Vanessa Carlton, born Vanessa Lee Carlton on August 16, 1980, in Milford, Pennsylvania, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist renowned for her introspective piano-driven ballads. Carlton burst onto the music scene with her debut single "A Thousand Miles" in 2002, which became an instant classic and earned her multiple Grammy nominations. This track, characterized by its memorable piano riff, was from her debut album "Be Not Nobody" (2002), which received critical acclaim and commercial success. Following her debut, she teamed up with The Counting Crows for a popular remake of Joni Mitchell's song "Big Yellow Taxi" (2002). Her sophomore album, "Harmonium" (2004) fell far short of her first album's success, causing her to leave A&M Records in 2005. Carlton's third album, "Heroes & Thieves" (2007) was praised by critics if not a commercial success. As her music evolved through the years, her albums "Rabbits on the Run" (2011) and "Liberman" (2015) were acclaimed for her deeply personal lyrics and mature sound. In 2019, she made her Broadway debut in "Beautiful," a jukebox musical on the life of Carole King. Vanessa Carlton released her sixth studio album, "Love is an Art" in March 2020.