BUENA PARK, CA (October 13, 2004) —
John Ondrasik, the primary force behind the pop/rock band Five For Fighting, is best known for the piano ballad "Superman [It's Not Easy]." And since signing recently as a Yamaha artist, he's got plenty of top-grade piano options for writing and performing in the future.
"Upon receiving a small advance in signing my first record deal I had a choice between buying a piano or a car to replace my Mom's Oldsmobile," said Ondrasik. "The Yamaha
C7 has been serving me well ever since."
Ondrasik saw his career rocket after performing "Superman [It's Not Easy]" at the Concert for New York City presented in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The nation embraced the song, prompting platinum sales for the Five for Fighting album
America Town. The band's current album,
Battle for Everything, released in early 2004, continues Five For Fighting's stylistic and lyric boldness.
Originally from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, Calif., Ondrasik began piano lessons at an early age, taught by his music-teacher mother. At 13, he added guitar to his repertoire and soon began writing his own songs. Eventually he studied voice as well, exploring opera before deciding the style wasn't for him. Instead, his taste leaned more toward artists like Billy Joel, Journey,
Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
In 1997, Ondrasik released his debut record,
Message for Albert, on Capitol Records under the name Five for Fighting. The name comes from the term for a five-minute penalty in a hockey game. Ondrasik followed up his first release with
America Town in 2000.
Yamaha is proud to add Ondrasik to its family of artists. For more than 100 years, Yamaha pianos have symbolized tradition and innovation to musicians and music lovers around the world. Yamaha's diverse instruments include
acoustic grand and upright models,
Disklavier digital acoustic pianos,
MIDIPianos,
Clavinova digital pianos, and digital keyboards. There's a Yamaha piano designed for every conceivable setting, musical style, and level of experience.
For more information about John Ondrasik and Five for Fighting, please visit
www.fiveforfighting.com.
