Brandi Carlile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandi Carlile
Carlile in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Brandi Marie Carlile
Born	(1981-06-01) June 1, 1981 (age 44) Ravensdale, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Americana alternative country rock folk rock
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter record producer author
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano banjo
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Columbia ATO Low Country Sound
Spouse(s)	Catherine Shepherd ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2

Brandi Marie Carlile (born June 1, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. Her music mixes different styles like folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. She has won many awards, including eleven Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. She was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Brandi grew up in Ravensdale, Washington, a small town near Seattle. She left high school to focus on her music career. By 2021, she had released seven studio albums. Her first major album, Brandi Carlile (2005), was very popular with critics. She became even more famous with her 2007 song "The Story" from her album of the same name. Other albums include Give Up the Ghost (2009), Bear Creek (2012), The Firewatcher's Daughter (2015), By the Way, I Forgive You (2018), and In These Silent Days (2021).

Brandi Carlile has won three Grammy Awards for her songwriting on Tanya Tucker's album While I'm Livin' (2019). In 2019, she was the woman with the most nominations at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, getting six nominations. These included Album of the Year for By the Way, I Forgive You, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her song "The Joke".

In 2019, Brandi started an all-female music group called the Highwomen with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. Their first album, The Highwomen, was released in 2019 and was very successful. They won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2021 for their song "Crowded Table".

Brandi Carlile has also won two Emmy Awards. In 2022, she won her first Children's and Family Emmy Award for a short program called We the People. In 2023, she won another Emmy for an original song in the YouTube series Jam Van. In 2025, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Never Too Late", which she wrote and sang with Elton John.

Brandi Carlile is also known for her activism and fundraising. She supports many causes, like helping people in need, COVID-19 relief, racial justice, and LGBT rights.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Brandi Carlile was born on June 1, 1981, in Ravensdale, Washington. This small town is about 30 miles from Seattle. Growing up, she lived in the only house for miles and spent her time playing in the woods with her brother, Jay, and sister, Tiffany. When she was four, Brandi got a serious illness called bacterial meningitis, which almost took her life. Her heart stopped a few times, and she was in a coma.

Brandi taught herself to sing when she was a child. She started singing country songs on stage at eight years old. At that age, she performed Johnny Cash's "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother, Teresa Carlile. She began playing the guitar and writing songs when she was 15. At 16, Brandi became a backup singer for someone who pretended to be Elvis Presley. She went to Tahoma High School but later left to focus on her music. After hearing the music of Elton John, Brandi taught herself to play the piano. By 17, she had also learned to play the guitar.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out: 2004–2006

Carlile performing in Birmingham, Alabama in 2006

Brandi Carlile started her music career by performing in clubs in Seattle. She played with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who are still part of her band today. In 2004, Columbia Records signed Carlile because they liked the songs she had recorded at home. In 2005, she released her first album, Brandi Carlile, which included these early songs and new ones. The album was re-released in 2006 with updated versions of some songs.

The album received great reviews. Rolling Stone magazine even named her one of the "10 Artists to Watch in 2005". After the album came out, Brandi and the Hanseroth brothers spent two years touring. This helped them improve their songs for her next album, The Story. By the end of 2006, Carlile was headlining her own tours and opening for other artists like Ray LaMontagne and Tori Amos.

Becoming Famous: 2007–2009

Brandi's second album, The Story, was produced by T Bone Burnett. It was recorded quickly in 11 days to capture the raw energy of her live shows. The album's main song, "The Story", became very popular after it was used in General Motors commercials during the 2008 Summer Olympics. This made album sales jump by a lot. The song also became number one in Portugal.

Many music critics praised The Story. Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it showed Carlile was a "singular talent". Three songs from her albums, "Tragedy", "What Can I Say", and "Throw It All Away", were used in the TV show Grey's Anatomy. The show even made a music video for "The Story" using clips from the series.

In 2009, Brandi released Give Up the Ghost, which reached number 26 on the Billboard charts. This album was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Rick Rubin. It included a song called "Caroline" with Elton John. The song "If There Was No You" from this album was used by National Geographic Channel to promote a series.

Continued Success: 2010–2014

Carlile and the Oregon Symphony at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon in 2012

In 2011, Brandi Carlile's live album, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony, became very popular. It reached number 14 on the Top Rock Albums chart. This album featured Carlile and her band performing with the Seattle Symphony. Critics loved it, saying it made her music sound even more elegant.

Her next album, Bear Creek, came out in 2012. It was a team effort with the Hanseroth twins. Brandi shared that they decided to split everything equally in the band, which helps them work together on songs. A song from this album, "Heart's Content", was featured in the 2013 movie Safe Haven. Bear Creek reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2014, Brandi sang the national anthem for an NFL game. She also recorded a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" for a special album.

Grammy Nomination and The Firewatcher's Daughter: 2015–2016

Carlile and the Hanseroth twins on A Prairie Home Companion in 2016

Brandi Carlile's fifth album, The Firewatcher's Daughter, was released in 2015. Before it came out, the Boston Globe said that Brandi would bring "emotional intelligence, thoughtful clarity, and... the most arresting female voice in pop". Brandi explained that they didn't make any demo versions of the songs. She said, "To me rock and roll isn't really a genre but more of recklessness or a risk."

The album's song "The Eye" was released early with a video. NPR Music described it as "a quiet breath in the midst of the album's glorious storm." The Firewatcher's Daughter became number 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Album Chart, which was a first for Brandi. It also topped the Folk and Rock charts.

In December 2015, The Firewatcher's Daughter earned Brandi her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Americana Album. In April 2016, she performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers, singing "Mainstream Kid" and dedicating it to Senator Bernie Sanders.

