Five for Fighting

2.1. Early Musical Career (1988-1995)

After graduating from UCLA in 1988, Ondrasik became involved with the Los Angeles glam metal scene. He formed a band named 'John Scott' with Scott St. Clair Sheets, known for his work with Pat Benatar, and befriended Whitesnake bassist Rudy Sarzo. Ondrasik characterized their band's sound as "pop metal," drawing comparisons to Bon Jovi. John Scott secured a management deal in the early 1990s, but their aspirations for mainstream success were curtailed by the emergence of grunge music, exemplified by bands like Nirvana. Despite this, several recordings by John Scott have survived. Three songs co-written by Sheets and Ondrasik-"After the Fire," "Shadow of Myself," and "Turn the Wheel" (a rewritten version of "On the Streets Again")-were included on a 1997 arena rock album by Sheets' band, St. Clair, which also featured Rudy Sarzo. Ondrasik later provided vocals for Sheets' song "Fly Me Away" in 2008, marking another collaboration between the two.

Following the dissolution of John Scott, Ondrasik returned to his primary instrument, stating he "went back to the piano, where I belonged." He spent the early 1990s performing as a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles, eventually signing with EMI music publisher Carla Berkowitz, whom he later married.

2.2. Formation of "Five for Fighting" and Debut Album (1995-1999)

In 1995, Ondrasik signed with EMI Records. At the label's request, he adopted "Five for Fighting" as his stage name, as EMI executives found his given name difficult to pronounce and were concerned about the marketability of solo male singer-songwriters in the mid-1990s. Despite its seemingly heavy metal connotation, the label reportedly "loved" the name. While the project initially began as a quartet for the first album, it later evolved into Ondrasik's solo moniker after the band members parted ways.

Five for Fighting's debut album, Message for Albert, was released by EMI in March 1997. However, the American division of EMI Records closed in June of the same year, effectively halting any promotional efforts for the album. Although no singles were officially released, "Bella's Birthday Cake" was intended as the lead single, with "Ocean" also considered for a second single. AllMusic praised Message for Albert as "intelligent and well-crafted," calling it "a promising debut that sadly lost its shot when EMI spontaneously combusted after the record's release."

Following EMI's closure, Ondrasik attempted to re-release Message for Albert through Capitol Records or Virgin Records without immediate success. He subsequently left EMI and recorded demos of "Easy Tonight" and "Jainy," which would later be re-recorded for his 2000 album, America Town. Capitol Records eventually re-released Message for Albert following the commercial success of America Town.

2.3. Breakthrough and Peak Commercial Success (2000-2006)

Five for Fighting's breakthrough came after Mark Cunningham of Aware Records contacted Ondrasik and passed his demos to A&R Steve Smith, leading to a partnership deal with Columbia Records. His second album, America Town, was released on September 26, 2000. It featured ten new songs alongside re-recorded tracks "The Last Great American" and "Love Song" from Message for Albert. "Easy Tonight" was the album's lead single in 2000, receiving moderate airplay and peaking at number 26 on the Adult Top 40 chart.

The album's second single, "Superman (It's Not Easy)", achieved significant commercial success. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Top 40 chart. The song resonated deeply with the American public following the September 11 attacks and became a widely recognized anthem. Ondrasik performed "Superman" at The Concert for New York City on October 20, 2001, and the song received a Grammy nomination in 2002. Although subsequent singles "America Town" and "Something About You" (released in 2002 and 2003, respectively) did not chart, America Town was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2004, having sold 966,000 copies in the U.S., and also achieving Gold certification in Canada.

His third album, The Battle for Everything, debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart in February 2004. Some versions of this album were released as "dual-disc" sets, with one side as a CD and the other as a DVD, featuring music videos. The album included the hit single "100 Years", which reached number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, holding the top position for 12 non-consecutive weeks. "Devil in the Wishing Well" was the album's second single, peaking at number 23 on the Adult Top 40. A third single, a cover of "Silent Night" from the bonus five-song EP 2 + 2 Makes 5 (bundled with some versions of The Battle for Everything), reached number 2 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. The Battle for Everything was certified Platinum by the RIAA, making it Ondrasik's second consecutive Platinum-selling album, with sales of 958,000 copies in the U.S.

