 and returned to the United States due to international travel restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak. Bareilles also won the
Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance The Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance is an award category at the annual Grammy Awards. It was first presented in 2015. The award was first approved by the board of trustees of the Grammy Awards in June 2014. According to NARAS, t ...
for the song "Saint Honesty" from her album '' Amidst the Chaos'' on January 27, 2020. On March 25, 2019, Bareilles appeared on stage at an Apple event to announce that she, along with J. J. Abrams and ''Waitress'' collaborator Jessie Nelson, had developed a series for Apple TV+ entitled '' Little Voice'', for which she had also recorded the theme song. Bareilles and Nelson collaborated on music for the series, which premiered on Apple TV+ on July 10, 2020. On September 4, 2020, Bareilles released an album titled ''More Love: Songs from Little Voice Season One'' with her own recordings of songs from the series. On August 10, 2020, Bareilles was announced to star in
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
's new musical comedy '' Girls5eva'', created by Meredith Scardino and executive produced by
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
and Robert Carlock. On May 6, 2021, all eight episodes of the first season of ''Girls5eva'' were released on Peacock. On May 5, 2021, it was announced that Bareilles would reprise her role as Jenna in a limited revival production of ''Waitress'' following the reopening of Broadway theatres. The show opened at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
on September 2, 2021, with Bareilles playing the role through October 17. '' Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl'' was released in 2021. In May 2022, Bareilles starred as the Baker's Wife in the
Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...
production of '' Into the Woods'' at the
New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...
. She reprised the role in a Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre through September 4, 2022. She starred opposite Gavin Creel,
Brian d'Arcy James Brian d'Arcy James (born June 29, 1968) is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in '' Shrek the Musical'', Nick Bottom in '' Something Rotten!'', King George III in '' Hamilton'', and T ...
, Joshua Henry,
Phillipa Soo Phillipa Anne Soo ( ; born May 31, 1990) is an American actress and singer. Known for her leading roles on Broadway (theatre), Broadway primarily in musicals, she has received two Grammy Awards along with nominations for a Tony Awards, Tony Awar ...
, Patina Miller, and Cheyenne Jackson. She received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination for the production. In May 2023, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
, Bareilles recorded a cover of " When You Wish Upon a Star" as part of the company's "100 Years of Wonder" campaign and was released as a single on May 14, 2023, after being performed live as part of Disney Night on season 21 of ''American Idol''. For the third season of
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
series '' Only Murders in the Building'', she co-wrote the song "Look for the Light" with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul which was performed by Meryl Streep and Ashley Park. In late 2023,
Bleecker Street Bleecker Street is an east–west street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightlife, nightclub district. The street connects a neighborhood popular today for music venues and comedy as well as a ...
, working with Fathom Events, released a live recorded version of ''Waitress: The Musical''. Bareilles was a producer on the film which features her performance in the lead role of Jenna. In the first weekend, the movie made the top 10 of the box office. Even though the movie was only shown on 1,214 screens in the US and Canada, the movie made an estimated $3.2 million. The movie is now for sale on multiple streaming services, and on DVD and Blu-Ray. On October 27, 2023, it was announced that ''Girls5eva'', was renewed for a third season by Netflix.


Artistry


Musical style and influences

In ''Sounds Like Me'', Bareilles tells of the conflicting feedback she received on her way to winning a recording contract. Some prospective labels gave her the feedback that her voice was great, but she needed better songs; others told her that the songs were great, but her singing wasn't up to par. This experience was portrayed in the series ''Little Voice''. Bareilles is known for her strong
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
vocal range. She is often compared to artists such as
Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian Americans, Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City's Indie music scene, in ...
,
Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She released five albums from 1996 to 2020, all of which reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart. As of 2021, she has sold over ...
and
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
,"Sara Bareilles - Little Voice CD
. ''CD Universe''. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.
due to her vocal ability and incorporation of piano into her music. She has described her sound as "piano-based pop soul", with Bareilles finding inspiration from singers such as
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...
and
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
. In an interview for ''The Huffington Post'', Bareilles explained that writing and releasing one of her earliest singles, " Love Song", posed as a defining moment for her music career, since she was "fighting for the essence of some truth inside f her which to er wasa beautiful love song." She is often praised for her songwriting abilities, with critics stating she "conveys vulnerability and wisdom in lyrics that speak honestly about relationships from a woman's point of view", and that her "writing voice is uniquely her own".


