ARTIST

Vanessa Carlton

Born in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, this musician was listening to music before she was born, as her mother performed various classical pieces on their home piano. At the age of two, Carlton and her parents went to Disney World, where she heard "It's A Small World." Falling in love with the song, she discerned its melody on the piano when she returned home. Having composed her first piano piece at age eight, Carlton was exposed to a wide array of music, from Debussy to Pink Floyd.

At 14, she was accepted into the School of American Ballet in New York, where she lived in a dorm in the famous Lincoln Center. But, after being in the top of her class, she became frustrated at the strictness of the discipline. This frustration led to her playing a nearby piano in the dorm, from which a multitude of songs began to form. Ater waitressing in lower Manhattan and living in Hell's Kitchen, Carlton would drive between her place and her parents' home on weekends, attempting to record "the perfect demo" on piano. Open mic nights in New York City followed and her music caught the attention of important music industry ears.

In February 2002, her debut single "A Thousand Miles", hit the charts and its video was played on MTV. She has performed on Rosie O'Donnell and MTV's TRL and has been mentioned in Rolling Stone as one of 10 artists to watch in 2002. In April 2002, she released her debut album, Be Not Nobody.

Written by Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide