Sara Bareilles Bio
Sara Beth Bareilles (born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and 15 million singles in the United States while earning numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards and nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards and Tony Awards. Bareilles rose to prominence with the 2007 hit single “Love Song” from her major-label debut Little Voice, and she later wrote and starred in the Broadway musical Waitress. Known for her piano-based pop-soul style, she is celebrated for her songwriting craft and has expanded her career to include television acting and producing.
Early Life and Background
Sara Beth Bareilles was born on December 7, 1979, in Eureka, California. Her father, Paul Bareilles, worked as an insurance adjuster, and her mother, Bonnie Jean (née Capellas), worked in the funeral home industry. Bareilles is the youngest of three daughters and also has a younger half-sister. Her heritage includes Portuguese ancestry through her mother and Swiss-Italian ancestry through her father.
Bareilles was raised Catholic and attended parochial school until junior high, when she transferred to public school. During high school, she participated in the choir program and local community theater productions. She performed as Audrey in her high school’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, which sparked her passion for performing arts.
After graduating from Eureka High School in 1998, Bareilles enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied communication studies. At UCLA, she joined the co-ed a cappella group Awaken A Cappella and can be heard on their album Dysfunktional Family singing her original composition “Gravity” and a cover of “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. She also performed at UCLA Spring Sing, winning twice, and taught herself to play multiple instruments, including the piano.
Path to Songwriting and Performance
After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles immediately pursued a career in the music industry, performing at local bars and venues throughout Los Angeles. She released two demo recordings in 2003, titled The First One and The Summer Sessions. In January 2004, she self-published her first studio album, Careful Confessions, which showcased her developing songwriting style and vocal abilities.
Bareilles supported Guster on their first UK tour and co-headlined a tour with Jon McLaughlin during this period. In 2004, she appeared as a singer in the independent film Girl Play, performing the song “Undertove” while her tracks “Gravity” and “Fairy Tale” also appeared in the soundtrack. She signed a contract with Epic Records on April 15, 2005, and spent the following year writing and composing material for her upcoming album.
Sara Bareilles Career
Breakthrough (2007–2008)
Bareilles rose to prominence with the release of her second studio album, Little Voice, in June 2007. The album’s lead single, “Love Song,” documented her frustration with the pressures of meeting record label demands during its creation. iTunes featured the single as the free single of the week, which helped boost its visibility. The song entered the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2007 and peaked at number four.
Little Voice debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200 chart and shot to number one on the iTunes most downloaded albums list in its first week of release. After being featured in a Rhapsody commercial, “Love Song” began climbing the pop charts rapidly, jumping from number 73 to number 16 in a single week. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America by 2010 and peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200. Bareilles performed the hit single on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Today show, which further elevated her profile. She toured extensively during this period, opening for artists including Maroon 5, Paolo Nutini, James Blunt, and Rocco DeLuca and the Burden.
Continued Musical Success (2009–2014)
Bareilles released her third studio album, Kaleidoscope Heart, on September 7, 2010. The album debuted at number one in the United States, selling 90,000 copies in its first week. Its lead single, “King of Anything,” received significant radio airplay and was later certified platinum by the RIAA. She toured extensively in support of the album, including a European and Asian tour with Maroon 5.
She joined the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off as a celebrity judge alongside Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman, following Nicole Scherzinger’s departure. In 2012, she released the EP Once Upon Another Time with Ben Folds producing. Her fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest, was released on July 16, 2013, featuring the hit single “Brave,” which became an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community and was inspired by her friend’s struggle with coming out.
Broadway Success (2015–Present)
Bareilles made her Broadway debut when she composed music and wrote lyrics for the 2015 musical Waitress, an adaptation of the 2007 film of the same title. She earned Tony Award nominations for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for her work on the production. The musical opened at the American Repertory Theater before transferring to Broadway, where it ran for several years.
Bareilles played the lead role of Jenna Hunterson in Waitress for multiple limited engagement runs on Broadway from 2017 to 2021, including performances alongside Jason Mraz as Dr. Pomatter. She also contributed to the SpongeBob SquarePants musical in 2016, earning another Tony nomination for Best Original Score. Her fifth studio album, What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress (2015), featured songs from the musical reworked in her signature style.
Notable Works and Milestones
Bareilles continued her television work by portraying Mary Magdalene in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert in 2018, earning critical acclaim and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She co-hosted the 72nd Tony Awards with Josh Groban the same year. Her sixth studio album, Amidst the Chaos, was released in April 2019 and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. She won the Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance for the song “Saint Honesty” from that album in January 2020.
Bareilles starred as Dawn Solano in the Peacock and Netflix musical comedy series Girls5eva from 2021 to 2024, created by Meredith Scardino and executive produced by Tina Fey. She developed the Apple TV+ series Little Voice with J.J. Abrams and Jessie Nelson, for which she also recorded the theme song. In 2022, she starred as the Baker’s Wife in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. In late 2023, a filmed version of Waitress featuring her performance was released by Bleecker Street, with Bareilles serving as a producer on the project.
Sara Bareilles Award Nominations
Bareilles has received multiple award nominations throughout her career across music and theater. She has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including recognition for her performance in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert and her work on the 72nd Tony Awards. She has received three Tony Award nominations, notably for Best Original Score for Waitress, Best Original Score for SpongeBob SquarePants, and Best Actress in a Musical for Into the Woods. Her songwriting has earned Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Love Song,” as well as nominations for Best Musical Theater Album for her Broadway work.
Sara Bareilles Awards Won
Bareilles has won two Grammy Awards over the course of her career. She won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for Waitress and the Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance for “Saint Honesty” from her album Amidst the Chaos in 2020. She has also received Olivier Award nominations for the 2019 West End transfer of Waitress.
Sara Bareilles Family
Sara Beth Bareilles was born to Paul Bareilles and Bonnie Jean (née Capellas) in Eureka, California. Her father worked in insurance and her mother in the funeral home industry. Bareilles is the youngest of three daughters and has a younger half-sister. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old, and her mother later married Ron Halvorsen.
Personal Life
Bareilles was in a long-term relationship with former band member and guitarist Javier Dunn until 2013. In August 2015, she met actor Joe Tippett during an out-of-town tryout for Waitress at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the two began a relationship shortly thereafter. They made their first public appearance together at the Tony Awards two years later. The couple announced their engagement on New Year’s Day in 2023 and were married on October 4, 2025. Bareilles resides in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. She considers herself a feminist and has been a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community.