Teddie Joe "Ted" Neeley (born September 20, 1943) is an American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for portraying the title role in ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

'' (1973), a role for which he was nominated for two

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

and has reprised numerous times. Neeley considers himself a

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

, 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. He signed his first record deal in 1965, at age 22, with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. He and his group, The Teddy Neeley Five, recorded an album titled ''Teddy Neeley''. They played the club circuit for years, and their name (on a marquee) appeared in the pilot episode of ''

Dragnet 1967 ''Dragnet'' is an American television series. It ran for four seasons, from January 12, 1967, to April 16, 1970. To differentiate it from the earlier 1950s '' Dragnet'' television series, the year in which each season ended was made part of the ...

''. In 1968, Neeley starred in the Los Angeles productions of

Larry Norman Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...

's rock musicals ''Alison'' and ''Birthday for Shakespeare'', with Norman and Richard Hatch. Then, in 1969, Neeley played the lead role of Claude in both the New York and Los Angeles productions of ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

''. He also appeared on the controversial, unaired episode of ''

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sched ...

'' that prompted CBS to cancel the series.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Neeley's work with

Tom O'Horgan Tom O'Horgan (May 3, 1924 – January 11, 2009) was an American theatre and film director, composer, actor and musician. He is best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals ''Hair'' and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. During his ca ...

, the director of ''Hair'', led to him being called when O'Horgan was hired to stage ''

'' for Broadway. Neeley originally auditioned for the role of Judas, seeing it as a great opportunity to play a character few understand. However, when Ben Vereen was chosen for the role, Neeley signed on as chorus and also became the understudy for Jesus Christ. This particular opportunity led to his taking on the title role in the Los Angeles stage version (which played at the

Universal Amphitheatre Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles, California within Universal City, California, Universal City. It was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a p ...

) after receiving a standing ovation during a performance earlier in the tour. Castmate and close friend Carl Anderson was touring also as an understudy for Judas. Having also performed the title role in ''

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

'' in Los Angeles, Neeley was led to reprise the title role in the film version of ''

'', directed by Norman Jewison, alongside Anderson as Judas. In 1974, he received nominations for his performance in the film at the

31st Golden Globe Awards The 31st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1973, were held on January 26, 1974. Winners and nominees Film Television Best Series - Drama * ''The Waltons'' **''Cannon'' **''Columbo'' **'' Hawkins'' **''Mannix' ...

for " Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy" and " New Star Of The Year—Actor".

Post-JCS: music, television, and theatre

In 1974, fresh from the success of ''Superstar'', Neeley released a solo album, ''1974 A.D.'' (1974), and played the role of Billy Shears in

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road'' was a 1974 off-Broadway production directed by Tom O'Horgan. It opened at the Beacon Theatre in New York on November 17, 1974 and ran for a total of 66 performances.The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'', ''

'' s lead singer in The Teddy Neeley Five '' Sonny and Cher'' and ''

A Touch of Gold "A Touch of Gold" is the first television play episode of the second season of the Australian anthology television series ''Australian Playhouse''. "A Touch of Gold" was directed by John Croyston and originally aired on ABC on 12 June 1967 in Melb ...

'', and as a guest actor in films such as '' The Shadow of Chikara'' (1977) and '' Hard Country'' (1981), network dramas during the 1970s and 1980s, such as ''

Starsky and Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

''. The specter of ''Superstar'' continued to loom large over Neeley's career. In the late 1970s, he reprised his performance in the title role for two regional productions in California, both under the auspices of the California Youth Theatre organization. The first reunited him with his Broadway and film co-stars Carl Anderson and

Yvonne Elliman Yvonne Marianne Elliman (born December 29, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who performed for four years in the first cast of the stage musical ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved ...

(as Judas and Mary Magdalene). Among his other credits, Neeley composed music for and appeared in Director Robert Altman's film ''

A Perfect Couple ''A Perfect Couple'' is a 1979 romantic-comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Altman and starring Paul Dooley, Marta Heflin, Titos Vandis, and Belita Moreno. Plot An older man, played by Paul Dooley, tries romancing a younger woman ...

'' (1979) and performed the music for the TriStar feature film '' Blame It on the Night'', NBC-TV's ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order t ...

'', and '' The Big Blue Marble'' for the Children's Television Network. He also wrote music for and starred in ''Cowboy Jack Street'', at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

in Los Angeles. At the same time, Neeley provided his abilities as singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and producer to albums and to appearances by such artists as Nigel Olsson,

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

, Richard Pryor,

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes were a disco group of the 1970s, featuring Monti Rock III (born "Joseph Montanez Jr."). The band is best known for their two disco hits "Get Dancin'" and "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)". Career The Sex- ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar style ...

