Josh Groban wasn’t a household name when he took the stage at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
During the closing ceremony — which came just three days shy of his 21st birthday — the curly-haired baritone performed a duet of “The Prayer” with then-young opera phenom Charlotte Church at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“I was still relatively unknown,” he told the Deseret News in a 2018 interview. “In fact, I remember when NBC announced Charlotte Church and I, they said, ‘And now, for the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, we’re going to see a beautiful duet called ‘The Prayer’ — one half of which is sung by the superstar Charlotte Church.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Noooo! They didn’t even mention the other half! They didn’t even mention the guy that was standing next to her.’”
After that performance, though, Groban started gaining momentum with his debut album. And although the TV network didn’t mention his name, the singer went on to make a name for himself. By the end of 2002, he had his own PBS special. Throughout his career, he’s starred in two Broadway productions and has released 10 albums.
He released his latest album, “Cinematic,” last month, and brings his current tour to Utah on July 3 with a show at the Maverik Center.
In a new interview ahead of his visit, Groban reflected on being a part of the 2002 Winter Olympics — and shared if he’d be open to a full-circle moment at the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Would Josh Groban return to Utah for the 2034 Winter Olympics?
The way Groban sees it, Salt Lake City has been a place that has embraced him from the start — “a lot of wonderful career milestone memories for me,” he said.
He called performing at the 2002 Winter Olympics “the most amazing experience.”
“I was so young also that I didn’t have in my tool belt what something like that would feel like,” he said. “At that age, everything was new. Being a part of an Olympics was a first thing for me, being able to see ice skating and skiing, and just so many incredible things. To be able to meet other artists that were part of the festivities was so exciting, and then, of course, there’s nothing like standing in the middle of that stadium and seeing the flame, and feeling that togetherness.
“Sports and art can do that, they bring people together,” he continued. “We leave it at the door for sports and for art, and it (the Olympics) can’t come soon enough. It’s something that’s very, very special.”
So is Groban open to performing at the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah — 32 years after his milestone performance with Charlotte Church?
“You never know,” he told the Deseret News. “I mean, if they’ll have me, if I’m still kicking at that time.”