John Tesh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Tesh
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Frank Tesh Jr. |
| Born | July 9, 1952 Garden City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, contemporary worship, 20th-century classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, musician, radio host, news anchor, sportscaster |
| Instruments | Piano, keyboards |
John Frank Tesh Jr. (born July 9, 1952) is an American musician and a popular radio and television host. He is famous for writing the exciting basketball theme song "Roundball Rock" for the NBA on NBC show. John Tesh also hosts a well-known radio program called Intelligence for Your Life. Since 2014, he has also hosted Intelligence for Your Life TV with his wife, Connie Sellecca.
John Tesh has achieved many great things in his career. He has won six Emmys, which are awards for excellence in television. He also has four gold albums, meaning his music has sold a lot of copies. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards for his music. John Tesh has sold over eight million records in total. His live concerts have even helped raise more than $7 million for PBS, a public television network. He used to be a co-host for the TV show Entertainment Tonight. He has also worked as a sports commentator for big events like the Olympic Games, Wimbledon tennis tournament, and the Tour de France bicycle race. In 2018, John Tesh was honored by being added to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Tesh was born in Garden City, New York, which is on Long Island. His mother, Mildred, was a nurse, and his father, John Frank Tesh Sr., was a textile chemist. Both of his parents were from North Carolina. John graduated from Garden City High School in 1970.
He started playing piano and trumpet when he was just six years old. In high school, he was chosen for the New York State Symphonic Orchestra. At the same time, he also played the organ in a rock band. John Tesh went to North Carolina State University to study communications and music. He also played lacrosse and soccer for the university teams.
While at North Carolina State, he took a TV and radio course. In 1974, he worked part-time reading the news for Rick Dees at a radio station called WKIX (AM) in Raleigh. His roommate, Bill Leslie, who was a journalist, helped him get into the radio and TV world. For 12 years, John Tesh worked as a news anchor in different cities like Raleigh, Orlando, Nashville, and New York City.
Television Career Highlights
John Tesh's television career began in the 1970s. He worked as a news anchor and reporter at WSM-TV in Nashville, Tennessee. He often reported on the same stories as Oprah Winfrey, who worked at a different station in Nashville. From Nashville, Tesh moved to WTVD in Durham, North Carolina, then to WFTV in Orlando, and finally to WCBS-TV in New York. At just 22 years old, he was their youngest reporter.
In 1978, John Tesh was a reporter for CBS during the 1978 New York City Marathon. He even ran and finished the marathon himself! He became much more famous when he started co-hosting the popular TV show Entertainment Tonight. He worked on this show from 1986 to 1996.
Tesh also worked as a sportscaster for CBS and later NBC. He covered exciting events like the Tour de France bicycle race from 1983 to 1986. He was the first person to anchor the American broadcast of this event. He also covered the US Open tennis tournament and gymnastics at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.
In 1991–92, Tesh hosted a short talk show called One on One with John Tesh on NBC. From 1993 to 1994, he co-hosted John & Leeza from Hollywood with Leeza Gibbons. In 2014, Tesh returned to TV with Intelligence for Your Life TV. This show is based on his popular radio program. John Tesh also appeared as a Klingon warrior in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Musical Journey
In 1987, the famous musician Yanni was putting together his first touring band. John Tesh and Yanni were good friends. Tesh asked Yanni if he could join the band as a keyboard player. He wanted to gain experience performing live. Even though he had a full-time job with Entertainment Tonight, he worked hard and performed very well. He went on one tour with Yanni, playing about twelve shows. Later, Yanni helped Tesh get his first record deal.
In the 1990s, John Tesh created the theme music for Bobby's World, a cartoon hosted by Howie Mandel. He also composed the famous NBA on NBC theme, known as "Roundball Rock". Tesh got the idea for "Roundball Rock" while traveling. To remember his idea, he called his home phone and recorded the initial beat on his answering machine. This theme was used for NBA games on NBC until 2002. NBC later brought the theme back for its basketball coverage during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Tesh also allowed Fox Sports to use the song for their college basketball coverage.
In August 1994, John Tesh performed his first Live at Red Rocks concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. He performed with conductor John Bisharat and the 70-piece Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The concert featured Tesh playing grand piano. Olympic gold medal gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner also performed routines choreographed to Tesh's music.
After leaving Entertainment Tonight in 1996, John Tesh focused on his music career. This led him to start The John Tesh Radio Show in 2003.
Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show
John Tesh currently hosts a nationally syndicated radio show called the John Tesh Radio Show. It plays on radio stations that feature adult contemporary, classic hits, Christian, and soft rock music. The show mixes music with interesting facts and useful information. These facts are called "Intelligence for Your Life." They cover topics like health and well-being.
These "Intelligence for Your Life" segments are also shared with other radio stations. There is also a three-hour weekend show called "Intelligence for Your Health," which started in 2010. This show is hosted by his wife, Connie Sellecca.
John Tesh's radio programs reach listeners across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This makes it one of the most-listened-to radio programs. The show began as a weekend program in 2000 and expanded to a daily version in 2003. It is produced by Tesh and his team of 35 people. In late 2014, a TV version of these facts, Intelligence for Your Life TV, started airing. This TV series also includes health segments hosted by Connie Sellecca.
John Tesh also wrote a book titled Intelligence for Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth in 2008.
Personal Life and Beliefs
John Tesh has been married to actress Connie Sellecca since 1992. They have a daughter named Prima. His wife also has a son named Gib from a previous marriage, who sometimes appears on Tesh's radio and TV programs. John Tesh and Connie Sellecca live in Los Angeles.
John Tesh is a Christian. He grew up as a Baptist and was involved in his church when he was young. He played the organ, sang in the choir, and went to church camp. He became more involved in the church again after his wife introduced him to a pastor. Since then, he has written and performed Christian music.
Awards and Recognition
Early in his career as a television journalist in the 1970s, John Tesh received an Associated Press award for his investigative journalism. In 2018, he was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Tesh won the Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year award from Radio & Records magazine for his radio show. He was nominated for a Grammy in 2003 for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for his album The Power of Love. John Tesh has also earned three gold albums, six Emmys for his sports themes, and a Keyboard Magazine Award.
Music Albums
Studio Albums
- 1987: Music from the Tour de France, Vol. I
- 1988: Tour de France
- 1989: Garden City
- 1992: A Romantic Christmas
- 1992: Ironman Triathlon
- 1992: Music in the Key of Love
- 1992: The Games
- 1993: Monterey Nights
- 1993: Winter Song
- 1994: A Family Christmas
- 1996: Discovery
- 1996: Choirs of Christmas
- 1997: Avalon
- 1998: Grand Passion
- 1998: Guitar by the Fire
- 1998: Songs from the Road
- 1998: Pure Movies
- 1999: One World
- 1999: John Tesh & Friends
- 2000: Pure Hymns
- 2000: Pure Movies, Vol. 2
- 2001: Pure Orchestra
- 2001: Pure Gospel
- 2001: Classical Music for a Stress-Free World
- 2001: Classical Music for Babies (and Their Moms) Vol. 1 & 2
- 2001: Classical Music for a Prayerful Mood
- 2002: Awesome God
- 2002: The Power of Love
- 2002: Christmas Worship
- 2002: A Deeper Faith
- 2002: God of Wonders
- 2002: Worship God
- 2003: A Deeper Faith, Vol. 2
- 2007: A Passionate Life
- 2008: Grand Piano Christmas
- 2009: Grand Piano Worship
- 2010: Grand Piano Romance
- 2011: Big Band Christmas
- 2012: Big Band
Live Albums
- 1995: Live at Red Rocks
- 2004: Worship at Red Rocks (live)
- 2005: Red Rocks Platinum (live)
- 2008: Alive: Music & Dance
- 2020: Songs and Stories from the Grand Piano
Compilations and Collections
- 1990: Tour de France – The Early Years
- 1993: Monterey Nights
- 1995: Anthology
- 1997: Victory – the sports collection
- 1999: Heart of the Sunrise - The Millennium Collection
- 1999: One Day
- 2000: Pure Hymns
- 2000: Forever More: The Greatest Hits of John Tesh
- 2003: Worship Collection: Awesome God
- 2009: The Best of Christmas
- 2009: John Tesh – Greatest Hits – Live in Concert Vol. 1 CD/DVD
Singles
- 1988: A Thousand Summers
- 1989: You Break It
Other Albums
- 1995: Backstage with John Tesh (an interactive CD-rom)
- 2005: Drive Time Intelligence
- 2010: God of Wonders
Videos
- 1993: A Romantic Christmas
- 1995: Live in Monterey
- 1995: Live at Red Rocks
- 1997: The Avalon Concert
- 2000: One World
- 2002: Christmas Worship
- 2004: Worship at Red Rocks
- 2008: Alive: Music & Dance
- 2009: Greatest Hits: Live in Concert, Vol. 1
- 2012: Big Band Live
- 2020: Songs and Stories from the Grand Piano
See also
In Spanish: John Tesh para niños
