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Five For Fighting music biography continued...

attacks. His moniker, inspired by the ice hockey term which implies a five minute penalty for hostility, was chosen as it would be more memorable than his actual name. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, John learned to play the piano and guitar at a young age. He eventually began to write music and briefly enrolled in opera vocal lessons. While studying applied mathematics at UCLA, Ondrasik also pursued a music career inspired by piano playing musicians Elton John and Billy Joel.

Five For Fighting's debut album Message for Albert was issued in 1997, however it failed to receive any attention. His sophomore album America Town was released by Columbia Records in 2000 and became a huge hit in 2001 owing its success to the popular single "Superman (It's Not Easy)". The song, which he later performed at The Concert for New York City peaked in the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the number one spot on the Adult Top 40. The Battle for Everything followed in 2004 debuting in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single "100 Years" peaked in the number one position on the Adult Contemporary chart and was featured in several commercials as well as popular television shows such as Scrubs, Clubhouse, and JAG. John's fourth studio album, Two Lights saw release in August 2006 shortly after the debut of the lead single "The Riddle" and has since peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200