Band members

Bareilles's first band consisted of these members aside from Bareilles herself: * Javier Dunn– guitar and vocals * Daniel Rhine– bass guitar * Josh Day– drums, percussion and backing vocals Other musicians who have toured with her as part of her band include Eric Robinson (guitar and keys), Holly Conlan (backing vocals), Steve Goold (drums, percussion) and Philip Krohnengold (guitar and keyboards). In 2013, Bareilles parted amicably with her longtime bandmates to "move in a new direction". She subsequently embarked on a short solo tour named ''Brave Enough'', before forming a new band in anticipation of her fall co-headlining tour with
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado, formed in 2002. The lineup currently consists of Ryan Tedder (lead vocals, piano), Zach Filkins (guitar, viola), Drew Brown (musician), Drew Brown (guitar), Brent Kutzle ( ...
. The new band consists of these personnel aside from Bareilles herself: * Rich Hinman– guitar * Steve Goold– drums, percussion * Chris Morrissey– bass guitar * Cara Fox and Christina Courtin– strings * Misty Boyce– keyboards


Collaborations with other artists

In December 2008, a single Bareilles had performed in collaboration with Ingrid Michaelson, titled "Winter Song", was released from the compilation ''The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs''. Bareilles and Michaelson performed it on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', and an animated video was released. In December 2011, "Winter Song" reached number 2 on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
. She also recorded the song "Come Home", a duet with
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado, formed in 2002. The lineup currently consists of Ryan Tedder (lead vocals, piano), Zach Filkins (guitar, viola), Drew Brown (musician), Drew Brown (guitar), Brent Kutzle ( ...
, which was released on iTunes on July 14, 2009. Bareilles was one of many singers to appear in the season 3 finale of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
'', including Mary J. Blige, Rachael Yamagata,
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
, Norah Jones, and
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
. The episode was a parody of "
We Are The World "We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album '' We Are the World''. With sales in excess of 20 milli ...
"-style rockstar fundraisers, with the group recording an impassioned plea for a kidney donation, specifically to help selfish character Jack Donaghy's newly discovered genetic father, played by Alan Alda. Bareilles appeared with
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
on '' Jimmy Kimmel Live'' and as an AOL Sessions guest, performing " (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", as well for a special performance on YouTube. She has performed for the First Family numerous times: * Bareilles was first invited by First Lady
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
to play at the G-20 Summit in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
in September 2009. Here she performed songs for the First Ladies of 20 nations and afterward dined with Michelle Obama. * The Obamas again invited her to perform at the Easter Egg Roll in 2010. * On October 20, 2010, it was announced that Bareilles would open for President Obama at a Las Vegas rally for the Democratic midterm elections. * In December 2010, Bareilles and fellow singer Ingrid Michaelson performed "Winter Song" for the Obamas and many spectators at the National Christmas Tree Lighting. In 2011, as Maroon 5 was touring in promotion for their '' Hands All Over'' album, Bareilles contributed to the female vocals (originally belonging to Lady Antebellum) for the song "Out of Goodbyes". She appeared with the band Sugarland for a cover of Dexys Midnight Runners, Dexys (Midnight Runners)'s "Come on Eileen" in a YouTube exclusive. In December 2010, Bareilles appeared on the second-season finale of ''The Sing-Off season 2, The Sing-Off'' to sing "King of Anything" with The Backbeats. She joined ''The Sing-Off'' as a judge in The Sing-Off season 3, its third season alongside musicians Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman (of
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men ( ) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanya Morris, Wanyá Mo ...
). She and Folds sang the Frank Loesser classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on a Christmas-themed episode of the show in December 2011. Folds later produced, played on, and provided backing vocals on Bareilles's 2012 EP ''Once Upon Another Time''. He provided the foreword to ''Sounds Like Me''. She performed the duet "Love Won't Let You Get Away" with Seth MacFarlane on his debut studio album, ''Music Is Better Than Words'', and reunited to perform the song with him at L.A. Live#Nokia Theatre and Club Nokia, Club Nokia on March 26, 2011. Bareilles was featured on the track titled "Mango Tree", from the Zac Brown Band album titled ''Jekyll + Hyde'', which was released on April 28, 2015. The song title was originally released under the title "Christmas Tree". Bareilles was featured on "Summer is Over", the first single from Jon McLaughlin's third studio album, ''Promising Promises'', a re-issue of his self-released album ''Forever If Ever''. McLaughlin released the selection in January 2012. MacFarlane's Christmas music, Christmas album ''Holiday for Swing'', released on September 30, 2014, would also feature Bareilles. She joined him on another rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". The album, which also featured collaborations with Norah Jones and Frank Sinatra's bassist Chuck Berghoffer as well as a 65-piece orchestra, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. Bareilles collaborated with Folds again in January 2018 at The Kennedy Center for his DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents concert series with the National Symphony Orchestra. Joined by violinist, singer, and Pulitzer Prize for Music, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, the orchestra performed classical music, modern compositions by Shaw, and five of Bareilles's songs, including "She Used to Be Mine" from ''Waitress''. Shaw and Dominic Mekky would arrange the orchestral parts for a performance of "Love Song". Shaw and Folds joined the orchestra, on vocals and percussion respectively, to back Bareilles on "Brave". She, Folds, and Shaw harmonized together on "Once Upon Another Time".


