Sara Bareilles Biography

American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles was born in 1979 in Eureka, California. Sara was active in her high school’s performing arts program, appearing in school plays and musical performances, but after graduating she attended the University of California, Los Angeles as a communications major. But even throughout her college years she continued to sing and began to compose some of her own music on the piano.

After graduating from UCLA, Bareilles began to perform around the Los Angeles area in clubs and bars, slowly establishing a local fan base. By 2004, Sara had independently released her first full length album, Careful Confessions, which garnered her some interest from record labels. After signing with Epic Records in 2005, Bareilles re-entered the studio to begin preparing for her major label debut.

The result was the album Little Voice, which featured the smash hit “Love Song.” The single shot to the top of the mainstream charts, bringing the album with it and rising to multi-platinum status. Since that time, Bareilles has released the additional albums Kaleidoscope Heart (2010) and The Blessed Unrest (2013), featuring the songs “King of Anything,” “Gonna Get Over You,” “I Choose You,” and the additional smash hit “Brave.” So far, Sara Bareilles has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, for: Song of the Year (“Love Song”); Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“King of Anything”); Album of the Year (The Blessed Unrest); and Best Pop Solo Performance (“Brave.”) She has also been nominated for An American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

Most recently, Sara Bareilles scored the musical adaptation of the film Waitress, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score and two Drama Desk Award nominations, for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics. The album featuring music from the musical, What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress, arrived in 2015. In 2016, Bareilles made her theatrical debut in the role of Ariel, in the stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl.