Vanessa Carlton

Biography & Overview

Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Her debut single "A Thousand Miles" (2002) spent 41 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned three Grammy nominations, becoming her signature song. It was included on her debut album, Be Not Nobody (2002), released by A&M Records, which also included the singles "Ordinary Day" and "Pretty Baby" and reached number five on the Billboard 200. Carlton received critical praise for follow up albums Harmonium (2004), Heroes & Thieves (2007), Rabbits on the Run (2011), Liberman (2015), Love Is an Art (2020), and Veils (2026). In 2025, Billboard ranked Carlton 99th on the list of the best female artists of the 21st century. Outside of music, Carlton made her Broadway theatre debut with a leading role in the Carole King musical Beautiful (2019).