All There Is with Anderson Cooper Sara Bareilles: 'Life's Holiest Lesson'
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Mar 20, 2026 
Sara Bareilles, singer-songwriter and Broadway performer, shares personal stories of loss and the role of music in processing grief. She discusses how hearing others' experiences inspired a new song and the idea of sharing grief as a kind of medicine. Listens to stories that shaped her songwriting and debuts the song 'Home'.
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Song Home Born From Stephen Colbert Story
- Sara Bareilles heard Stephen Colbert's story on All There Is and wrote the song Home inspired directly by his recollection of losing his father and brothers.
- She sent the song to Meredith Scardino who passed it to Colbert, leading to a personal exchange that wove his story into her music.
Sharing Grief Is Medicinal And Connective
- Sharing grief publicly is medicinal because it shows universal connection and gives others permission to speak about pain.
- Bareilles says telling stories "warts and all" reconnects us to others and is part of the healing work.
Pandemic Loss Delayed Creative Work
- In 2020 Sara lost her close friend Chad Joseph to stage four lung cancer during the pandemic, which shut down creative processing for her.
- The combined shock of personal loss plus societal disruption delayed her songwriting until years later.
