Meeting celebrities is always a memorable experience. Whether the meeting goes well or poorly (or it’s long or short), the interaction is usually fuel for a story told to friends and family for years to come.
One encounter with singer Josh Groban has had a lasting impact for Upworthy reader Charles LaBorde. Groban’s hit song “You Raise Me Up” was released in 2003, solidifying his fame and a blossoming career on Broadway. LaBorde shared with us that his most memorable celebrity encounter was meeting Groban back in 2007—and getting the shock of a lifetime.
Groban’s gift made an impact
LaBorde explained more about how he met Josh Groban.
He shared, “He handed me a check for $150,000. I was Founder and Principal of Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC, when he wanted to support a public arts school. He presented a giant check to me backstage at his concert where several of our students were singing backup for him.”
Students from the Northwest School of the Arts performed alongside Groban at his concert in Charlotte. Years later, his generous donation has helped launch the careers of many other famous performers.
“Some of our alumni include Broadway star Eva Noblezada and Broadway, movie, television, and pop music star Reneé Rapp,” LaBorde added. (Rapp attended the Northwest School of the Arts for her junior and senior year.)
In a CMS TV interview, Groban said, “The great thing about these schools is that it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you have a passion and you have a gift, and if you want to believe in yourself, you should. And sometimes you need a teacher to push you a little, sometimes if a parent doesn’t. You need a teacher to do that for you.”
His mission for supporting public arts high schools
Groban’s gift to Northwest School of the Arts was part of the early Josh Groban Foundation, established in 2005. It was made specifically for the Visual and Performing Arts magnet schools program there, as well as University Park Elementary School and Dilworth Elementary School for recording and music production curriculum. The fund enabled additional study in visual arts, drama, music, and dance.
“Music education played such an integral part in my growth musically and in so many ways that this seemed like the ideal way to thank the city and my fans for their patience and the inconvenience they experienced regarding my rescheduled date. I’m really looking forward to returning to Charlotte and putting on an extra special show,” he shared on his website.
His donation to the Northwest School of the Arts came near the start of Groban’s philanthropic efforts to support the arts. In 2009, he testified in front of Congress on behalf of Arts Education. His foundation would go on to be re-named the Find Your Light Foundation in 2012.
In 2025, the Find Your Light Foundation reported that it had provided $5.5 million in grants to 311 organizations nationwide.
