Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980 in Milford, Pennsylvania) is an American pop singer, songwriter and pianist from the United States.

Carlton began playing the piano since childhood. His passion for music began to be seen since he was 2 years old. When he was a walk to Disneyland, he heard the song "it's A Small World", when he got home, small Carlton straight to the piano, and find the tone of the song itself, and he was only 2 years! At age 12 she entered the ballet school in New York City. Unable to ballet training, she did not want to become a ballerina after graduating from the academy ballet. Carlton attended Columbia University and performed in various bars and clubs across Manhattan before leave college to launch her first album at age 21 years.

Carlton is currently in a relationship with Third Eye Blind vocalist Stephen Jenkins.