The album received mixed critical reviews. AllMusic praised its "nice craftsmanship" and found it "one of the more interesting, detailed" records in its genre, though it criticized the "pompous narcissism" of the lyrics. PopMatters also noted the album's "pomposity" but lauded "Angels and Girlfriends" for its "unexpected chord changes" and "uncharacteristically quirky" lyrics, also highlighting the surprising energy of "The Taste." Ondrasik himself stated that he and producer Bill Bottrell approached the recording of The Battle for Everything with ambitious intent, aiming for dramatic orchestral elements or raw rock edges as needed.

2.4. Continued Mainstream Success (2006-2009)

Two years later, Five for Fighting released Two Lights, which became Ondrasik's first career Top 10 album, debuting at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart in August 2006. Its first single, "The Riddle", became his third career Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 40. It also reached number three on the Adult Contemporary charts and number seven on the Hot Adult Contemporary charts. The second single, "World", peaked at number 14 on the Hot Adult Contemporary charts, and its music video was utilized for various charitable causes and as a theme for NASA's International Space Station.

In 2007, Five for Fighting released three live albums: Rhapsody Originals in January, iTunes Exclusive in June, and Back Country in October.

Ondrasik's fifth studio album, Slice, was released on October 13, 2009, quickly entering the iTunes Top 10 albums on its release day. The album was produced by Gregg Wattenberg, who had previously worked on "Superman" and "100 Years." Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz, known for musicals like Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin, co-wrote the album's title track and the song "Above the Timberline." The lead single from Slice, "Chances", was released for digital download on July 21, 2009, and was featured in the end credits of the film The Blind Side, reaching number 11 on the Hot Adult Contemporary radio chart.

2.5. Career Transition and Recent Works (2010-Present)

By the early 2010s, Five for Fighting's mainstream commercial success began to wane, and Ondrasik recognized that his phase of producing hit singles was drawing to a close. After a decade, he parted ways with Columbia Records in 2010, following the underperformance of his single "Slice." Reflecting on this period, Ondrasik considered whether his time in the music industry was "done." However, Wind-up Records subsequently signed Five for Fighting and re-released the Slice album.

Following his departure from Columbia, two compilation albums were released in 2011: Playlist: The Very Best of Five for Fighting, which featured 14 songs spanning his career from 1997 to 2010, and X2: America Town/The Battle for Everything, a bundle of his two Platinum-selling albums.

Five for Fighting's sixth studio album, Bookmarks, was released in 2013 through Wind-up and Aware Records, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "What If," reached number 29 on the Adult Top 40 and number 28 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Despite this charting success, Ondrasik acknowledged that his focus was shifting away from pursuing chart positions and record sales, opting instead to "change the field of play."

In the years that followed, much of Ondrasik's activity centered on television projects. In 2017, he and Stephen Schwartz sold a TV show concept called Harmony to ABC. Five for Fighting's songs were also featured in several TV series, including "All for One" in the one hundredth episode of Hawaii Five-0 in 2014, "100 Years" in the final scene of the last episode of JAG, and "Born to Win" on American Ninja Warrior. In 2020, Ondrasik re-recorded an unplugged version of "All for One" for the series finale of Hawaii Five-0.

Ondrasik was notably featured in season three of the CBS drama Code Black, performing a cover of Gary Go's "Open Arms" in the first episode, where he also appeared on screen. His rendition of "Open Arms" appeared on Billboard's "Top TV songs" chart in April 2017. Other songs by Ondrasik featured in Code Black included "Hero" and "This Fire," while "Superman (It's Not Easy)" was performed by Briana Lee in the season three finale. In 2018, Ondrasik recorded "Song For The Innocents" for the end credits of the film Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer.

During this period, Five for Fighting also engaged in notable live performances, including the Lincoln Center Series, American Songbook, in February 2017, the 2017 National Memorial Day Concert, and a TV special titled Christmas Under the Stars.

