Five for Fighting

Artist Image: Five for Fighting
Attribution
Image Credit: Photo by Mike Cassidy (http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll293/intern4/?action=view&current=Picture11-2.png), Public domain

Biography

Five for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. He is best known for his piano-based rock, such as the Top 40 hits "Superman (It's Not Easy)" (2001), "100 Years" (2003), and "The Riddle" (2006).

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1997
Number of Albums 19
Record Label
Website www.fiveforfighting.com
Wikipedia Five for Fighting on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What instrument did he learn as a teenager?

guitar

...he piano from the age of two. As a teenager, he learned how to play the guitar as well and started to write music. While he also learned to sing opera...
When was Message for Albert released by EMI?

1997

...ed for the reason that it would be more memorable than his real name. In 1997 , his first album, Message for Albert, was released by EMI. Although not ...
What was the name of Ondrasik's debut album?

Message for Albert

...d be more memorable than his real name. In 1997, his first album, Message for Albert , was released by EMI. Although not quite breaking through commerc...
Where did Onrasik perform the song?

The Concert for New York City

...t a more mainstream audience. Ondrasik performed the song at The Concert for New York City in late 2001. While America Town itself failed to make the ...
America Town failed to make the top 50 of what chart?

Billboard 200

...ty in late 2001. While America Town itself failed to make the top 50 of the Billboard 200 album charts, its consistent sales led to it going platinum....
In what year was the single Superman released?

2000

...poprock ballad Superman (It's Not Easy). Although originally released in 2000 , the single became popular after the events of September 11, 2001, which...
In what area of Los Angeles was Five For Fight born?

San Fernando Valley

...as one of the decade's leading balladeers. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, Ondrasik started his musical training when he wa...
What is the name of John's new album?

Two Lights

...g has consistently accomplished on each of his previous CDs. Now with Two Lights , his new AwareColumbia release, John delivers his most personal album...
What song was inspired by the blue Mustang?

65 Mustang

...d blue Mustang (a car passed down to John from his father and the inspiration for the song 65 Mustang ). I talked with the kids father, John remembers....
What two instruments does Ondrasik play?

guitar and piano

...ik, a musician who writes and sings his own songs as well as plays guitar and piano . Appropriately enough, he spent years fighting to get into the spo...
At what age did he begin studying piano with his mother?

two

... Jet Propulsion Lab. Ondrasik began studying piano with his mother at age two , and continued his lessons until he chose to stop in his early teens. Al...
What was his major?

math

...s not as drawn to opera as he was to pop music. So I changed my major to math , which allowed me to spend two hours a day in front of a book and 10 hou...
What did he have a degree in?

applied mathematics

...ape machine, a piano, and a guitar. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics . Ondrasik wrote songs continually throughout the 1980s and 1990s...
When was Message for Albert released?

1996

...meone in the recruitment division. His demo tape landed him an audition, which led to his first album, Message for Albert, which was released in 1996 ....
What company did the woman who gave the tape to the recruitment division work for?

EMI Music Publishing

... the tape machine eventually paid off when a woman who worked at EMI Music Publishing passed his tape on to someone in the recruitment division. His d...
When was Vladimir John Ofradzik III born?

Los Angeles

... Years (2003) and The Riddle (2006). Early years Ondrasik was born in Los Angeles , a child of a musical family. In his early years, he learned the pia...
Where did Onrasik earn his degree in applied science?

UCLA

...hat he would like to be a singer and songwriter. Ondrasik graduated from UCLA with a degree in applied science and mathematics. While in college, Ondr...
What label re-released Message For Albert?

Capitol Records

...Ondrasik's first album, Message for Albert, was released by EMI in 1997. Capitol Records then rereleased this album after the success of America Town....
What was my mom's profession?

classical pianist

...My mom was a classical pianist and ended up teaching piano for almost 50 years, Ondrasik explained. You can look at my records and see my life evolve,...
When did Ondrasik say it becomes less about you?

When you have kids

...ds and see my life evolve, particularly when I had kids, he said. When you have kids it becomes less about you. My early records are the rock recordst...
What kind of records are my early records about?

rock

.... When you have kids it becomes less about you. My early records are the rock recordstheyre about girls and love and cars and things that young people...
When you have children, you start looking at the world through what eyes?

their eyes

...ut. But when you have children you start looking at the world through their eyes . So, as a songwriter, how can you really not write about those things...
What was the name of the single that went viral in 2021?

Blood on My Hands

... 2010s, including World (2006) and Chances (2009). His 2021 single Blood on My Hands with its accompanying documusic video protesting the American wit...
Blood on My Hands protested the American withdrawal from what country?

Afghanistan

... accompanying documusic video protesting the American withdrawal from Afghanistan went viral receiving over a million digital views. Ondrasik has reco...
How many fulllength studio albums has Ondrasik recorded?

six

... went viral receiving over a million digital views. Ondrasik has recorded six fulllength studio albums, one EP, and several live albums as Five for Fi...
What song was nominated for a Grammy in 2002?

Superman

... one EP, and several live albums as Five for Fighting. Ondrasik's song Superman was nominated for a Grammy in 2002. The singer has had songs featured ...
What instrument did the singer learn in his early years?

piano

...0 films, TV shows and advertisements. In his early years, he learned the piano ; in his teens, he learned to play the guitar and started to write music...
How many films, TV shows, and advertisements has the singer had his songs featured in?

350

... was nominated for a Grammy in 2002. The singer has had songs featured in 350 films, TV shows and advertisements. In his early years, he learned the p...
What kind of music did he want to be?

singer and songwriter

...o sing opera briefly, he soon decided that he would like to be a singer and songwriter . He graduated from UCLA with a degree in applied science and ma...
Who was Jeremy's bandmate?

Scott St. Clair Sheets

...nake bassist Rudy Sarzo and later formed a hair metal band with Scott St. Clair Sheets , best known for his work with Pat Benatar, called John Scott. O...
What was the name of the band with Scott St. Clair Sheets?

John Scott

...tt St. Clair Sheets, best known for his work with Pat Benatar, called John Scott . Ondrasik later described the band's genre as pop metal, comparing th...
What was John Scott's genre called?

pop metal

...est known for his work with Pat Benatar, called John Scott. Ondrasik later described the band's genre as pop metal , comparing their sound to Bon Jovi....
What is John Ondrasik known as?

platinumselling, Grammynominated, Five For Fighting

...ndrasik the songwriter and performer known as the platinumselling, Grammynominated, Five For Fighting knows this well. To date, Five For Fighting, has...
What was the name of the CBS drama?

Code Black

...winning The Blind Side, Hawaii FiveO, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black . Ondrasik performed alongside other bigname artists like Paul McCartn...
What topics does he combine with business acumen?

creativity and innovation

...o a high demand keynote speaker in which he combines themes of creativity and innovation with his business acumen. Along with his father, he has manag...