Entertainment

Josh Groban: Celine Dion is an absolute legend

The pair are performing at the British Summer Time Festival.
The pair are performing at the British Summer Time Festival. The pair are performing at the British Summer Time Festival.

Josh Groban has called his one-time musical mentor Celine Dion an “absolute legend”.

The US singer praised the Canadian hit-maker ahead of their reunion at the British Summer Time Festival.

Groban will open for Dion 20 years after working with her as a 17-year-old aspiring singer.

British Summer Time Festival
British Summer Time Festival Celine Dion helped Groban early in his career (Aurore Marechal/PA)

He said that his career has come full circle and will try and keep his emotions in check during his performance in London.

Groban praised the influence of Dion on the music world, and in encouraging his own desire to help others in the industry and beyond it.

He told PA: “She’s somebody that I’ve looked up to for a really long time. She’s an absolute legend, and I owe a great deal of the beginning of my career to her, and her kindness.

“I was just a 17-year-old kid, plucked out of obscurity.

“She was so nice to me at that time, and so supportive. There is so much to look up to as a young singer.

“Having those first experiences with her are part of the reason I’m here to begin with.”

Groban has become known for his philanthropy, and has been inspired by Dion to do more for others who aspire to make a life in music as he once did.

He said: “When people pay it forward in your life, you want to pay it back anyway you can. It’s one of the reasons why I have an arts education foundation now.

“It’s important for me to keep up that philanthropy, that’s something Celine has done so much with as well.”

Groban said that he wants to continue his work as the modern world becomes increasingly complex and divided.

He believes that music can unite people and wants to offer greater opportunities and access for others to enjoy its benefits.

The singer said: “In the US, there’s such fear, there’s such anxiety, there’s such otherism.

“To be in a job when I can look out on all types and bring a message through a song that we can all agree on and unite people, I think is exceedingly important.

“We need to build bridges through art, build bridges through music.”