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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Five for Fighting | caption = | image = John Ondrasik at Edwards Air Force Ball.jpg | image_size = | landscape = yes | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Vladimir John Ondrasik http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1328774/ | alias = Five for Fighting | Born = birth date and age|1965|1|7 Los Angeles , California , United States|US | instrument = singing|Vocals , piano , guitar , harmonica | genre = Rock music|Rock , heartland rock , pop rock | occupation = singer-songwriter, musician | years_active = 1997–2003(as a band) 2003-present (as a solo act) | label = Nettwerk (1997) EMI (1997) Columbia Records (2000-2008) Aware Records (2000-present) Wind-Up Records (2009-present) | website = http://www.fiveforfighting.com FiveForFighting.com| notable_instruments = 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 songs " Superman (It's Not Easy) " (2001), " 100 Years " (2003), and " The Riddle (You and I)|The Riddle " (2006).
Early years
John Ondrasik was born on January 7, 1965, http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461? c=search& first=& last=Ondrasik "California Births, 1905 - 1995". Family Tree Legends Records Collection (Online Database). Pearl Street Software. Retrieved 2010-07-05. in Los Angeles , a child of a musical family. In his early years, Ondrasik learned the piano, and in his teens he learned to play the guitar and started to write music. While he also learned to sing opera briefly, he soon decided that he would like to be a singer/songwriter. Ondrasik graduated from University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA with a degree in applied science and applied mathematics|mathematics . While in college he continued to pursue music in his spare time. He adopted the name "Five for Fighting," which is an expression in ice hockey , which he used to play, when a player receives a five-minute Penalty (ice hockey)|penalty for Fighting in ice hockey|fighting . Ondrasik is a life-long fan of the NHL 's Los Angeles Kings .
Career
Ondrasik's first album, Message for Albert , was released by EMI in 1997. Capitol Records re-released this album after the success of America Town .
Aware Records' Mark Cunningham was a big fan of Five For Fighting and made contact with Ondrasik.cite web |url= http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3? page=intrview/opar/intrview_SSmith.html |title=Interview with Steve Smith |publisher= HitQuarters |date=29 Oct 2003 |accessdate=7 October 2011 Cunningham then passed on Ondrasik's demos to the label's new A& R Steve Smith. Smith loved the recordings and after a discussion with Aware head Gregg Latterman they met with Ondrasik and set up a deal shortly afterwards in partnership with Columbia Records . The album America Town on September 26, 2000. The album had impact, but " Superman (It's Not Easy) " became an anthem after the September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11 attacks . Ondrasik performed the song at The Concert for New York City in late 2001. Five for Fighting contributed a live performance version of his song "Superman" to the charity album Live in the X Lounge|Live in the X Lounge IV . While America Town failed to make the top 50 of the Billboard 200 album charts, its consistent sales eventually led to its going platinum album|platinum .
His third album, The Battle for Everything , debuted at number 20 on the Billboard magazine| Billboard 200 in February 2004. It included the single "100 Years", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and stayed at #1 for 12 non consecutive weeks. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=341& cfgn=Singles& cfn=Hot+Adult+Contemporary+Tracks& ci=3046644& cdi=7897223& cid=08%2F31%2F2002 Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart info Billboard.com. Retrieved 29 August 2010. In October 2009, The Battle for Everything was RIAA certified Platinum.
Two years later, the album Two Lights (album)|Two Lights was released; this became his first career Top 10 album, debuting at number 8 on the Billboard 200 in August 2006. Its first single, " The Riddle (song)|The Riddle ", became Ondrasik's third career Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 40. A video of the second single, "World", has been used to raise funds for various charities (see #Philanthropy|Philanthropy below).
On the weekend of January 27 and 28, 2007, Ondrasik filled in for radio host Casey Kasem on the American Top 20 (where he counted down to his own hit "World"), and American Top 10 (where he counted down to his own hit "The Riddle").
