Michelle Branch Biography

The American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch was born in 1983 in Sedona, Arizona. Michelle began singing while still in elementary school, and by the time she was eight she’d started to take voice lessons. As a teenager, she learned to play guitar. Branch was so committed to her future as an entertainer that as a sophomore she left traditional school and finished her studies in a homeschool program so that she could focus on writing and recording music.

Branch’s talents caught the attention of the band Hanson, and she was invited to join the band on tour as an opening act in 2000. By 2001, Michelle had signed her first recording deal with Maverick Records, and she entered the studio to prepare for her major-label debut. The result, The Spirit Room, earned Michelle Branch significant critical acclaim and commercial success; the album spawned the hit singles “Everywhere,” “All You Wanted,” and “Goodbye to You,” reaching multi-platinum status and earning Branch a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

Michelle Branch followed The Spirit Room with the album Hotel Paper, which fared even better upon its release in 2003, rising to the number two spot on the mainstream charts in the United States and charting internationally. Additional notable singles from Branch include: “Are You Happy Now?,” “Breathe,” “Sooner or Later,” and “Loud Music.” Branch also contributed vocals to the number one Santana hit, “The Game of Love,” and Timbaland’s “Getaway.”

Michelle Branch continues to perform and record. In 2005, she teamed up with Jessica Harp to form the group the Wreckers, which released the album Stand Still, Look Pretty (featuring the hit song, “Leave the Pieces.”) Although the group earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, the Wreckers disbanded in 2007 and Branch resumed her career as a solo artist. Her next album, title to be announced, is expected for release in 2017.