Grammy Wins and By the Way, I Forgive You: 2017–2020

Carlile performing in Minneapolis in 2018

Brandi Carlile's sixth album, By the Way, I Forgive You, came out in 2018. It included songs like "The Joke", "The Mother", and "Sugartooth". Brandi performed songs from the album on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. By the Way, I Forgive You became her highest-charting album, reaching number 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. Former President Barack Obama even included "The Joke" on his year-end playlist.

The album received great reviews and led to Brandi getting six nominations at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019. This was the most nominations for a female artist that year. She was nominated for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. She won three Grammys: Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Performance, and Best American Roots Song (for "The Joke").

In 2019, Brandi Carlile helped form the country music supergroup the Highwomen with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. They released their first album, The Highwomen, which was very successful. Brandi also performed at a tribute concert for Chris Cornell in Los Angeles, singing songs by his bands Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and Soundgarden. In October 2019, Brandi performed Joni Mitchell's entire album Blue at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In 2020, Brandi Carlile became the ambassador for Record Store Day. She also worked with the remaining members of Soundgarden to re-record two of their songs, "Black Hole Sun" and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed".

Recent Years: Broken Horses and In These Silent Days

Carlile with Sara Bareilles at the 2023 Library of Congress Great Hall

In April 2021, Brandi Carlile released her autobiography called Broken Horses: A Memoir. The book quickly became number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for non-fiction.

In September 2021, Brandi was honored with the She is the Music Award at the Songs of Hope celebration. On October 1, 2021, she released her seventh album, In These Silent Days. This album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts. The lead song, "Right on Time", earned her three Grammy nominations in 2022. The album itself earned her seven more Grammy nominations in 2023, including Album of the Year. She won Best Americana Album for In These Silent Days, and also won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for "Broken Horses".

Brandi Carlile has been a musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live twice, performing songs from her albums. In 2022, Joni Mitchell performed with Brandi and her friends at the Newport Folk Festival. This was a big surprise, as it was Mitchell's first full performance in many years. Brandi also headlined the 2022 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival. In 2023, Brandi Carlile performed at the inauguration party for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who is the first lesbian governor in the United States.

In 2023, Brandi worked with Tanya Tucker again to produce, write, and sing on the album Sweet Western Sound. They recorded a duet called "Breakfast in Birmingham" for the album.

Touring and Performances

In July 2018, Brandi Carlile announced her own music festival called "Girls Just Wanna Weekend". This festival took place in Mexico in early 2019 and featured only female musicians, including Indigo Girls, Maren Morris, and Patty Griffin. Brandi created this festival because she enjoyed being part of other music cruises and wanted to create a special event for women in music.

Personal Life

Carlile and her wife Catherine Shepherd in 2023

Brandi Carlile is married to Catherine Shepherd. They met in 2009 and got married in Wareham, Massachusetts, on September 15, 2012. They have two daughters. Since 2012, Catherine has been the executive director of the Looking Out Foundation, which is Brandi's non-profit organization. Before this, Catherine worked for Paul McCartney as his charity coordinator for ten years.

Brandi's longtime bandmates, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, are like family to her. Phil is now Brandi's brother-in-law because he married her younger sister, Tiffany. The three of them have matching tattoos of the Auryn amulet, which is a magical item from the book and movie The Neverending Story. Brandi is a Christian and lives in Maple Valley, Washington.

Activism and Helping Others

Carlile on stage in 2010

In 2008, Brandi Carlile and the Hanseroth brothers started the Looking Out Foundation. This organization helps raise money and awareness for causes they care about. The foundation has given money to many groups, including those helping with humanitarian aid, COVID-19 relief, racial justice, and LGBT rights. Brandi donates $2 from every concert ticket sale to the foundation.

Brandi's wife, Catherine, has been in charge of the Looking Out Foundation since 2012. Since it started, the foundation has given almost $6 million to various causes.

In 2017, Brandi released Cover Stories, an album where other artists sang songs from her 2007 album, The Story. Brandi and the Looking Out Foundation chose War Child UK as the charity for this album to help children affected by the refugee crisis. They have raised $1 million for this cause. Former US President Barack Obama even wrote the introduction for the album.

In 2018, Brandi teamed up with Sam Smith to create a new version of the song "Party of One" as a duet. The money from this song went to the Story Campaign. In 2020, Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys encouraged people to vote with their song "A Beautiful Noise". In February 2023, the Looking Out Foundation quickly raised $300,000 in seven days to help with the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake relief efforts.

Brandi and Catherine were recognized by People magazine in 2023 as "Women Changing the World" for their important work with the Looking Out Foundation.

Discography

Studio albums

• Brandi Carlile (2005)
• The Story (2007)
• Give Up the Ghost (2009)
• Bear Creek (2012)
• The Firewatcher's Daughter (2015)
• By the Way, I Forgive You (2018)
• In These Silent Days (2021)

with The Highwomen

• The Highwomen (2019)

Other

• Cover Stories (2017)

as producer

• You Don't Own Me Anymore by The Secret Sisters (2017)
• While I'm Livin' by Tanya Tucker (2019)
• Saturn Return by The Secret Sisters (2020)
• Second Nature by Lucius (2022)
• Brandy Clark by Brandy Clark (2023)
• Sweet Western Sound by Tanya Tucker (2023)
• Joni Mitchell at Newport (2023)

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards

Grammy Awards

Brandi Carlile has won 11 Grammy Awards from 26 nominations. She is the first female songwriter to be nominated for Song of the Year twice in the same year (in 2022).

Emmy Awards

Other Awards

Brandi Carlile won Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award in 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Brandi Carlile para niños