Vanessa Carlton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vanessa Carlton
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Carlton in 2010
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Vanessa Lee Carlton
August 16, 1980 Milford, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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John McCauley
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| Children | 1 |
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Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She became famous with her first album, Be Not Nobody (2002). Her most well-known song, "A Thousand Miles", was a huge hit. It stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 41 weeks. This song also received three Grammy nominations.
Vanessa Carlton has released six studio albums. She also made her Broadway debut in 2019. She played a main role in the musical about Carole King, called Beautiful.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Vanessa Carlton was born on August 16, 1980. Her hometown is Milford, Pennsylvania. She was the first of three children. Her father, Edmund Carlton, was a pilot. Her mother, Heidi Lee, was a pianist and music teacher. Vanessa has a sister named Gwen and a brother named Edmund. Her mother's family is Jewish from Queens, New York.
Vanessa loved music from a very young age. When she was only two, she visited Disneyland. After coming home, she played "It's a Small World" on the piano. Her mother started teaching her classical music. By age nine, she was very interested in ballet. When she was 14, in 1994, she joined the School of American Ballet.
After finishing her studies, she sang in nightclubs. She felt comfortable performing on stage. Later, she moved to New York City. She went to Columbia University for one year. Then she left and worked as a waitress in Hell's Kitchen.
Music Career Highlights
First Album Success: Be Not Nobody
Vanessa Carlton met songwriter and producer Peter Zizzo. He invited her to record a demo. A few months later, Jimmy Iovine signed her to A&M Records. She started working on her first album. It was first called Rinse, but it was never fully released. Some songs from Rinse were later used for her album Be Not Nobody.
One of these songs was "Interlude," which became "A Thousand Miles". The president of A&M Records, Ron Fair, produced this song. "A Thousand Miles" became a massive hit. It reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was one of the most played songs of the year. The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Be Not Nobody was released in April 2002. It quickly reached number five on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album sold over two million copies around the world. Other songs from the album, "Ordinary Day" and "Pretty Baby", were also released as singles. Vanessa toured the U.S. in 2002. She opened for bands like the Goo Goo Dolls. Later, she started her own tour. She also toured Europe in 2003.
Vanessa worked with other artists too. She sang on the Counting Crows' version of "Big Yellow Taxi". She also played piano for Italian singer Zucchero.
Harmonium and New Directions
Vanessa Carlton's second album, Harmonium, came out in November 2004. It reached number 33 on the Billboard 200. This album was produced by Stephan Jenkins from the band Third Eye Blind. Vanessa and Stephan had met while touring together.
Carlton said Harmonium showed more of her true style. The album had darker themes than her first one. The single "White Houses" was released. Vanessa went on two North American tours to promote the album.
Vanessa left A&M Records in 2005. She felt her ideas didn't fit with the record label's plans. She wanted to find a new record deal. During this time, she wrote songs with Linda Perry.
Heroes & Thieves and New Collaborations
In 2005, Vanessa Carlton started working on her next album with producer Linda Perry. The album, Heroes & Thieves, was released and got good reviews. It debuted at number 44 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The first single, "Nolita Fairytale", did well on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart.
To promote the album, Vanessa went on the Haunted Club Tour. The second single, "Hands on Me", was also released. Vanessa later left The Inc. record label.
She also contributed a song called "More than This" to Songs for Tibet. This album supported Tibet and its human rights situation. In September 2008, Vanessa and other musicians went on a trip to the Arctic Circle. They worked with researchers to study climate change for the charity Cape Farewell.
Rabbits on the Run and Hear the Bells
Vanessa Carlton's fourth album, Rabbits on the Run, was released on July 26, 2011. It was released under Razor & Tie. Music critics praised the album for its "strikingly personal" songs. Before making this album, Vanessa thought about scoring films instead of making another record.
She decided to record the album at Real World Studios in England. She chose the title Rabbits on the Run because rabbits often represent "time slipping" or "mind floating." These were feelings she related to. The album was also inspired by Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and Richard Adams's Watership Down. The album has a dreamy sound.
The first single from the album was "Carousel". Later, the song "Hear the Bells" got a music video. Vanessa described it as her most open video yet. In November, she released a holiday EP called Hear the Bells. It included acoustic versions of "Hear the Bells" and "A Thousand Miles".
Liberman and Blue Pool
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In late 2012, Vanessa Carlton announced she was working on a new album. She said the album would have a theme of joy and happiness. In 2013, she performed new songs like "Willows" and "A Matter Of Time".
On February 28, 2014, she finished recording the new album. It was named Liberman. The album was described as "lush, trippy and beautiful." Vanessa said it was meant to be listened to with headphones.
Liberman received positive reviews. Critics liked that it explored personal topics. Ken Capobianco from The Boston Globe said the album showed her in a "better place, artistically." Matthew Schnipper of Pitchfork noted that Carlton's voice was the main appeal.
In April 2015, Vanessa signed with Dine Alone Records to release Liberman. She also released an EP called Blue Pool in July 2015. The songs on this EP were part of a special version of the Liberman album. The album artwork for Liberman was revealed, and it was released on October 23, 2015.
Vanessa released Liberman Live in October 2016. This album had eight live songs recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.
Love Is an Art and Broadway Debut
In February 2017, Vanessa Carlton released another live album. It was called Earlier Things Live. This album included six songs from her earlier works. She also started performing a new song called "Love Is An Art". She thought this might be the title of her next album. She began writing songs for her sixth album in June 2017.
In 2018, she started releasing one cover song each month. These included songs by Robyn, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. She released these cover songs as a triple vinyl collection in November 2018.
In May 2019, it was announced that Vanessa would make her Broadway debut. She took a main role in the Carole King musical Beautiful. She performed for a limited time starting June 27. Vanessa said it was very emotional and exciting to perform on Broadway.
On May 27, 2019, Vanessa announced her sixth album's title: Love is an Art. Dave Fridmann produced the album. Love is an Art was released on March 27, 2020. Vanessa later said she planned to re-release the album in March 2021. This new version would include new songs and demo recordings.
In 2023, a puppet singing "A Thousand Miles" went viral. Vanessa recognized the puppeteer, Ben Howard, at one of her concerts. She seemed to really enjoy his performance.
In 2024, Vanessa and her husband, John Joseph McCauley III, created the music for an upcoming film. The film is called Wish You Were Here. It is directed by Vanessa's friend, actress Julia Stiles. The film is expected to be released in January 2025.
Personal Life
In 2005, Vanessa Carlton ran the New York City Marathon. She donated the money she raised to Musicians on Call. This group brings live music to hospital patients.
On October 9, 2013, Vanessa announced she was expecting her first child. The father was her fiancé, John McCauley. On December 27, 2013, Vanessa and John got married. The ceremony was led by Stevie Nicks. On January 13, 2015, Vanessa gave birth to their daughter.
Vanessa Carlton lived in Nashville with her family until 2021. She now lives in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Albums
Studio albums
- Be Not Nobody (2002)
- Harmonium (2004)
- Heroes & Thieves (2007)
- Rabbits on the Run (2011)
- Liberman (2015)
- Love Is an Art (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Vanessa Carlton para niños
