Sara Bareilles

Sara Beth Bareilles (/bəˈrɛlɪs/ bə-REL-iss; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including two Grammy Awards, as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards. In 2012, VH1 named her one of the Top 100 Greatest Women in Music.

After signing with Epic Records, Bareilles rose to prominence with the release of her second studio album and major label debut, Little Voice (2007). Its lead single, "Love Song", peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned nominations for Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

Bareilles made her Broadway debut when she composed music and wrote lyrics for the 2015 musical Waitress, for which she earned nominations for the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She subsequently received Olivier Award nominations for its 2019 West End transfer production. Her fifth studio album, What's Inside: Songs from Waitress (2015), includes several of the musical's songs, as well as some that were not included in the show. She has since worked on other Broadway productions, including the 2016 musical SpongeBob SquarePants and a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, both of which earned her Tony nominations.

Bareilles is also known for her work in television. In 2018, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mary Magdalene in the NBC musical television special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, for which she was nominated for an Emmy. She played the lead role of Dawn Solano in Peacock and Netflix's musical comedy Girls5eva (2021–2024).

Bareilles was born on December 7, 1979, in Eureka, California. Her father, Paul Bareilles, is an insurance adjuster, and her mother, Bonnie Jean (née Capellas), is a funeral home worker. Bareilles is the youngest of three daughters; she also has a younger half-sister. Bonnie has Portuguese ancestry through her father and maternal grandmother and German ancestry through a maternal great-great-grandfather. Paul has Swiss-Italian ancestry through his mother, Italian ancestry through his paternal grandmother, and French ancestry through his paternal grandfather. Bareilles speaks some Italian and lived in Bologna for a year during college. Bonnie and Paul divorced when Bareilles was 12 years old, and the former later married Ron Halvorsen.

Bareilles was raised Catholic and attended parochial school until junior high, when she transferred to public school. Bareilles still attends Mass with her family when she visits Eureka. Bareilles participated in the high school choir, Limited Edition, and local community theater musical productions, including her high school's production of Little Shop of Horrors, in which she appeared as Audrey.

After graduating from Eureka High School in 1998, Bareilles studied communication studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was a member of the co-ed a cappella group Awaken a Cappella; she can be heard on their album Dysfunktional Family, singing her original selection "Gravity" and "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5. The group's rendition of "Gravity" was featured on the Best of College a Cappella 2004 compilation CD. Bareilles and the pop rock band Maroon 5 have been acquainted since their college days at UCLA, when the latter was known as Kara's Flowers. Bareilles performed in the annual student concert UCLA Spring Sing, winning twice. She taught herself to play multiple instruments, including the piano.

After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs (such as the Hotel Café and Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles), building a following before performing in larger venues. She released two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: The First One in April and The Summer Sessions in October.