, The Kinks, Ben Vereen, Bo Diddley,

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...

, and

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...

. He worked with songwriter Michael Rapp, who wrote such hit concept albums as ''Ulysses: The Greek Suite'', ''The Ring'' and ''The Enchanter'' exclusively for showcasing Neeley's vocal talents. In the late 1970s, he returned to live performance, now with his band, Pacific Coast Highway.

Return to the stage

Twenty years after first playing the role, Neeley gained renewed success in the lead role of Jesus in the 1990s touring company of ''

'' (which once again co-starred Carl Anderson as Judas, and also at various points co-starred

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

's former wife Syreeta and

Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress of Black, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and f ...

of '' Fame'' as Mary, and Dennis DeYoung of

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

as Pilate). This modernized version of the original production included a day-glo temple scene, and a glass crucifixion cross that elevated above the stage and was lit from within. Originally planned as a three-month tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the motion picture, the "A.D. Tour" went on to become the longest running revival in North American theater history. From 1992 to 1997, the hugely successful tour criss-crossed the nation multiple times, allowing Neeley the opportunity to reprise his role over 1,700 times. In 1999, Neeley reunited with Michael Rapp for a new project, a rock musical entitled '' Rasputin'', a story about the fall of the Romanov dynasty as seen through the eyes of Alexei, heir to the throne and friend to the "mad monk" (a role played by Neeley). In addition to playing the title role, he produced a one-night showcase production (in 1999) and concept album (released in 2002) of the show. He followed this up in 2000 by performing the role of Willie Moore in the world premiere of ''Murder in the First'', presented by the Rubicon Theatre Company of California, with whom Neeley maintains a close association. That same year he served as the sound consultant for their production of the

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy ...

revue ''Lies and Legends''. In 2004, Neeley worked with RTC once again, appearing as Lucky in the Rubicon Theatre Company's production of '' Waiting for Godot'', which was the centerpiece of their BeckettFest. In August 2006, once again under the auspices of the California Youth Theatre group (now renamed YouTHeatre–America or YTA), Neeley was asked to perform the title role in ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' live in concert for a one-night-only benefit at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, California. Produced and directed by

Gary Goddard Gary Goddard (born July 18, 1954) is an American producer and director who co-founded the Landmark Entertainment Group. In 2002, he left it to form Gary Goddard Entertainment (GGE), later known as the Goddard Group, an entertainment design firm ...

, this production reunited him with several of his former co-stars from the original Broadway cast and 1973 film ( Ben Vereen,

, Barry Dennen) and also paired him with current celebrities (

Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...

as Herod and Clint Holmes as Simon). National touring cast member Ethan Wilcox was also a part of the production. TedNeeley

Immediately following the Superstar Benefit in Hollywood, Neeley began headlining another production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. It was originally billed by some as his national "farewell" tour, but Neeley disavowed the claim and the tour became known as the new "A.D. Tour". The new production was a stripped-down version with staging and set limited to a few risers. The tour was supposed to last through 2007, but audience and critical reception for the show was so great that it was extended into 2010. Carl Anderson, who was originally slated to reprise his role as Judas, died in 2004 of leukemia. Corey Glover, lead singer of the rock band

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). S ...

, co-starred as Judas early in the tour. Glover left the show to rejoin Living Colour in June 2008, and actor

James Delisco James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

took over the Judas role, along with several new cast members for the third (2009) leg of the tour. On the fourth and final leg (2009–2010), Judas was played by John Twiford. Several other cast members returned for the fourth leg including Darrel R. Whitney (Caiaphas), Matthew G. Myers (Simon/Judas Understudy), Rasmiyyah Feliciano (Soul Sister/Mary Understudy), Ethan Wilcox (Apostle/Guard) and Adam Scott Campbell (Peter). The tour ended in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 9, 2010.

Current projects: film, stage, and music

In 2012, following successful stage tours, film and television work, Neeley continued his childhood dream of singing in a rock and roll band. He hit the road with "The Little Big Band" and the first stop was a benefit concert for the performing arts program at the high school in Virginia where Carl Anderson began his career. He and his band played selections from ''Hair'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''Tommy'' and ''Sgt. Pepper'', along with original songs. Neeley also told stories of his music, stage and film career, including how he got the role of Jesus of Nazareth. Neeley had a cameo role in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

's 2012 Academy Award-winning film ''

Django Unchained ''Django Unchained'' () is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Walton Goggins, Dennis Chri ...

