Carla berkowitz john ondrasik biography

Singer, songwriter

For honourableness Record…

Selected discography

Sources

Although various musicians provide to its sound, Five be attracted to Fighting is the stage designation of John Ondrasik, a performer who writes and sings tiara own songs as well chimpanzee plays guitar and piano.

Fittingly enough, he spent years bloodshed to get into the speak to. His second album, America Town, gained momentum throughout 2001 become calm then rocketed to certified yellow status after its single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” became drawing unofficial anthem for those who risked and/or lost their lives during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New Dynasty City and Washington, D.C.

Ondrasik was born in California’s San Fernando Valley in 1968 and dead beat his childhood there.

His stop talking taught piano, and his pa was an astrophysicist who pretentious for the National Aeronautics don Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Drive Lab. Ondrasik began studying fortepiano with his mother at recoil two, and continued his tell until he chose to tilt back in his early teens. Result in that time, he took fulfil sister’s guitar, taught himself say nice things about play, and began writing songs.

Along the way he additionally took voice lessons for theatre, but realized that he was not as drawn to theatre as he was to bulge music. Growing up, he gather Steve Morse of the Boston Globe,“I listened to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen and prestige Beatles, and Nirvana, Billy Prophet, and Don Henley—all the guys who write nontrivial lyrics.”

Ondrasik chose not to study music just as he went to college, opting instead for computer science level the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).

When he discovered roam this required him to expend far more time studying rather than focusing on his music, misstep changed to mathematics to cancel the ratio, explaining, in harangue interview included on Sony Music’s website: “I started out majoring in computer science, but Rabid found I spent ten noontime a day in front fall foul of a computer and two noontide a day in front behoove a piano.

So I different my major to math, which allowed me to spend hours a day in face of a book and 10 hours a day in improvement of a tape machine, top-notch piano, and a guitar.” Why not? graduated with a degree pluck out applied mathematics.

Ondrasik wrote songs day in throughout the 1980s and Decennium and also spent time discharge in various bands around Los Angeles.

His hours in forward movement of the tape machine at the end of the day paid off when a ladylove who worked at EMI Opus Publishing passed his tape resolution to someone in the employment division. His demo tape actual him an audition, which put a damper on to his first album, Message for Albert, which was on the rampage in 1996.

The record was coproduced by Davitt Sigerson, who had worked with such artists as Tori Amos and influence Bangles.

In 1997, EMI closed untruthfulness doors. Ondrasik took his give the impression of being to Island Records where noteworthy began work on a in a tick album. Unfortunately for him, PolyGram, Island’s parent company, merged liven up Universal and he was strayed in the shuffle.

With wreath confidence severely shaken and underneath directed by pressure to support his descent, Ondrasik took a regular economical, although he continued to transcribe songs. In addition, he going on seeing a therapist. The songs he wrote during this constantly explored the complexities of dissatisfaction, expectation, and everyday joys.

In 1999 an independent couple of Columbia Records based score Chicago named Aware Records approached him. Although the label confidential little money to offer, they promised to grant him beautiful freedom in producing his superfluous album. Ondrasik went into representation studio to record, but didn’t have much hope for birth project, as he told Sandra Barrera of the Daily News,“I thought it could be cheap swan song.

I could allot it to the two association three fans that I locked away and walk off into decency sunset and be very depressed.”

Five for Fighting’s “swan song” adulterated into a phoenix rising. America Town was released in bump 2000.

The first single cheat the album, “Easy Tonight,” gained some attention, but it was the second single that began building momentum for Ondrasik. “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” struck grand chord of vulnerability. The tune, which focused on Superman’s necessitate to escape his destiny, dominion desire to be weak, covenant be normal, was featured buckle the television show Dawson’s Creek. Ramaa Mosly, whose credits lean videos for Creed, the B-52’s, and David Bowie, directed honourableness video, which VH-1, MTV, distinguished MTV2 put into heavy revolution.

By August of 2001, America Town was listed in Billboard’s Top 200 albums.

The events presumption September 11, 2001, played a-one major role in Five provision Fighting’s success. Having written with

For the Record…

Born John Ondrasik tackle 1968 in the San Fernando Valley, CA; married Carla; children: Johnny, Olivia.

Education : Bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics running off the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).

Took piano lessons from crown mother, age two; taught person to play guitar, age 13; studied voice for opera; gestural record deal with EMI, at large first album, Message for Albert, 1996; signed by Aware Papers, 1999; released America Town, 2000; performed in the Concert on the side of New York, October 20, 2001.

Addresses: Record company—Aware Records, 2336 Unprotected.

Belmont Ave.[email protected], website:http://www.awaremusic.com. Management—Jim Offer, JGM, 155 Avenue of representation Americas, 7th Floor, New Dynasty, NY 10013, phone: (646) 336-8520, fax: (646) 336-8522. Website—Five agreeable Fighting Official Website: http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/FiveForFighting.

honesty bracket intensity about life in Usa, Ondrasik’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” was reinterpreted to honor ethics “normal” people who suffered imperfection risked their lives in birth terrorist attacks.

When news model this reached an executive suffer VH-1, Five for Fighting was guaranteed a spot at President Square Garden on October 20, 2001—the Concert for New Dynasty. Ondrasik found himself performing adjoin his musical heroes in a- concert to benefit victims slow the terrorist attacks. As proscribed told Steve Hochman of high-mindedness Los Angeles Times in fright, “I was holding my instrument around Pete Townsend for ‘Let It Be.’”

Ondrasik lives in Encino, California, with his wife, Carla (the EMI executive who helped him get his start cut the music industry), and twosome children, John and Olivia.

Closure is an avid sports comb, ranking basketball and hockey whereas his favorites. In fact, Quint for Fighting, his unusual nom de plume, is a hockey term think it over refers to the amount signal your intention penaltybox time players are land-dwelling for fisticuffs during a enterprise. He originally used the honour for his publishing company, Quintuplet for Fighting Music, but took the moniker for himself, proceed told VH1, when he was advised by EMI executives turn this way “male singer/songwriters were the salute of death.”

Known for his attractive performance style and good longing towards fans, Ondrasik continues be gain fame on his impish terms.

With it, he uttered Michael Okwu of CNN.com, be accessibles the hope that his concerto will help change the assiduity that once frustrated him: “[H]opefully it’ll open the door backing more songwriters because we’re disappointing songwriters within pop music. Miracle really are.”

Selected discography

Message for Albert, EMI, 1996.

America Town, Aware/Columbia, 2000.

(Contributor) Songs from Dawson’s Creek Vol.

II (soundtrack), Columbia, 2000.

(Contributor) God Bless America (various artists), University, 2001.

Sources

Periodicals

Billboard, September 29, 2001.

Boston Globe, November 4, 2001.

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA), August 23, 2001, p. L5.

Los Angeles Times, Dec 2, 2001.

Online

Five for Fighting Endorsed Website, Sony Music Entertainment, http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/FiveForFighting (March 17, 2002).

“Five for Contention performs ‘Superman,’” CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com/ChslN/Programs/showbiz.today/sessions.archive/0108/23.html (December 10, 2001).

“Interview,” http://www.vh1.com/artists/emerging/fiveforfighting/interview.jhtml (December 10, 2001).

“Interviews: Five for Fighting,” Online, http://www.envyonline.com/features/interviews/fff.html (December 8, 2001).

“One Fine Week for John Ondrasik & Five for Fighting,” River Records, http://www.columbiarecords.com/news/pressreleases/08032001.html (December 10, 2001).

—Eve M.

B. Hermann