Vanessa Carlton is an instant sensation who shot to popularity with her breakthrough single ‘A Thousand Miles’ before releasing her platinum-certified debut album ‘Be Not Nobody.’ She was naturally drawn to music as the daughter of a music instructor and began singing at the age of two. Her mother made sure she was aware of the music of renowned composers like Mozart, Erik Satie, and Claude Debussy from an early age. She also studied dance and played the piano. She recognized that music was her calling after graduating from college and began performing in pubs and clubs while still a student. After hearing her demo tape, the president of A&M Records invited her to record a single. Her debut track, “A Thousand Miles,” was an instant hit and was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. ‘Be Not Nobody,’ her debut album, was released a few months later and reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Her latter albums, ‘Harmonium’ and ‘Rabbits on the Run,’ however, failed to match the success of her earlier works. The brilliant singer is considering a career in film composing in addition to recording records.
Childhood and Adolescence
Vanessa Carlton is one of Ed and Heidi Carlton’s three children. Her mother was a musician and music instructor, and her father was a pilot. Her ancestors are of mixed ancestry. Her family is musical, and she began playing tunes on the piano when she was two years old. Her mother began coaching her daughter after recognizing her aptitude. Her mother introduced her to classical music, while her father introduced her to classic rock music. She began interested in ballet when she was nine years old. She attended Montessori School for her elementary schooling and was admitted into the School of American Ballet when she was 14 years old, in 1994. She went to the Professional Children’s School for high school. She went on to Columbia University after that. At this time, she began performing vocal performances in clubs and pubs.
Career of Vanessa
In order to get a contract, she recorded demo tapes and sent them to recording firms. She agreed to record an album with Jimmy Iovine, the co-founder of Interscope Records. She started working on her album ‘Rinsed,’ but it was never released. When A&M Records president Ron Fair heard her demo tape, he was blown away by the song “A Thousand Miles.” He coordinated the song’s recording session and produced it himself. The song became an instant hit, charting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. ‘Be Not Nobody,’ her debut album, was released in April 2002. Several of the tracks on the album were previously recorded for the unreleased ‘Rinse.’ On the Billboard 200 albums list, it reached No. 5.
At the end of 2002, she embarked on a promotional tour for her record. She opened for bands like Goo Goo Dolls and Third Eye Blind before starting on the tour. Before releasing her second album, she collaborated with other musicians such as the Counting Crows, Zucchero, and Kimya Dawson on their albums. ‘Harmonium,’ her second album, was released in November 2004. It was a huge letdown for the singer because it did not perform well. It barely charted at No. 33 on the Billboard 200, and it sold far fewer copies than its predecessor. ‘Heroes & Thieves,’ her third album, was released in 2007.
Although it did not sell well commercially, it earned generally positive reviews; despite being a commercial failure, it was a critical success. ‘Nolita Fairytale’ and ‘Hands on Me,’ both singles, were small hits. To promote the album, she went on the Haunted Club Tour. ‘Rabbits on the Run,’ her most recent album, was published in July 2011. The album was based on Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ and Richard Adams’ ‘Watership Down.’ It included the single ‘Carousel,’ which received a lot of great feedback.
Major Projects of Vanessa
‘Be Not Nobody,’ her debut album, is her most successful to date. The album received platinum certification in the United States and gold certification in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The album’s first song, ‘A Thousand Miles,’ reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Achievements & Awards
In 2003, she received three Grammy Award nominations for the tune “A Thousand Miles,” including one for Song of the Year. She received an American Music Award nomination for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.
Personal History and Legacy
From 2002 through 2007, she dated Stephen Jenkins, the singer-songwriter and guitarist for the band Third Eye Blind. She is passionate about philanthropy and has previously worked with PETA. She ran the New York City Marathon in 2005 and donated the proceeds to charity. In 2010, she came out as bisexual.
Estimated Net Worth
Vanessa Carlton has a net worth of $10 million as an American artist and singer-songwriter. Her debut hit, “A Thousand Miles,” is undoubtedly her most well-known work. Carlton has continued to release albums for the rest of her career as a result of her success. Carlton is also heavily interested in charitable endeavors.