Five for Fighting
Background information
Birth name	John Ondrasik
Also known as	Five for Fighting
Born	January 7, 1968 (1968-01-07) (age 39) Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre(s)	Piano rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Singing, guitar, piano, harmonica
Years active	1997–present
Label(s)	Sony BMG
Website	FiveForFighting.com

Five for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. His 2000 album America Town went platinum in the U.S. largely due to the success of the song "Superman (It's Not Easy)" following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The 2004 album The Battle for Everything has also enjoyed chart success in the United States. Ondrasik has also released a DualDisc of his 2004 album which has one side containing The Battle for Everything in its entirety and the other side being a DVD containing bonus footage and the "100 Years" music video. Five for Fighting's fourth album, Two Lights, was released on August 1, 2006. is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a term for a style of music that is based around the piano, and sometimes around piano-related instruments, such as the Fender Rhodes, the Wurlitzer electric piano, and keyboard-based synthesizers. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... See also: 1996 in music, other events of 1997, 1998 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Bertelsmann is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in G tersloh, Germany. ... This article is about condoned fighting in ice hockey. ... A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. ... A stage name, also called a screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, musicians, djs, clowns, and professional wrestlers. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... America Town is a 2000 album by Five for Fighting. ... Superman (Its Not Easy) is the debut single released by singer Five For Fighting in 2001. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Battle for Everything is a 2004 album for United States singer-songwriter Five for Fighting, the stage name of John Ondrasik. ... Two Lights is the fourth album from the pop-rock artist Five For Fighting. ...

Early years

John Ondrasik was born on January 7, 1968 in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, a child of a musical family. As a teenager, he learned how to play the guitar and started to write music. While he also learned to sing opera briefly, he quickly decided that he would like to be a piano playing popular musician along the lines of Elton John and Billy Joel. He adopted the name "Five for Fighting," which is an expression in ice hockey when a player receives a five-minute penalty for fighting. This name was used for recognition purposes; that is, Ondrasik thought "Five for Fighting" would be more memorable than his real name. Ondrasik went to college at UCLA and studied applied science and mathematics, continuing to pursue music in his spare time. is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... San Fernando Valley from its southwestern edge. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... William Martin Billy Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist, songwriter, composer and musician. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the...

In 1997, his first album Message for Albert was released by EMI. After the success of America Town, Capitol Records re-released this debut album. Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Message for Albert is the debut album of Five for Fighting released in 1997. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ...

America Town

In 2000, Five for Fighting signed with Columbia Records and released America Town on September 26, 2000. At first the album made little impact, but "Superman (It's Not Easy)" became an anthem after the September 11 attacks. Ondrasik would perform the song at The Concert for New York City in late 2001. In addition to its status as an anthem post September 11, 2001, Five for Fighting contributed a live performance version of his song "Superman" to the charity album Live in the X Lounge IV. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... America Town is a 2000 album by Five for Fighting. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Superman (Its Not Easy) is the debut single released by singer Five For Fighting in 2001. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Live in the X Lounge is a series of albums released by Birmingham, Alabamas alternative rock radio station, WRAX. Though the station is now found on the dial as , this series of live performances was produced while the station was known as , a change prompted by the its acquisition...

"Superman (It's Not Easy)" started climbing the charts reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Top 40. While America Town failed to make the top 50 of the Billboard 200 album charts, its consistent sales led to its going platinum. Superman (It's Not Easy) was also an international hit reaching number one on a composite adult international chart (based on performance in the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia). Second single Easy Tonight would make the top 20 of the world adult chart as well as going top 20 in New Zealand. The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

The Battle for Everything

His third album The Battle for Everything debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 in February 2004. Its first single "100 Years" was another top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and again reached number one on the World Adult Top 40. It also was number one on a composite world airplay chart and top 10 on a composite world modern rock chart. (based on USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Canada and Australia). The Battle for Everything is a 2004 album for United States singer-songwriter Five for Fighting, the stage name of John Ondrasik. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 100 Years is the first single from the album The Battle for Everything released by singer Five for Fighting (John Ondrasik) in 2004. ...

The Five for Fighting song "100 Years" was used in an ubiquitous JP Morgan Chase commercial, an episode of Clubhouse on CBS, an episode of Smallville, and more recently in an episode of Scrubs. The song was also used in the last scenes of the final episode of JAG and in a retrospective during Katie Couric's last day on The Today Show. In 2005, Five for Fighting was one of five artists asked to appear on ESPN's SportsCenter during a weeklong segment series on the connections between music and sports. Again, Ondrasik performed "100 Years," as film clips of athletes were shown to match the years that Ondrasik would name. (As Ondrasik sang about "being 45 for a moment," Michael Jordan was shown in his #45 jersey during his 1995 comeback.) J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. ... Clubhouse was a short-lived American drama television series starring Jeremy Sumpter, Dean Cain, Christopher Lloyd, Mare Winningham, and Kirsten Storms. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... Smallville is an American television series set in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas. ... Scrubs is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning American situation comedy/dramedy that premiered on October 2, 2001 on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence, who also co-created Spin City. ... JAG (the American Military acronym for Judge Advocate General) is a popular American adventure and drama television show, that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television. ... Katherine Anne Katie Couric (born January 7, 1957) is an American media personality who became well-known as co-host of NBCs Today. ... Today, commonly referred to as The Today Show to avoid ambiguity, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on the NBC television network. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... This article is about the American ESPN show. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

Subsequent single releases failed to capitalize on the success of "100 Years", with second single "The Devil in the Wishing Well" and third single "If God Made You" both failing to chart the Billboard Hot 100.