On July 21, 2009, the first single from his album Slice (Five for Fighting album)|Slice , called " Chances (Five for Fighting song)|Chances ," was released for download. The music video for the single debuted on VH1.com on September 22, 2009. The video shows the story of two teenagers falling in love, while Ondrasik narrates (sings) to the story. It was directed by Steven Drypolcher (Beyonce, Kanye West, Boyslikegirls) and produced by Partizan. In November 2009, "Chances" was featured in the end credits of the hit movie The Blind Side (film)|The Blind Side . The song also appeared in the TV series The Vampire Diaries , and in a promotional video package from World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE for Shawn Michaels|Shawn Michael's 2011 WWE Hall of Fame induction.
His fifth studio album, titled Slice , was released on October 13, 2009, and appeared on the iTunes Top 10 Albums on the first day. The album was produced by Gregg Wattenberg ("Superman," "100 Years"). Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz , who penned the songs for musicals such as Wicked (musical)|Wicked , Godspell and Pippin (musical)|Pippin , co-wrote the title track, as well as the track "Above The Timberline."
On May 27, 2010, John Ondrasik announced that he had left Columbia Records and his album Slice would be re-released on Wind-Up Records along with the song "Slice" being released as a single in July 2010. http://www.fiveforfighting.com/ "Five For Fighting | Official Site".
On February 20, 2011, Five For Fighting performed at the 2011 NHL 2011 Heritage Classic|Heritage Classic in Calgary , with the Calgary Flames facing off against the Montreal Canadiens . http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm? id=553457
John Ondrasik writes and co-writes music for other artists, including The Backstreet Boys and Josh Groban . He has also contributed to movie soundtracks, such as August Rush , We Were Soldiers , Chicken Little (2005 film)|Chicken Little , and '' Everyone's Hero , and in 2008 Ondrasik wrote and recorded the song "Brothers in Arms" for the award winning documentary film Brothers at War . http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp? s=9919850& clienttype=printable He has twice collaborated with Sandra Boynton , recording a song each for her Dog Train book and CD in 2005, and her Blue Moo album in 2007.
Philanthropy
In the spring of 2007, Ondrasik created the first video charity website. http://whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com "Five for Fighting - What Kind of World Do You Want". The website allows fans to upload videos answering the central question, "What Kind of World do You Want? " (taken from his hit song, " World (Five for Fighting song)|World "). The charities the site raises money for include Augie's Quest, Autism Speaks , http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/five_for_fighting.php "Autism Speaks, In the News, Current News, Fighting' for Autism Speaks". Autism Speaks Inc. Retrieved 2010-07-05. Fisher House Foundation ,Quigley, Samantha L. (2008-03-21). http://www.fisherhouse.org/inTheNews/MusicianIssues_03_21_DL "America Supports You: Musician Issues Charitable Challenge". Fisher House Foundation. Retrieved 2010-07-05. Save the Children , http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2007/five-for-fighting-john-ondrasik.html "Five for Fighting John Ondrasik: - A new champion for Save the Children". Save the Children. Retrieved 2010-07-05. and Operation Homefront .
Ondrasik, under the auspices of the USO , performed for service members on a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour of Guantanamo Bay and other bases in Cuba in February and March 2007. He followed up with another USO tour in November 2007 of Japan, Guam and Hawaii. "I am struck by the sacrifices the troops and their families make for our way of life and I felt was important to show my support," says Ondrasik.
In November 2007, Ondrasik coordinated the release of 13 free songs for US military members called CD for the Troops . Ondrasik worked with AAFES to deliver more than 200,000 CDs to US troops around the world and to offer the music from the CD as free MP3 downloads. The songs donated included tracks from Billy Joel , Jewel (singer)|Jewel and Sarah McLachlan . Subsequent volumes became available in 2008 (including songs by Gretchen Wilson , Keith Urban and Trace Adkins ), 2009 (an album of comedy tracks with material from comedians such as Chris Rock , Ray Romano and Adam Sandler ) and 2010. http://www.shopmyexchange.com "www.shopmyexchange.com"
Ondrasik has also performed on the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and has done various events for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Augie's Quest, raising awareness and funds for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).
