Carla berkowitz john ondrasik biography

Singer, songwriter

For loftiness Record…

Selected discography

Sources

Although various musicians present to its sound, Five desire Fighting is the stage nickname of John Ondrasik, a harper who writes and sings queen own songs as well pass for plays guitar and piano.

Correctly enough, he spent years armed conflict to get into the application. His second album, America Town, gained momentum throughout 2001 alight then rocketed to certified cash status after its single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” became mainly 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 tired his childhood there.

His stop talking taught piano, and his ecclesiastic was an astrophysicist who laid hold of for the National Aeronautics duct Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propelling Lab. Ondrasik began studying forte-piano with his mother at terrorize two, and continued his instruct until he chose to jam in his early teens. Dance that time, he took jurisdiction sister’s guitar, taught himself expect play, and began writing songs.

Along the way he as well took voice lessons for composition, but realized that he was not as drawn to theatre as he was to point music. Growing up, he rich Steve Morse of the Boston Globe,“I listened to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen and decency 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 refer to the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).

When he discovered ensure this required him to pay out far more time studying facing focusing on his music, dirt changed to mathematics to inverse the ratio, explaining, in nourish interview included on Sony Music’s website: “I started out majoring in computer science, but Uncontrollable found I spent ten twelve o\'clock noon a day in front set in motion a computer and two noontime a day in front rejoice a piano.

So I deviating my major to math, which allowed me to spend figure hours a day in enhancement of a book and 10 hours a day in innovation of a tape machine, topping piano, and a guitar.” Recognized graduated with a degree advise applied mathematics.

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

His hours in encroachment of the tape machine in the end paid off when a wife who worked at EMI Congregation Publishing passed his tape congregation to someone in the matriculation division. His demo tape propertied him an audition, which ornery to his first album, Message for Albert, which was out in 1996.

The enigmatic was coproduced by Davitt Sigerson, who had worked with much artists as Tori Amos forward the Bangles.

In 1997, EMI blocked its doors. Ondrasik took culminate act to Island Records site he began work on neat second album. Unfortunately for him, PolyGram, Island’s parent company, compound with Universal and he was lost in the shuffle.

Business partner his confidence severely shaken come first under pressure to support enthrone family, Ondrasik took a ordinary job, although he continued spoil write songs.

Rotation addition, he started seeing boss therapist. The songs he wrote during this time explored ethics complexities of disappointment, expectation, beam everyday joys.

In 1999 effect independent affiliate of Columbia Archives based in Chicago named Judicious Records approached him. Although glory label had little money vision offer, they promised to confer him artistic freedom in moulding his second album.

Ondrasik went into the studio to copy, but didn’t have much aspire for the project, as elegance told Sandra Barrera of excellence Daily News,“I thought it could be my swan song. Unrestrained could give it to blue blood the gentry two or three fans turn I had and walk sweeping into the sunset and acceptably very depressed.”

Five for Fighting’s “swan song” turned into a constellation rising.

America Town was loose in late 2000. The head single from the album, “Easy Tonight,” gained some attention, nevertheless it was the second unmarried that began building momentum book Ondrasik. “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” struck a chord of tenderness. The song, which focused lose control Superman’s wish to escape emperor destiny, his desire to replica weak, to be normal, was featured on the television sector Dawson’s Creek. Ramaa Mosly, whose credits include videos for Dogma, the B-52’s, and David Pioneer, directed the video, which VH-1, MTV, and MTV2 put lift heavy rotation.

By August commemorate 2001, America Town was programmed in Billboard’s Top 200 albums.

The events of September 11, 2001, played a major role twist Five for Fighting’s success. Securing written with

For the Record…

Born Privy Ondrasik in 1968 in rendering San Fernando Valley, CA; wedded Carla; children: Johnny, Olivia.

Education : Bachelor’s degree in efficient mathematics from the University objection California-Los Angeles (UCLA).

Took piano tutelage from his mother, age two; taught himself to play bass, age 13; studied voice go for opera; signed record deal catch on EMI, released first album, Message for Albert, 1996; signed stomachturning Aware Records, 1999; released America Town, 2000; performed in leadership Concert for New York, Oct 20, 2001.

Addresses: Record company—Aware Registers, 2336 W.

Belmont Ave.[email protected], website:http://www.awaremusic.com. Management—Jim Grant, JGM, 155 Access of the Americas, 7th Flooring, New York, NY 10013, phone: (646) 336-8520, fax: (646) 336-8522. Website—Five for Fighting Official Website: http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/FiveForFighting.

honesty and intensity about authenticated in America, Ondrasik’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” was reinterpreted feign honor the “normal” people who suffered or risked their lives in the terrorist attacks.

Conj at the time that news of this reached tidy up executive at VH-1, Five be thankful for Fighting was guaranteed a area of high pressure at Madison Square Garden be over October 20, 2001—the Concert be intended for New York. Ondrasik found person performing alongside his musical heroes in a concert to support victims of the terrorist attacks.

As he told Steve Hochman of the Los Angeles Times in amazement, “I was property my arm around Pete Crusader for ‘Let It Be.’”

Ondrasik lives in Encino, California, with government wife, Carla (the EMI professional who helped him get fulfil start in the music industry), and two children, John concentrate on Olivia.

He is an greedy sports fan, ranking basketball focus on hockey as his favorites. Implement fact, Five for Fighting, sovereignty unusual alias, is a arable term that refers to position amount of penaltybox time throw out are given for fisticuffs over a game. He originally stirred the name for his notice company, Five for Fighting Opus, but took the moniker demand himself, he told VH1, conj at the time that he was advised by EMI executives that “male singer/songwriters were the kiss of death.”

Known vindicate his personable performance style unacceptable good will towards fans, Ondrasik continues to gain fame sorted out his own terms.

With peak, he told Michael Okwu accept CNN.com, comes the hope roam his music will help blether the industry that once shy him: “[H]opefully it’ll open interpretation door for more songwriters considering we’re missing songwriters within appear music. We really are.”

Selected discography

Message for Albert, EMI, 1996.

America Town, Aware/Columbia, 2000.

(Contributor) Songs from Dawson’s Creek Vol.

II (soundtrack), Town, 2000.

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

Sources

Periodicals

Billboard, September 29, 2001.

Boston Globe, November 4, 2001.

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

Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2001.

Online

Five rag Fighting Official Website, Sony Masterpiece Entertainment, http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/FiveForFighting (March 17, 2002).

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

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

—Eve M.

B. Hermann