|
|
Contact: |
|
Josh
Groban To Perform At NARM Convention Scholarship Dinner Twenty-year-old
Pop Classical singing sensation Josh
Groban will perform at the National Association of Recording
Merchandisers’ Scholarship Foundation Dinner on Sunday, March 10, during
the 2002 NARM Convention & Trade Show featuring the Association for
Independent Music. David Foster, the world-renowned producer, writer,
and arranger, will accompany Groban on the piano. Discovered
by Foster, Groban’s debut album on 143 Records features the likes of
Charlotte Church, The Coors, Rhys Fulber and Lili Haydn. The album,
which Foster helmed, was No. 1 on the Billboard
Heatseekers chart for the week of January 12 and jumped to No. 41 on the
Billboard 200 this week. It
was also the Greatest Gainer on that chart this week. “Josh
is yet another fine example of the new young talent who have made their
industry debuts at the NARM Convention and who have later proved
stunningly successful and important for the continued growth and
vitality of the music industry,” says NARM Executive Vice President
Jim Donio. “Other such artists who have appeared at the NARM
Convention to launch their careers include Charlotte Church, *N Sync,
Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. We’re thrilled to be able to bring
this amazing voice to the Convention for industry members to experience
first-hand.” Born
in Los Angeles, Groban’s rise to fame reads like a movie script. He
first started singing when he joined his seventh grade school vocal
group because “everyone else was doing it.” A few years later, after
attending the prestigious Interlochen Arts Program, Groban began to
seriously develop his talent, taking music lessons on the side, and
acting and singing in school productions. His
discipline began to pay off in 1998. Foster, a friend of Groban’s
vocal coach, called him looking for a singer for the California
governor’s inauguration. Groban sent a tape to Foster, and was soon
performing a flawless version of “All I Ask Of You” at the January
1999 event. A
month later Foster called and, incredibly, asked the 17-year-old singer
to fill in for Andrea Bocelli and sing “The Prayer” with Celine Dion
at the 1999 Grammy Awards rehearsals. “At
first I said no,” Groban remembers. “I was afraid the song was too
high for me, and God knows I didn’t want to embarrass myself.” But a
persistent Foster prevailed, and Groban sang the Oscar-nominated song in
front of several other Grammy-nominated artists — and with Dion
herself. Rosie
O’Donnell, the host for the Grammys that year, noticed Groban, and
just a few weeks later, he found himself appearing on
The Rosie O’Donnell Show. Groban
continued to perform at events for Foster, and, eventually, a group of
Warner Bros. executives joined with him in signing Groban to a deal with
the Foster/Warner Bros. joint venture, 143 Records. Since
then, Groban has appeared on two episodes of Ally McBeal, performing the heartfelt song, “You’re Still
You,” from his debut album, and “To Where You Are,” another track
from his new record. He recently performed on the Today
Show, and has appeared with such notable singers as Charlotte
Church, k.d. lang and Lara Fabian. Foster
especially admires Josh’s versatility: “I love his natural ability
in the Pop and Rock arena, but I love his sense of Classics even
more,” Foster says. “He’s a true musical force to be reckoned
with.” Since
its inception in 1966, the NARM Scholarship Foundation has been awarding
scholarship to the music industry’s children through the generosity
and support of NARM member companies, including all of the branch
distribution companies, major labels, key retailers and wholesalers, as
well as individuals. More than $5 million in financial assistance has
been given to more than 600 students who have attended college with the
help of a NARM scholarship. NARM serves the music retailing community in the areas of advocacy, networking, information, education, and promotion. The Association’s more than 1,000 members include retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and suppliers of products and services. NARM has joined with the Association for Independent Music to blend AFIM events into the 2002 NARM Convention & Trade Show. ### |
|