In 2008, he got involved in the musical movement of spreading awareness about current slavery and human trafficking by performing a live version of "World" for the rockumentary , Call + Response . http://www.callandresponse.com "www.callandresponse.com"
The singer received a special fatherhood award from the National Fatherhood Initiative's 2009 Military Fatherhood Award Ceremony. http://www.fatherhood.org/Page.aspx? pid=667 "National Fatherhood Initiative 2009 Military Fatherhood Award". National Fatherhood Initiative. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
Personal life
Ondrasik currently lives with his wife and their two children in Encino, California . He is an avid hockey and basketball fan. http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/five-fighting-biography "Five for Fighting Biography: Contemporary Musicians". eNotes.com. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
Recording Industry Association of America|US : Platinumcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Five%20for%20Fighting& title=America%20Town& format=ALBUM& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - November 6, 2010: America Town certified awards|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=November 5, 2010
Canadian Recording Industry Association|CAN : Goldcite web|url= http://www.cria.ca/gold/0402_g.php|title=Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - April 2002|publisher= Canadian Recording Industry Association |accessdate=November 6, 2010
2004
The Battle for Everything
Release date: February 3, 2004
Label: Aware/Columbia Records
Format: CD
20
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73
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US: Platinumcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Five%20for%20Fighting& title=Battle%20for%20Everything& format=ALBUM& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - November 6, 2010: The Battle for Everything certified awards|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=November 6, 2010
Australian Recording Industry Association|AUS : Platinumcite web|url= http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-2002.htm|title=ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2002 Singles|publisher= ARIA Charts |accessdate=November 6, 2010
Recording Industry Association of America|US : Goldcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Five%20for%20Fighting& title=Superman& format=SINGLE& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - November 6, 2010: "Superman (It's Not Easy)" certified awards|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=November 6, 2010
2002
"Easy Tonight" (re-release)
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18
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—
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88
20
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"America Town"
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—
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2003
"Something About You"
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—
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2004
" 100 Years "
28
3
1
40
32
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32
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US: Platinumcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Five%20for%20Fighting& title=100%20Years& format=SINGLE& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - November 6, 2010: "100 Years" certified awards|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=November 6, 2010
The Battle for Everything
"The Devil in the Wishing Well"
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23
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"Silent Night"
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2
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2005
"If God Made You"
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20
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2006
" The Riddle (You and I) "
40
8
4
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Two Lights
" World (Five for Fighting song)
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14
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2007
"I Just Love You"
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24
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2009
" Chances (Five for Fighting song)
83
14
8
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Slice
2010
" Slice (song)
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33
11
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"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Music videos
Year
Video
Director
2001
"Superman (It's Not Easy)"
Ramaa Mosley
2002
"Easy Tonight"
Nancy Bardawil
2004
"100 Years"
Trey Fanjoy
"The Devil in the Wishing Well"
Elliott Lester
2006
"The Riddle (You and I)"
Vem
"World"
Todd Strauss-Schulson
2009
"Chances"
Steven Drypolcher
References
Reflist|colwidth=25em
External links
Official website|1= http://www.fiveforfighting.com/
http://www.pjtv.com/video/InstaVision_With_Glenn_Reynolds/_A_Soundtrack_For_Our_Heroes%3A_Five_for_Fighting%27s_John_Ondrasik%2C_Our_Troops_%26_First_Responders/2543/ Ondrasik discusses the themes of his album Slice at Pajamas Media
Five for Fighting Persondata | NAME =Fighting, Five For | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1965-01-07 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Fighting, Five For Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:American pianists
da:John Ondrasik de:Five for Fighting fr:Five for Fighting it:Five for Fighting hu:Five for Fighting nl:Five for Fighting ja:????·???·??????? pt:Five for Fighting ru:Five For Fighting fi:Five for Fighting sv:Five for Fighting
