Brandi Carlile
Brandi Marie Carlile is an American singer-songwriter and producer whose music blends folk, rock, and Americana. She has won 11 Grammy Awards and 2 Emmy Awards, and in 2025 she was nominated for an Academy Award. By 2025 she had released eight studio albums, with a major breakthrough coming from the 2007 single “The Story.”
Brandi was born on June 1, 1981, in Ravensdale, Washington. She survived a severe bout of meningitis as a child and grew up playing music with her siblings and friends. She began singing country songs on stage at a young age, taught herself piano after being inspired by Elton John, and learned guitar at 17. Carlile started her career in Seattle with the Hanseroth twins, Tim and Phil, who remain her longtime collaborators.
Her first major-label album, Brandi Carlile, came out in 2005. She gained wider attention with The Story in 2007, produced by T Bone Burnett. She continued to release albums including Give Up the Ghost (2009), Bear Creek (2012), and The Firewatcher’s Daughter (2015). The 2018 album By the Way, I Forgive You, featuring the hit “The Joke,” earned her several Grammy nominations and wins, making it one of her most acclaimed records.
In 2019 Carlile helped form the country supergroup The Highwomen, with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. Their self-titled album released in 2019; the group won the Grammy for Best Country Song in 2021 for “Crowded Table.” Carlile has also earned Emmys for work in television, including We the People (2022) and Jam Van (2023). She has performed on late-night TV and at tribute events, expanding her influence beyond traditional albums.
Carlile has collaborated with many artists, including Elton John. In 2024 they released the song “Never Too Late,” the theme for John’s documentary, and in 2025 they released the collaborative album Who Believes in Angels? She also released Returning to Myself in 2025 and performed with John on SNL to promote the album.
Beyond music, Carlile is known for her activism and charity work. She and her wife, Catherine Shepherd, started the Looking Out Foundation in 2012 to support humanitarian causes, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, COVID relief, and more. The foundation has donated millions and supports many grassroots campaigns.
Carlile’s life also includes writing a memoir, Broken Horses, which came out in 2021, and continuing to tour, record, and advocate for social causes. She lives in Washington with her family and their rescue animals, and she continues to influence a wide audience with her songs and message.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:41 (CET).