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)	Singer songwriter record producer activist 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 for her music. These include eleven Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. She was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Brandi Carlile has released seven studio albums. Her first album with a major record label, Brandi Carlile (2005), was well-liked by critics. She became more widely known with her 2007 song "The Story". This song came 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).

Carlile won three Grammy Awards for her songwriting on Tanya Tucker's album While I'm Livin' (2019). At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, she had six nominations. This was the most for any woman that year. Her nominations included Album of the Year for By the Way, I Forgive You. She was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "The Joke".

In 2019, Carlile started an all-female music group called the Highwomen. She formed it with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. The Highwomen released their first album, which was also called The Highwomen, in 2019. It was very popular and 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. This was for "Outstanding Short Form Program" in the TV series We the People. In 2023, she won her second Emmy. This award was for "Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program" for the YouTube series Jam Van. In 2025, Carlile received her first nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was for her song "Never Too Late", which she wrote and sang with Elton John.

Carlile is also known for her activism and fundraising. She supports many causes. These include helping people in need, providing COVID-19 relief, working for racial justice, and supporting LGBT rights.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Brandi Marie Carlile was born on June 1, 1981. She grew up in Ravensdale, Washington, a small town near Seattle. She spent her childhood playing in the woods with her brother, Jay, and sister, Tiffany. When she was four, Carlile became very sick with bacterial meningitis. Her heart stopped several times, and she was in a coma.

Carlile started singing country songs on stage when she was eight years old. At this age, she sang Johnny Cash's "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother, Teresa Carlile. She began writing her own songs when she was 15. At 16, Carlile sang backup for an Elvis impersonator. She learned to play the piano by herself after hearing Elton John's music. At 17, she learned to play the guitar. Carlile went to Tahoma High School but left to focus on her music career.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Her Career (2004–2006)

Carlile performing in Birmingham, Alabama in 2006

Brandi Carlile began her music career performing in Seattle clubs. She played with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth. In 2004, Columbia Records signed Carlile. They were impressed by the songs she had recorded at home. Her self-titled album, Brandi Carlile, came out in 2005. It included her early songs and new ones.

The album received good reviews. Rolling Stone magazine named her one of their "10 Artists to Watch in 2005". The album reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also hit No. 1 on the US Folk Albums chart. After the album came out, Carlile toured with the Hanseroth brothers. They spent two years performing and improving the songs for her next album, The Story.

Breakthrough with The Story (2007–2009)

Carlile performing in Seattle, Washington in 2009

Carlile's second album, The Story, was produced by T Bone Burnett. It included a song called "Cannonball" with the Indigo Girls. The album was recorded quickly in 11 days. This was to capture the raw energy of Carlile's live shows. The crack in her voice during the song "The Story" happened by accident.

"The Story" became very popular after being used in General Motors commercials during the 2008 Summer Olympics. This caused album sales to jump by 368 percent. The song also reached No. 1 in Portugal. It was also featured in the movie The Lucky One. The album sold over 257,000 copies in the US. It reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the US Rock Albums chart.

Many critics praised The Story. Rachael Maddux from Paste magazine said the album showed Carlile's amazing vocal power. Several songs from Carlile's albums were used in the TV show Grey's Anatomy. The show even made a music video for "The Story" using clips from the series.

Her next album, Give Up the Ghost, was released in 2009. It reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200. This album was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Rick Rubin. It featured a song called "Caroline" with Elton John. In 2010, the song "If There Was No You" was used by National Geographic Channel in Latin America. The album was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Music Artist".

Continued Success (2010–2014)

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

In 2011, Carlile's album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony reached No. 14 on the Top Rock Albums chart. This live album featured Carlile and her band performing with the Seattle Symphony. Critics called it her best live album. It reached No. 63 on the Billboard 200. It also hit No. 5 on the US Folk Albums and No. 14 on the US Rock Albums charts.

Carlile's album Bear Creek was released on June 5, 2012. It was produced by Trina Shoemaker. Carlile worked closely with the Hanseroth twins on this album. A song from this album, "Heart's Content", was featured in the 2013 movie Safe Haven.

Bear Creek was very successful. It reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200. It also topped the US Billboard Folk Albums chart at No. 1. And it reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Rock Albums chart.

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

The Firewatcher's Daughter and Grammy Nomination (2015–2016)

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

Carlile's fifth album, The Firewatcher's Daughter, was released on March 3, 2015. Carlile told NPR that they did not make any demos for the album. She said rock and roll is about being reckless and taking risks.

The album's preview track, "The Eye", was an acoustic song. NPR Music said it showed the strong connection Carlile has with her bandmates. The Firewatcher's Daughter became Carlile's first album to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Album Chart. It also topped the US Folk and US Rock charts.

The Current reviewed the album. They said it was Carlile's most "rockin'" album. USA Today wrote that the album had a "big heart". On December 6, 2015, The Firewatcher's Daughter received Carlile's first Grammy Award nomination. It was nominated for Best Americana Album.

In April 2016, Carlile performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She sang "Mainstream Kid" from her album.

