One can only imagine what it must have been like in 1999 for a nervous 17-year old to get a last-minute call to fill in for the legendary Opera tenor Andrea Bocelli and perform a duet of “The Prayer” with Celine Dion at the Oscars. I mean no pressure, right? But that’s exactly what happened to Josh Groban when the then-gangly, wide-eyed, fresh-faced teenager had to step up and become great in one night! Dion later told Barbara Walters in an interview, ‘he was almost going backwards, he was so scared.” However, she also pointed out that when the young man began to sing, everything changed. “You couldn’t be any more powerful than that — this kid was incredible,” she said.
During rehearsals, Groban astounded the orchestra as well as the folks listening in the hallway. One of those people happened to be Rosie O’Donnel, who absolutely just had to book him on her show, introducing the shy teenager as “Opera Boy.” Soon he would make a guest appearance on the season finale of Allie McBeal (which was viewed by over 10 million fans), playing a shy teenager who silences the crowd at his high school prom by singing a moving rendition of “You’re Still You,” that brought everyone, including Ally, to tears. In this video, we fast forward six years later to 2005 and to see Dion and Groban reunite to relive that magic moment that launched his career.
Image via YouTube
Of course, the prayer is an exquisitely beautiful song, which both Dion and Groban perform displaying breathtaking vocals and mesmerizing harmonies. However, the amazing story behind their first performance will go down as one of the most inspirational stories in music. Best of all, Groban regularly pays his blessings forward by giving young folks a chance to sing with him on stage at his concerts! Now that is what you call a world-class act.
Image via YouTube
You can watch Celine and Josh relive their magic moment in the video below.
