As a child, Sabrina Carpenter would sing “Happy Birthday” for customers at a local pub, considering them her first real audience.
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The singer of “Espresso” shared how she discovered her passion for performing in a recent Vogue cover story interview.
Imagine celebrating your birthday with a serenade from Sabrina Carpenter.
In a recent Vogue cover story, the 25-year-old Grammy-winning “Espresso” singer reflected on her early passion for performing, recalling how she would sing “Happy Birthday” for customers at a local pub as a child.
Raised in the quiet town of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Carpenter described herself as a naturally witty and sarcastic kid who quickly recognized her talent for singing.
Sabrina Carpenter’s family—including her parents, David and Elizabeth, her sisters, Sarah and Shannon, and her half-sister, Cayla—frequented a local Irish pub called the Limeport Inn. There, a waitress named Patty would encourage young Sabrina to sing “Happy Birthday” for customers.
Although she was sometimes given money for her performances, her mother insisted she return it. “That was a short-lived dream, but also kind of my first real audience,” she told Vogue.
Determined to pursue performing more seriously, Sabrina transitioned to homeschooling in fourth grade, knowing she wanted to focus on auditions.
At just 9 years old, she entered a singing competition hosted by Miley Cyrus and made it to the top three. “I didn’t win, but I got to meet Miley—big perk,” she said. “After that contest ended, I kept going because I just loved it so much.”
Sabrina Carpenter recently reunited with Miley Cyrus for a photo at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where she took home Best Pop Solo Performance for Espresso and Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet.
Still processing the moment, she admitted on stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, “I’m still out of breath from the performance, so I really was not expecting this.” Earlier in the night, she delivered performances of Espresso and Please Please Please.
“And all those nominees on the screen are some of my favorite artists in the world—I can’t believe I’m nominated alongside them or even in this room right now,” she said.
She went on to express gratitude to the Recording Academy before thanking her collaborators, friends, and family.