Ted Neeley
Teddie Joe "Ted" Neeley (born September 20, 1943) is an American rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is best known for his performance as Jesus Christ in the film Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).
Neeley considers himself a baritone, and is known for his extremely wide vocal range and rock screams – notably the G above high C (G5) in "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" from Jesus Christ Superstar.
Early life and career
Neeley was born in Ranger, Texas, United States, North America. He signed his first record deal in 1965, at age 22, with Capitol Records. He and his group, The Teddy Neeley Five, recorded an album titled Teddy Neeley. They played the club circuit for years, and at one point their name (on a marquee) appeared in an episode of Dragnet.
In 1968, Neeley starred in the Los Angeles productions of Larry Norman's rock musicals Alison and Birthday for Shakespeare, with Norman, Richard Hatch and Kay Cole. Then, in 1969, Neeley played the lead role of Claude in both the New York and Los Angeles productions of Hair.