Grammy Success with By the Way, I Forgive You (2017–2020)

Carlile performing in Minneapolis in 2018

Carlile's sixth studio album, By the Way, I Forgive You, was released on February 16, 2018. It was produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. Before the album came out, three songs were released: "The Joke", "The Mother", and "Sugartooth". Carlile performed songs from the album on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

By the Way, I Forgive You became Carlile's highest-charting album. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. The first song from the album, "The Joke", was on former President Barack Obama's year-end playlist. The album received great reviews. Carlile earned six nominations at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. This was the most nominations for a female artist in 2019. She won three awards: Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song, and Best American Roots Performance (for "The Joke").

In 2019, Carlile co-founded the country music supergroup the Highwomen. She appeared at Loretta Lynn's 87th birthday concert. There, she performed with Tanya Tucker from Tucker's album While I'm Livin', which Carlile produced. The Highwomen also performed live for the first time at this concert. Their first song, "Redesigning Women", came out in July 2019. Their self-titled album was released in September 2019. It was praised by critics.

In January 2019, Carlile performed at a tribute concert for Chris Cornell. She sang songs by Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and Soundgarden. All money from the event went to charity. In October 2019, Carlile performed Joni Mitchell's album Blue in full at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In February 2020, Carlile was named the Record Store Day 2020 Ambassador. In June 2020, Carlile worked with the remaining members of Soundgarden. They re-recorded two Soundgarden songs, "Black Hole Sun" and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed". These were released on a vinyl record. In October 2021, Rolling Stone reported that Carlile wanted to keep working with Soundgarden's surviving members.

Broken Horses and In These Silent Days (2021-Present)

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

In April 2021, Carlile released her autobiography called Broken Horses: A Memoir. The book quickly became No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for non-fiction.

In October 2021, Carlile released her seventh album, In These Silent Days. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200. It also topped the Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts. The album was highly praised. Its main song, "Right on Time", earned Carlile three Grammy Award nominations in 2022. These included Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In These Silent Days earned Carlile seven more Grammy nominations in 2023. These included Album of the Year and Best Americana Album, which she won. The song "You and Me on the Rock" received three nominations. "Broken Horses" earned two nominations: Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, both of which she won.

Carlile was the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live in October 2021. She performed "Right on Time" and "Broken Horses". She returned to SNL in December 2022. There, she performed "The Story" and "You and Me on the Rock" with Lucius. She appeared on SNL again in April 2025 with Elton John to promote their new album Who Believes in Angels?.

In 2022, Joni Mitchell performed with Carlile and her friends at the Newport Folk Festival. Mitchell's appearance was a surprise. This was Mitchell's first full performance since the early 2000s. Carlile also headlined the 2022 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival.

In January 2023, Carlile headlined the party for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. In 2023, Carlile worked with Tanya Tucker again. They produced, wrote, and sang on the album Sweet Western Sound. They recorded a duet called "Breakfast in Birmingham" for the album.

Tours and Performances

In July 2018, Carlile announced her own music festival. It was called "Girls Just Wanna Weekend". The festival took place in Mexico from January 30 to February 3, 2019. It featured only female musicians. Carlile was inspired to create her own festival after attending the Cayamo Cruise festival for many years.

In June 2025, Carlile performed at the Opera House, Manchester, and The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. Later that month, she performed on The Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in Somerset.

Personal Life

Carlile and her wife Catherine Shepherd in 2023

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

Carlile often works with Tim and Phil Hanseroth. They have performed together since she was 17. Phil Hanseroth is now Carlile's brother-in-law. He married Carlile's younger sister, Tiffany. The three of them have matching tattoos of the Auryn amulet. This is a magical item from the book and movie The Neverending Story. Carlile 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. These include Reverb, Honor the Earth, the Bridge School, Children in Conflict, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, and Doctors Without Borders.

The Looking Out Foundation has also started many campaigns. These include Looking Out for the Hungry, Fund Racial Justice, and a COVID-19 Relief Fund. Carlile donates $2 from every concert ticket sale to the foundation. Her wife, Catherine, has been the foundation's Executive Director since 2012. The Looking Out Foundation has donated almost $6 million to various causes.

In May 2017, Carlile released Cover Stories. This was a benefit album featuring songs from her 2007 album, The Story. Carlile and the Looking Out Foundation chose War Child UK as the charity for the album. They raised $1 million to help children affected by war. Former US President Barack Obama wrote the introduction for the album.

In October 2018, Carlile worked with Sam Smith. They re-recorded the song "Party of One" as a duet. Money from the song's sales went to the Story Campaign. In October 2020, Carlile and Alicia Keys encouraged people to vote with their song "A Beautiful Noise". They performed it on a TV special called 'Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy'.

In February 2023, the Looking Out Foundation raised $300,000 in seven days. This money was for the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake relief effort. Brandi and Catherine Carlile were honored by People magazine in 2023. They were recognized as "Women Changing the World" for their 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)

Collaborative albums

• The Highwomen (2019) – with the Highwomen
• Who Believes in Angels? (2025) – with Elton John

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 by Joni Mitchell (2023)

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards

Grammy Awards

Carlile has won 11 Grammy Awards from 26 nominations. She is the first female songwriter to receive two Grammy nominations for Song of the Year in the same year.

Emmy Awards

Other Awards and Nominations

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

See also

In Spanish: Brandi Carlile para niños

• LGBTQ representation in country music