Since 2021, Ondrasik has released a series of songs directly addressing significant global geopolitical events, marking a distinct shift in his musical commentary. These include "Blood on My Hands" (2021), a song critical of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. The song sparked media discussion about censorship in music after its graphic music video was temporarily removed and then restored by YouTube. In March 2022, Ondrasik released "Can One Man Save the World?", inspired by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He performed this song in Kyiv in July 2022 with the Ukrainian Orchestra in the ruins of the Antonov Airport, stating his honor in sharing the musical collaboration on such "hallowed ground" and observing the "fortitude and grace of the Ukrainian people." Most recently, on January 18, 2024, Ondrasik released "OK" in response to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent rise in global antisemitism. He described the song as "a call to action to stand for good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and call evil by name without 'context' or equivocation."

5.1. Charitable Initiatives and Performances

In the spring of 2007, Ondrasik launched his first video charity website, whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com, inspired by his hit song "World." The platform allowed fans to upload videos responding to the central question, "What Kind of World Do You Want?" Through this initiative, he raised over 250.00 K USD for several charitable organizations, including Augie's Quest, Autism Speaks, Fisher House Foundation, Save the Children, and Operation Homefront.

Ondrasik has consistently shown his support for military members. Under the auspices of the United Service Organizations (USO), he performed for service members on tours to Guantánamo Bay and other bases in Cuba in February and March 2007, followed by another USO tour in November 2007 across Japan, Guam, and Hawaii. He stated his deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by troops and their families.

In November 2007, Ondrasik initiated and coordinated the release of CD for the Troops, providing 13 free songs for U.S. military personnel. This project expanded to five volumes, distributing over one million copies of songs donated by various artists, including Billy Joel, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, and comedians like Chris Rock, Ray Romano, and Adam Sandler. Subsequent volumes featured artists such as Matchbox 20, Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Gavin DeGraw, Sara Bareilles, Mayday Parade, and REO Speedwagon.

He has also performed on the annual The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon and participated in various events for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Augie's Quest, raising awareness and funds for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). In 2008, he contributed to the musical movement raising awareness about contemporary slavery and human trafficking by performing a live version of "World" for the rockumentary Call + Response. His song "What If" was used in the tenth-anniversary campaign for Richard Branson's non-profit organization, Virgin Unite.

Ondrasik has received several recognitions for his humanitarian efforts, including the National Fatherhood Initiative's 2009 Military Fatherhood Award and the International SPA Association's Humanitarian Award in 2016. In 2022, he launched a docu-series titled "Meet the Heroes," featuring interviews with Americans involved in the Afghan withdrawal, with the first episode featuring Michael Waltz. In February 2022, Ondrasik collaborated with artists like Tom Morello, Victoria Williams, and Beth Hart on the song "God Help Us Now," which addresses the suffering of Afghan girls in Afghanistan.

5.2. Musical Commentary on Geopolitical Issues

In addition to his broader philanthropic work, Ondrasik has increasingly used his music to directly address significant global events and social concerns. His recent compositions serve as musical commentaries on contemporary geopolitical issues, emphasizing his role in contributing to social discourse through his art.

In 2021, he released "Blood on My Hands," a song sharply critical of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The song and its music video sparked public discussion when YouTube temporarily banned it, leading to accusations of censorship before its eventual restoration.

In March 2022, Ondrasik released "Can One Man Save the World?", a tribute to Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He notably performed this song on July 9, 2022, in Kyiv with the Ukrainian Orchestra amidst the ruins of the Antonov Airport, stating his honor in sharing this musical collaboration on such "hallowed ground" and witnessing the "fortitude and grace of the Ukrainian people, who whether playing a violin or driving a tank, will not be deterred by Putin's atrocities and aggressions."

On January 18, 2024, Ondrasik released "OK" in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent global rise in antisemitism. He described the song as "a call to action to stand for good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and call evil by name without 'context' or equivocation." In May 2024, Ondrasik attended an American Jewish Committee press conference at UCLA Hillel during student protests against Israel. He posed hypothetical questions to UCLA faculty and administration about their commitment to protecting Jewish students if a "barbaric terrorist group" attacked them on campus, expressing sympathy for Jewish students nationwide who he felt had been "abandoned by the administrators and presidents at this school." During this questioning, he implied discriminatory activities were occurring at the UCLA pro-Palestine encampment, including requiring students to state their faith to access school buildings.

8.1. Studio Albums

8.2. Extended Plays (EPs)

8.6. Music Videos