Ariana Grande is not just one of the most famous singers in the business, but also one of the most talented. Known for her four-octave vocal range, the songstress has five studio albums and a slew of acting credits to her name, which might lead people to wonder, just how Ariana Grande became famous.
Ariana Grande’s career started on Broadway, before she rose to prominence among tweens and teens alike with her starring role on a Nickelodeon show.
Read more below about Ariana Grande’s rise to fame as one of the best-known female singers in the business.
Florida and Fame
Ariana Grande was born on June 26, 1993 in Boca Raton, Florida. During her childhood, Grande performed at the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater, where she took part in plays and musicals such as Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz.
When she was 8-years-old, Grande performed on a cruise ship, where famed Miami Sound Machine singer, Gloria Estefan, saw the youngster perform. The Grammy Award winner approached Grande and her mom and encouraged them to pursue Grande’s talent, saying,
“I don’t know if you plan on doing this, but this is what you need to be doing because you are an amazing singer.”
Taking Estefan’s words to heart, Grande and her mom relocated to Los Angeles and hired a manager for the budding superstar. In 2008, Grande got her first real taste of fame when she won the part of Charlotte in Broadway’s 13. The show follows a teenaged New York City transplant as he tries to fit in at his new school in the Midwest; though Grande only had a supporting role, being in a Broadway play was a boon to her career.
Broadway, Broadcasts, and Record Deals
Shortly after 13 closed, Grande was cast in Nickelodeon’s Victorious, which followed a group of aspiring stars around a performing arts high school. The show premiered in 2010 and ran for four seasons before it was canceled.
Despite the setback, Grande’s character in the show, Cat Valentine, got a one-season spinoff, Sam & Cat. Though both shows were short-lived, they gave grande ample opportunity to show off her singing skills.
During the run of the show, Grande had signed a record deal with Republic Records and recorded her first studio album over the course of several years. Grande’s debut album, Yours Truly, was released in 2013, with the album receiving rave reviews.
Focused on the Future
Since that time, Grande has released four more studio albums, embarked on world tours and had her personal life thrust into the spotlight. Though her music has matured since she was a teenager, Grande’s immense talent has never wavered.
Though her career has been focused on music for the last few years, Ariana Grande has no qualms about returning to acting. The singer took to Instagram to announce she was working with comedy legend, Jim Carrey, on a project, writing, “I’ve been staring at my screen and no words do this moment justice. thankful for the most special experience of my life. nothing is crazier than getting to work with and spend time with someone whom you’ve idolized and adored since before you could speak.”
Despite all she’s already accomplished, Grande shows no signs of slowing down, but she has never forgotten her roots.
You can see Ariana Grande discuss some of her career milestones with late night show host James Corden in the YouTube video below.
Not only that, but Grande also released a song with pop icon Lady Gaga titled “Rain on Me” in 2020, as well as having a tour in the works. Though her career started on Broadway and then moved to Nickelodeon, Grande has used her talent to take the world by storm, becoming one of the biggest draws in music and becoming a Grammy Award winner.