.'' While on location in the swamps of Louisiana, Neeley was inspired for the "Tracker's Chant" which was included in the soundtrack for the film. In 2013, Neeley went back into the recording studio to record his album ''Workin' For The Words'', merging the sounds of the American southwestern plains with the eclectic influences of a wider world. Then later in 2013, came the new digitally re-mastered production of his ''1974 A.D.'' original vinyl album, distributed as a CD called ''Ted Neeley 1974 A.D. / 2013 A.D.'' Later in 2013, in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the film ''

'', Ted toured the US screening the new digitally re-mastered DCP print of the film. The screening events included a pre-screening audience Q&A and post-film meet and greet with appearances by all of the principal cast members including Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate), Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), Kurt Yaghjian (Annas), Bob Bingham (Caiaphas), Larry Marshall (Simon), Josh Mostel (Herod), and choreographer Rob Iscove, in some cities. Carl Anderson was celebrated at each of the events. Neeley's EP "Rock Opera" was released in April 2014. "Rock Opera" includes songs from ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' and ''Tommy'', along with vocal collaborations with friends and ''Superstar'' co-stars, including

in their duet "Up Where We Belong", and with the late Carl Anderson, featured in the re-imagined "God's Gift To The World". The EP also includes a live on-stage performance of "Gethsemane". Produced by Frank Munoz ( Ace Frehley's Anomaly, Jason Newsted's METAL EP), "Rock Opera" was available on iTunes and his web site.Official website
Accessed November 17, 2022. In the spring of 2014, Neeley was invited to Rome to perform as Jesus in the Peep Arrow Production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', directed by Massimo Romeo Piparo. The show also featured popular Italian rock band

Negrita Negrita is an Italian rock band from Arezzo, Tuscany. Formed in 1991, the band was named after the song " Hey Negrita", included in The Rolling Stones' album ''Black and Blue'', released in 1976. The band currently consists of Paolo Bruni (also k ...

on stage during the performances along with a 12-piece orchestra. Negrita's frontman Pau played Pontius Pilate, along with Italian singer Simona Molinari (Mary Magdalene), and actor and lead singer of the Italian band Roke's, Shel Shapiro (Caiaphas). The show ran for a few months in Rome and with a positive response from fans, it went on to tour in Italy through May 2015. During the tour Ted reunited with his film co-stars Yvonne Elliman and Barry Dennen for a one-night performance in the Arena di Verona on October 12, 2014. The show sold out and they added a second show that night. In the summer of 2014, Neeley played the role of "The Publicist" in Darren Lynn Bousman and

Terrance Zdunich Terrance Zdunich (; born July 23, 1976) is an American artist, singer, actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as GraveRobber in ''Repo! The Genetic Opera'', as Lucifer in '' The Dev ...

's film ''

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival ''Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival'' (stylized onscreen as ''The Devil's Carnival: Alleluia!'') is a 2015 American Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Terrance Zdunich. It is a dire ...

''. The film had its world premiere in Hollywood at the Egyptian Theatre August 11, 2015 and will be touring the US with a road show in the fall. Following the JCS Italy tour, Neeley was to continue the in-person anniversary JCS screenings with a tour of the California coast in September 2015. He was then to return to Italy for the next leg of the 2015–2016 Jesus Christ Superstar Tour, which was scheduled to tour Italy and into the Netherlands through February 2016. Some more dates of the tour were added in 2017 (April—Italy—and May—Netherlands).

Discography

Solo albums

* 1966 : ''Teddy Neeley'' * 1973 : ''1974 A.D.'' * 2018 : ''Rock Opera''

Collaborative albums

* 1973: ''Jesus Christ Superstar (The Original Motion Picture Sound Track Album)'' * 1978 : ''Ulysses: The Greek Suite'' (A-440 Feat. Ted Neeley & Yvonne Iversen) * 1979: ''Keepin' 'Em Off the Streets—Performing the Music from the Motion Picture A Perfect Couple''

Personal life

Neeley met his wife, Leeyan Granger, during the making of the film ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', in which she can be seen as one of the dancers in Simon Zealotes and King Herod's Song. They have two children, Tessa and Zackariah.

References

External links

Ted Neeley's Official Web Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neeley, Ted 1943 births American male composers 21st-century American composers Living people Neverland Express members People from Ranger, Texas 21st-century American male musicians