- published: 03 Oct 2009
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Five for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. He is best known for his piano-based rock, such as the Top 40 songs "Superman (It's Not Easy)" (2001), "100 Years" (2003), and "The Riddle" (2006).
John Ondrasik was born on January 7, 1965, in Los Angeles, a child of a musical family. In his early years, Ondrasik learned the piano, and in his teens he learned to play the guitar and started to write music. While he also learned to sing opera briefly, he soon decided that he would like to be a singer/songwriter. Ondrasik graduated from UCLA with a degree in applied science and mathematics. While in college he continued to pursue music in his spare time. He adopted the name "Five for Fighting," which is an expression in ice hockey, which he used to play, when a player receives a five-minute penalty for fighting. Ondrasik is a life-long fan of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
Ondrasik's first album, Message for Albert, was released by EMI in 1997. Capitol Records re-released this album after the success of America Town.