Personal life

Bareilles was in a relationship with former band member and guitarist Javier Dunn until 2013. In August 2015, she met actor Joe Tippett during an out-of-town tryout for '' Waitress'' at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they later began a relationship. The couple made their first public appearance at the 71st Tony Awards, Tony Awards two years later. On New Year's Day in 2023, Bareilles and Tippett announced their engagement. Tippett has appeared in productions of ''Waitress'' as well as on the television series ''The Morning Show (American TV series), The Morning Show'' and ''Mare of Easttown''. Bareilles lives in the neighborhood of West Village in Manhattan. Bareilles considers herself "definitely sort of a Feminism, feminist", saying, "I don't think that being a feminist has anything to do with hating anything. It's about celebrating women and being productive for females. I'm not one for seeing amazing, intelligent women being reduced to sex symbols." Bareilles has been a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community and cites her song " Brave" as being inspired by her friend's struggle with coming out.


Discography

Studio albums * '' Careful Confessions'' (2004) * '' Little Voice'' (2007) * ''
Kaleidoscope Heart ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, which was released on September 7, 2010, through Epic Records. The lead single from the album, " King of Anything", was released digitally on May 10, ...
'' (2010) * '' The Blessed Unrest'' (2013) * '' What's Inside: Songs from Waitress'' (2015) * '' Amidst the Chaos'' (2019) Soundtrack albums * ''Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert#Soundtrack, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event)'' (2018) * ''More Love: Songs from Little Voice Season One'' (2020) * ''Girls5eva#Music, Girls5eva: Music from the Peacock Original Series'' (2021) * ''Girls5eva#Music, Girls5eva: Season 2 (Original Series Soundtrack)'' (2022) * ''Into the Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)'' (2022)


Filmography


Film


Television


Stage credits


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bareilles, Sara Sara Bareilles, 1979 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American essayists 21st-century American memoirists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women composers 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American women writers Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Manhattan American feminist musicians American film actresses American mezzo-sopranos American musical theatre actresses American musical theatre composers American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Portuguese descent American people of Swiss-Italian descent American pop pianists American pop rock singers American rock pianists American rock songwriters American soul keyboardists American soul singers American television actresses American voice actresses American women essayists American women memoirists American women pop singers American women rock singers American women singer-songwriters American women television personalities American writers of Italian descent Broadway composers and lyricists Composers from New York City Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners Judges in American reality television series Memoirists from California Memoirists from New York (state) Musicians from Manhattan People from Eureka, California People from Greenwich Village Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singers from Los Angeles Singers from New York City Television personalities from Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles alumni Women musical theatre composers Writers from Los Angeles Writers from Manhattan