My Journey as a Josh Groban Fan
 
First of all, sorry to disappoint anyone right off the bat, but I don’t have any “inside connections” to Josh, and I never did. But I was contacted by some anonymous people over the last few years, and some other people “in the biz”. Of course, you can’t always believe what you read in random emails from strangers. All you can do is take what you are told over the years, from many sources, and hope that you can somehow eventually learn what is truth and what is not. I have learned a lot in the last five years, and I don’t mean just about Josh or his fans….it has been mostly learning about myself. All my life I was a trusting person. And I don’t lie or deceive people. I know I irritate people to the max at times when I speak my mind too much, and come across as opinionated and stubborn, but with me, what you see is what you get. And because I never could lie, I always believed that other people were that way too. It was beyond my comprehension that people could actually fabricate grand stories and pass them off as reality. So I learned that I was TOO trusting and too gullible and too stubborn to face the fact that people LIE. Anyway, more about that later…

One more thing before I start my story. All this is the truth as I know it and remember it. However, my memory is not perfect. So if I say somebody said something in September, but it was actually July, please don’t claim that I am a “liar”. Because if I say it was September, that is what I remembered. I’m not infallible, I get things wrong sometimes, and I certainly don’t have a photographic memory. But I swear to you—I don’t intentionally lie about anything.

 

Chapter 0


A bit of background first…..here is my "Josh Discovery Story":
Sometime in November 2002, I was in my car listening to the radio. At that time, the only radio station I listened to was a contemporary jazz station here in Dallas. Every now and then I would try to listen to other stations, but normally couldn’t find anything decent, so I would usually just leave it there on that jazz station or listen to CD's. They once had a cool New Age station here, but that went away long ago--probably to make room for another rap or country station.

For some reason I was flipping stations and when I got to the Adult Contemporary station, there was this voice coming out of my speakers that blew me away--I lost my focus and almost ran off the road! (I found out later the song was “To Where You Are”.) After the song the disc jockey said the singer's name, but I was so flustered about trying to get my focus back on the road, I was only half paying attention. When I got home and started thinking about that voice, I went to my computer to try to find the singer...I did a search on Bob Rogan, John Brogan, Joe Gorban, Josh Gorban.....lol.....until I found JOSH!! I immediately ordered his CD on amazon.com.

Now, even at this point, I wasn't expecting much from the CD. You probably know how it is...you hear a great song on the radio, love it so much you are compelled to buy the person's CD, and then when you get it, there is that one great song on it, and 12 other songs SUCK!! I am a VERY tough critic--especially of vocal music--that's why most of my CD collection is instrumental.

When I put in Josh's CD, I was absolutely FLOORED....such beauty in EVERY SONG! (He could have left Charlotte Church off of that one track, but I won't go into that....). I asked my daughter to come over and listen to the CD, and I will never forget the look on her face when she heard “To Where You Are”.....she said she wanted his CD too!

By then, "Josh Groban in Concert" had been released, and so I ordered that, too, and wow....I watched it OVER and OVER--because I just couldn't get enough of Josh's VOICE .....and seeing the passion and GOODNESS in his very being......I cannot find the words to express the SHEER JOY he imparted to me!!
So then, for the first time in my life, I was SO impressed by a singer, I felt compelled to find out more about him....I started reading his message board, and at that time Daryl was "keeper of the media", along with Wilson. I went back and watched EVERY video, read EVERY press article, listened to all the audio, and found out that the young man behind the voice was just as incredibly sweet and beautiful as the music he created.....and so I was COMPLETELY HOOKED. In February 2003 Josh did an interview on the show “Canada AM” and said: “I am blessed and honored by the reaction I have gotten from the public.” When I heard him say that….wow…..again, I can’t think of the words to describe my feelings….what a magnificent young man… kind, talented, and humble—and so worthy of everyone’s support. And I wished that I could tell Josh this: “No Josh, it is ME who is blessed by YOU, and I am honored to be your fan.”

And to this day, he has not done ANYTHING to lose my respect, and I admire him more than ever. Josh has the most incredibly beautiful voice I have EVER heard and I have never been so affected by a musician in all my life. He has touched my heart like no other. He is fascinating, complex, funny, talented, beautiful, passionate, caring…..and still humble!! And because of him I have made wonderful friends, become a more passionate person, had my artistic side inspired, and have a better outlook on life in general. Because of him, I have even discovered that I can write funny stuff! He has given me hope that I CAN eventually fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of writing a book.

So even after everything that has happened, I feel so blessed to have found him, and I sincerely hope to someday repay him for all that he has given me.