Description

Five for Fighting is the pseudonym of John Ondrasik, one of the most successful figures in the wave of lite-rock singer-songwriters that emerged in the early 2000s. Singing in the heartfelt lilt popularized by Dave Matthews, Ondrasik plays amiable, radio-friendly tunes that contain just enough rock grit and piano-man swagger to appeal to a fairly wide spectrum of pop fans. He hit the big time with the Five For Fighting smash "Superman" off of 2000s AMERICA TOWN.

Biography

The Los Angeles, California, USA-based outfit Five For Fighting (an alias used by multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter John Ondrasik) has gained comparisons to artists such as Elton John, Satchel, and Ben Folds Five, owing to its penchant for specializing in gentle and introspective lovelorn compositions. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, Ondrasik began piano lessons at the age of two, and picked up the guitar from his older sister just as he became a teenager. He put music on hold to attend UCLA, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics. Shortly after graduating, Ondrasik had a change of heart, and secured a recording contract with Capitol Records in the late 90s. Five For Fighting's tenure with the label only lasted for a single release, 1997's Message For Albert, before Capitol and Ondrasik parted company.
By 2000, Ondrasik had once again landed on his feet, signing a recording contract with Sony Records and issuing Five For Fighting's second effort, America Town. The album achieved platinum status, buoyed by the radio success of the track "Superman (It's Not Easy)".
DISCOGRAPHY: Message For Albert (Capitol 1997)***, America Town (Aware/Sony 2000)****, The Battle For Everything (Aware/Sony 2004)***.

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