Hola frens!
How's your Tuesday going?
Mine was quiet, fun, and filled with music. Speaking of which, one of the artists I have had the chance to revisit today is Vladimir John Ondrasik III (a.k.a Five for Fighting), an American soft, alternative rock and contemporary singer-songwriter and pianist.
I kind of equate him to "Superman", because of his song I heard over 2 decades ago, not from him directly but by someone very dear to me. Please allow me to share it as my first recommendation for the Three Tune Tuesday initiative by Ablaze.
Five for Fighting - Superman (It's Not Easy)
Accordingly, the song was rejected by every music company and the radio didn't want to play it but he didn't lose hope. He mentioned that through this song and experience, he learned that the little things matter. He shared more about it in his Ted Talk.
The track was released on 16th April 2001 as part of his album America Town. It became the anthem after 9/11, used to honor the victims, survivors, police, and firefighters involved. The song has been covered by various artists multiple times and featured in TV series like Smallville. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance in 2002. ¹
The artist shared that the song's inspiration is the "frustration about the inability to be heard."
Five for Fighting - 100 Years
Per the artist, this is a song that he wrote in 45 minutes and one that taught him of the "value of a concept that initial flicker of inspiration."
The song was released in 2003 as the first single on his album The Battle for Everything. It reached number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and 28th on the Billboard Hot 100. It earned a Platinum certification from the RIAA in 2007 for over 1M copies sold.²
This reminded me of a song (7 Years) by another Lukas Graham which I previously shared.
Five for Fighting - The Riddle
The song was released in 2006 for his third album Two Lights.
Accordingly, this took him 18 months to write, having over 100 drafts, beginning as a song on the meaning of life, but later evolving into about the love between a father and his son, inspired by his relationship with his own five-year-old.³
It must have been so worth it for him because the single reached number 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and 40th on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Five for Fighting's third and, to date, last top-40 hit in the US.
Some interesting facts about the artist:
He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Applied Sciences and Mathematics. He was quoted that it was his plan B when music didn't go well.
He was discovered while playing gigs in a bar on Melrose and Vine by an EMI music publisher, Berkowitz, whom he later married.
The name "Five for Fighting" was given to him by EMI Records when John signed with them in 1995 because they felt his name was difficult to pronounce.
Ondrasik loved the name because it is an ice hockey expression that means a 5-minute major penalty for participating in a fight, and the artist is a fan of a hockey league in LA. (Source)
These days, he is no longer writing songs for the sake of topping the charts but doing what he loves, spending time with his family and their business, and helping people through charities. In October last year, he released the song OK (We Are Not OK) addressing the Hamas attacks in Israel.
He's also fundraising for evacuation places, refugees' mental wellness, and others through his charity-driven website What Kind of World Do You Want.
Anyhow, that's it from me. I hope you like any of his songs. Superman is certainly my favorite just because it's something memorable for me.
Music videos courtesy of Five for Fighting YT channel. Lead image created on Canva. No copyright infringement intended. 21052024/21:00ph