Two Lights

Ondrasik's fourth release Two Lights (album) became his first career Top 10 album, debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200 in August 2006. Its lead single "The Riddle" became Ondrasik's third career Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #40 thanks to strong iTunes single sales and wide Adult Top 40 airplay. "The Riddle" was also played in the Season 2 opener of Criminal Minds in the episode The Fisher King part 2. Two Lights is the fourth album from the pop-rock artist Five For Fighting. ... The Riddle is the first single from American singer/songwriter Five for Fightings album Two Lights. ... The Riddle is the first single from American singer/songwriter Five for Fightings album Two Lights. ... Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. ...

The second single "World" is currently moving up the Adult Top 40 chart, entering the Top 20 in its third week on the chart this week. It's been used in the Thanksgiving episode of Jericho (TV series) season 1, and a shortened version is/was being used in a History Channel commercial in the summer of 2007. The song is also used in a commercial for NBC's fall lineup. A video of the song has been posted to raise funds for various charities, including autism research.[1] A mushroom cloud looms on Jerichos horizon. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Autism is a brain development disorder that shows symptoms before a child is three years old and has a steady course with no remission. ...

Philanthropy

In the spring of 2007, Ondrasik created the first video charity website. The website allows fans to upload videos answering the central question, "What Kind of World do You Want?" from his hit song,"World". Each time a fan-made video is viewed, up to .49 cents goes to a selected charity. The charities include Fisher House, Komen for the Cure, Save the Children, Autism Speaks, VH1 Save the Music, and NY Police and Fire Widows & Children Fund. World is the second single on the album Two Lights, written by Five For Fighting. ... The term Fisher House may refer to: Fisher House, Cambridge - a Catholic chaplaincy for members of the University of Cambridge. ... Save the Children Logo Save the Children is an international non-profit organization dedicated to working for children. ... Autism Speaks was founded in February, 2005 by Bob Wright and his wife Suzanne, to help find a cure for autism, a year after their grandson, Christian, was given the diagnosis. ...

Discography

Albums

• 1997: Message for Albert
• 2000: America Town #54 U.S., #30 Australia
• 2004: Acoustic Live (EP)
• 2004: The Battle for Everything #20 U.S.
• 2004: 2+2 Makes 5 (EP)
• 2006: The Battle for Everything (DualDisc)
• 2006: The Riddle (EP)
• 2006: Two Lights #8 U.S.

Message for Albert is the debut album of Five for Fighting released in 1997. ... America Town is a 2000 album by Five for Fighting. ... Acoustic Live is the first live album by Five for Fighting released in 2004. ... The Battle for Everything is a 2004 album for United States singer-songwriter Five for Fighting, the stage name of John Ondrasik. ... Two Lights is the fourth album from the pop-rock artist Five For Fighting. ...

Singles

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Adult Top 40 is a another variation on the Top 40 format, in which this genre is more geared towards an adult audience who are not into Rock music teen Pop, Dance music, Hip-Hop, Modern Rock or slower Adult Contemporary fare. ... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ... The Pop 100 is a songs chart created in February 2005 and released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard magazine. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ... Superman (Its Not Easy) is the debut single released by singer Five For Fighting in 2001. ... America Town is a 2000 album by Five for Fighting. ... See also: 2002 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2002 Record labels established in 2002 // 2002 was marked by significant trends in rock music. ... See also: 2002 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2002 Record labels established in 2002 // 2002 was marked by significant trends in rock music. ... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... 100 Years is the first single from the album The Battle for Everything released by singer Five for Fighting (John Ondrasik) in 2004. ... The Battle for Everything is a 2004 album for United States singer-songwriter Five for Fighting, the stage name of John Ondrasik. ... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... See also: 2005 in heavy metal music 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 Albums released in 2005 January 1 - In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock-and-roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier, including... See also: 2006 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 Ti // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... The Riddle is the first single from American singer/songwriter Five for Fightings album Two Lights. ... Two Lights is the fourth album from the pop-rock artist Five For Fighting. ... See also: 2006 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 Ti // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... World is the second single on the album Two Lights, written by Five For Fighting. ...

Trivia

• On the weekend of January 27/28, 2007, John Ondrasik filled in for legendary radio host Casey Kasem on the American Top 20 and American Top 10 radio programmes. On AT20, he counted down his own hit World, and on AT10 he counted down his own hit The Riddle.
• In 2005 he recorded the song "Penguin Lament" for Sandra Boynton's "Dog Train" book and CD.
• In March of 2007, Ondrasik began appearing in a series of short videos profiling Republican presidential contenders in an interview format at gather.com. So far he has interviewed Mike Huckabee[2] and Newt Gingrich[3].

Casey Kasem in 1989 Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amin Kasem on April 27, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan, USA, of Palestinian and Lebanese heritage) is an American radio personality and voice actor. ... Michael Dale Mike Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is a former governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas, having served from 1996 to 2007. ... Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943), Ph. ...

External links

• Five for Fighting Home Page
• What Kind Of World Do You Want Home Page
• Five for Fighting Official Store
• Five for Fighting Fansite
• Fan Club: Unofficial
• Five for Fighting All Music Guide article
• Chase Bank Commercial featuring "100 Years"
• FUZZ Music Magazine: The Suburban Poet/Five for Fighting
• Interview: John Ondrasik - Five for Fighting - Two Lights
• Podcast/interview of Ondrasik on The Glenn and Helen Show
• 2006 IMNO Interview with John Ondrasik
• National Review Online: "Fighting for Freedom," by John J. MillerJohn Ondrasik co-wrote Josh Groban's song February Song on Groban's third album Awake.