It might not be easy being Superman, but enjoying the moving tunes of Five For Fighting could not be easier as it heads to Park Theater on Wednesday, April 30.
John Ondrasik, the songwriter and performer known as Five For Fighting, has produced six studio LPs across the last two decades. He is best known for major hits such as “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “100 Years.”
Soulful and riveting, several of Five For Fighting’s albums have gone platinum or found placement on top-10 chart. “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World” and “East Tonight” have earned over one billion streams and placed Ordrasik as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s.
“100 Years” has withstood the test of time and remains a common song today at weddings, birthday parties, graduations, memorials and home videos. Many of Five For Fighting’s songs have been and continue to be used for television, movies and commercials such as Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and CBS drama, Code Black.
Referencing Fight For Fighting’s success in the 2000s, AllMusic called Ondrasik “one of the decade’s leading balladeers.” But perhaps his biggest achievement is performing “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” at the 2001 Concert for New York, a benefit show at Madison Square Garden that honored first responders and the fallen about a month after the tragic September 11 attacks. Ondrasik performed alongside other big-name artists like Paul McCartney, The Who, Elton John, Billy Joel and dozens more.
“It was a surreal experience. I was honored and blessed to pay tribute to the heroes who ran into those buildings at ground zero, and hopefully, through a song, provide a little solace to family members who’d lost loved ones.” Ondrasik said of performing in honor of the September 11 attack.
Over the course of his career, Ondrasik has sold more than three million albums. He tours with his popular string quartet and continues to play solo and rock band gigs, but also reserves some time to serve as a keynote speaker for the combined themes of creativity and innovation with his business acumen. Ondrasik has presented at TEDx, The Salk Institute, American Cancer Society and many more.
No stranger to using his platform to draw attention to the issues in the world, Ondrasik continues to release music for such purposes. In recent years, he has released a Ukraine tribute song “Can One Man Save the World?” and “OK (We Are Not OK)” was penned in 2023 in regards to the Hamas attacks on Isreal and the cultural aftermath felt across both the United States and the world.
The show begins at 7 p.m. and is expected to last approximately two and a half hours. General admission ranges from $35 to $50 and tickets can be purchased on Park Theater’s website, mcminnvilleparktheater.com, by phone at (931) 506-2787 or at its box office during normal business hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. If available, tickets may be purchased at the door on the day of the event, while supplies last.
