Jeff Fenholt facts for kids

Jeffrey Craig Fenholt (born September 15, 1950 – died September 10, 2019) was an American musician, singer, and actor. He was best known for playing the main character in the original Broadway show Jesus Christ Superstar. He also appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Later in his life, Fenholt became known as a Christian evangelist and singer. He was also involved with the famous English heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

Early Life and Music Career

Jeff Fenholt grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He was part of several rock bands and performed at school events. When he was 14, his band, The Fifth Order, had a regional hit song called "Goin' Too Far." He toured a lot while he was in high school.

Fenholt studied music at Ohio State University for two years. He later earned a music degree from The School of Bible Theology University in California.

Starring in Jesus Christ Superstar

Fenholt was chosen to play Jesus in the first Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS). This show was performed at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The JCS album sold over 12 million copies. However, the album featured Ian Gillan from Deep Purple as Jesus, not Fenholt. Other JCS cast members, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman, toured the world with Fenholt.

Fenholt also released his own songs. One popular song was his cover of "Simple Man" by Graham Nash.

Working in the Music Industry

Fenholt helped start a company called Entertainment Capital Corporation (ECC). ECC produced a film and also recorded music for Fenholt.

In 1978, Fenholt recorded a disco album called Smile for CBS. He also recorded music for many other record companies, including Capitol Records, Universal, and Sony.

Venturing into Rock Music

In 1983, Fenholt moved to Southern California to focus on rock and roll music. During this time, he recorded demo songs with Tony Iommi and other members of Black Sabbath as a lead singer. However, he left the group before officially joining. Fenholt was also the lead singer for other rock bands like "Driver." This band included members who had played with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and Dio.

Fenholt wrote an autobiography in 1994 called From Darkness to Light. In the book, he shared that he had a difficult childhood. His parents later sued him and his publisher, but the lawsuit was dropped. Fenholt was able to show court documents that supported his claims. He later said he had a "warm relationship" with his mother and family.

Becoming a Christian Evangelist

Jeff Fenholt became a Christian after meeting some Christian construction workers. He decided to change his life and focus on his faith. He then became a well-known person on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), a Christian television network. He often appeared on TV with his wife, Maureen.

Global Ministry and Concerts

His Christian ministry grew worldwide. He toured and held concerts in many countries, including Italy, South Africa, Australia, and Russia. One concert in Moscow, Russia, had about 100,000 people attending.

In 1989, Fenholt returned to the Mark Hellinger Theater, where he had performed Jesus Christ Superstar. This time, he helped dedicate the theater as a new church called "Times Square Church."

In 1996, Fenholt was the chairman for a youth rally called "Washington for Jesus." This event took place at the U.S. Capitol and was attended by nearly 500,000 people.

Television Shows and Albums

Fenholt's TBN show, Highway to Heaven, was shown around the world to millions of viewers. He also had a global music TV program called Standing on the Rock. TBN also recorded some of his Christian worship albums. His Christian music sold over 3.5 million albums, and his Christmas Classics album became platinum. In total, Jeff Fenholt received a double-platinum album for Jesus Christ Superstar. He also earned an additional platinum album and two gold albums for his gospel music.

Connection with Black Sabbath

Fenholt often spoke about his involvement with Jesus Christ Superstar and Black Sabbath during his time as a TBN personality. In the Black Sabbath biography Never Say Die, Fenholt said that the band's manager, Don Arden, told him he was singing for Black Sabbath.

Recordings and Band Changes

The book Never Say Die mentions that many recordings were made when Fenholt was with the group. This was a confusing time for Black Sabbath. The singer David Donato had left, and so had Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. This left Tony Iommi as the only original member.

Manager Don Arden suggested Iommi work with Fenholt. They wrote songs for a possible new album. Some band members believed that Fenholt might not have known that Iommi was planning to make a solo album.

Fenholt said that some of his melodies were used in songs on the album Seventh Star, but he did not receive credit for them. His lyrics were not used. Fenholt claimed he left the project due to disagreements over the lyrics and a physical argument with Don Arden. However, Iommi has stated that Fenholt was never an official member of Black Sabbath. Iommi said Fenholt had a great voice, but it didn't fit the "Sabbath" style of lyrics.

Other Band Projects

During this period, Fenholt also tried out and recorded demos with Geezer Butler for his Geezer Butler Band project, which never fully started.

After his time with Iommi, Fenholt briefly joined Driver, a band with Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge. He recorded some songs with Driver, but then left to go on a solo tour in South America. He was replaced by Rob Rock. Driver later changed its name to M.A.R.S. and released one album, Project: Driver, before breaking up.

Fenholt continued his solo Christian music career, performing in stadiums and arenas. These concerts often had over 100,000 people attending.

Later Years and Personal Life

In 1993, Fenholt had a legal disagreement about a concert location in Wisconsin. He won the case in court.

In 1996, Fenholt was the chairman of the "Washington for Jesus" youth rally at the U.S. Capitol. He helped raise over $1.7 million for the event and donated some of his own money.

Fenholt got divorced in 1998 and left TBN, though he made a few brief appearances later. After his divorce, he said he had "lost his fire." He recorded five solo albums for TBN, which sold over 3.3 million copies. He earned one Platinum and two Gold albums for these.

In 2008, Fenholt was hired as an executive producer for the Beijing Olympic concert series.

Family and Passing

Jeffrey Craig Fenholt was born on September 15, 1950, in Columbus, Ohio. His parents were Robert and Janet Fenholt. He had a brother, Tom, and two sisters, Nancy and Melinda. He also had a foster brother, Bill.

Fenholt married Maureen (Reeni) McFadden when he was 20 years old. They were married for 28 years. He had six adult children: Shaye, Tristan, Nissa, William, Amory, and Jeffrey.

Jeff Fenholt passed away peacefully at his home on September 10, 2019. A memorial service was held in Anaheim, California. His family, friends, members of the original Jesus Christ Superstar cast, and former bandmates attended the service.

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Fenholt para niños