Josh Groban looks back: ‘Music became a liability to my mental health’

The singer-songwriter and actor on depression, becoming a sex symbol and rebelling in his 30s in his ‘middle-finger phase’

Born in Los Angeles in 1981, Josh Groban is a singer-songwriter and actor. His self-titled classical-crossover debut went five-times platinum in 2001, and he has since sold more than 25m albums. As an actor, he has appeared in films such as Crazy Stupid Love and TV shows The Office and The Simpsons. Groban made his Broadway debut in 2016 in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 – a role that earned him a Tony award nomination. Groban performs his first UK show in six years at a one-off O2 event in London on 1 April.

I went through a lot of phases when I was five – astronaut, firefighter, and, in this photo, cowboy. The look was inspired by the old country and western films I was watching, a kind of homemade blend of gunslinger and headband-wearing guitarist. And it wasn’t just for the back yard – I wore it everywhere. If I dropped something on the street, my mum would say, “Josh, cowboys don’t litter.” She was great at using whatever character I’d invented to teach me a lesson.