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| {{Short description|American musician and actor (1950–2019)}} | |||
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| {{Infobox musical artist | |||
| ⚫ | '''Jeffrey Craig Fenholt''' ( |
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| | name = Jeff Fenholt | |||
| | image = | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | image_size = <!-- Only for images smaller than 220 pixels --> | |||
| | birth_name = Jeffrey Craig Fenholt | |||
| | birth_date = {{birth date|1950|9|15}} | |||
| | birth_place = United States | |||
| | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|9|10|1950|9|15}} | |||
| | death_place = | |||
| | genre = {{hlist|]|]/]|]|]}} | |||
| | occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer|actor|]}} | |||
| | instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals|piano}} | |||
| | years_active = 1970–2019 | |||
| | label = | |||
| | associated_acts = {{hlist|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]}} | |||
| ⚫ | }}'''Jeffrey Craig Fenholt''' (September 15, 1950 – September 10, 2019) was an American musician, singer and actor best known for his performance as the title character in the original Broadway theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and for his appearance on the cover of Time. In later years, Fenholt gained recognition as a Christian evangelist and singer, as well as controversy over his involvement with the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. | ||
| Attended Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio during which time he was a member of the band The Fifth Order, which charted with the single "Going Too Far". | |||
| Fenholt released several solo recordings, including a successful cover of ]'s "]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/445604us|title=Simple Man / Billy Is Dead – Jeff Fenholt|publisher=45cat|access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> (not to be confused with ]'s "A Simple Man," which was released at nearly the same time<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/bt141|title=A Simple Man / Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend – Lobo|publisher=45cat|access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref>). | |||
| ==Background== | |||
| An article in the December 1998 issue of ''Vanity Fair'' reviewing Ian Gibson's biography of ], detailed Fenholt's past as a "boy toy" for Dalí's wife ]. The article by John Richardson was titled "Dali's Demon Bride" and was unsparing in its criticism of both Gala and her husband. The article was not much more kind to Fenholt than it was to Gala; according to the review, Fenholt became Gala's lover when she was in her eighties, and secured in return "a sizable house on Long Island... and large sums of money."<ref>"," by John Richardson, ''Vanity Fair'', December 1998. Retrieved 2-3-2022</ref> Fenholt was outraged at the depiction of Gala, and wrote a scathing letter to the editor, stating the authors had no evidence to substantiate their depiction of Gala Dalí. | |||
| Fenholt grew up in ], and by his own admission was a troubled youth with a substantial juvenile criminal record. Turning to rock music as an outlet, he was involved with a number of rock bands, including "Fifth Order", which had a couple of regional hit singles. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| Fenholt's 1994 ] ''From Darkness To Light'' makes substantial allegations of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of his parents Janet and Robert Fenholt, including claims that he was subjected to frequent beatings at the hands of his parents. Jeff's siblings concur that the allegations made against their parents were invented by Jeff to further his career as an evangelist. In 1996, Jeff's parents sued him, ], and the publisher of his autobiography for ]. The lawsuit was subsequently dropped, and Fenholt later claimed that he now has a "warm relationship" with his mother. | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | == External links == | ||
| ==Jesus Christ Superstar== | |||
| *{{IMDb name|2682208}} | |||
| *{{IBDB name}} | |||
| *{{discogs artist}} | |||
| ⚫ | {{Black Sabbath}} | ||
| Fenholt was selected to portray the title character in the Broadway adaptation of ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. (Fenholt's stage act and autobiography claimed that he was originally sent home by a ''Superstar'' casting director after Fenholt rebuffed his ] advances, before being selected.) The production opened on ], ] at the ], and ran for 718 performances. | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| ==Conversion To Christianity== | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Fenholt, Jeff}} | |||
| Fenholt's autobiography claims that he was heavily addicted to alcohol and drugs following the end of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'''s run on Broadway. Fenholt's often-repeated testimony (later published in his autobiography) details a visit from Christian construction workers (hired by his Christian wife to rebuild a wing of his house) who confronted him regarding his portrayal of Christ on stage. Fenholt was converted, beat his addictions, then spent the next several years struggling to balance his faith and his career, before becoming a high-profile personality on programming aired by Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). His Broadway and rock music background were used to sell him as an evangelist. Fenholt also sported long hair, an unusual style in conservative evangelical circles. Fenholt would often appear with his wife Maureen (nicknamed "Reeni"). | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
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| Fenholt built his career as a TBN personality based mostly upon his involvement with ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', and his claims of having been a member of Black Sabbath. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| However, Fenholt was never directly involved with any facet or lineup of the band. By 1985, Sabbath was on an indefinite hiatus, caused in part by a string of albums with frequent lineup changes following the departure of original vocalist ]. Guitarist ] had assembled a studio band to record and produce what was intended to be his first solo record. For this project, Iommi auditioned several vocalists, including Fenholt. According to several eyewitnesses, Fenholt was a talented vocalist, but was unable to improvise, and was not considered for the job any further. Only after being heavily pressured by ] did Iommi decide to release the album bearing the Sabbath name, as '']'' (released in ] ]) was credited to "Black Sabbath Featuring Toni Iommi". | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| Fenholt paints a much different picture of this time in his career, claiming that he worked on the project from January to May of 1985, co-wrote several of the songs that appeared on ''Seventh Star'' (and subsequently did not receive credit for them), and only left the project because of personal conflicts with the lyrical material being written and his religious faith. Regardless, Fenholt's claims of being a member of the band are seen at best as an exaggeration of a warped point of view regarding the history of the band, and at worst a blatant lie designed to further his singing career and credibility as an evangelical vocalist designed to convert fans of heavy metal music to born-again Christianity. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| For the record, Iommi (who owns the rights to the name "Black Sabbath") has been mostly quiet on the subject of Fenholt, while other past members of the band have veen very vocal regarding their objections to Fenholt using the band's name and his fictional involvement to further his evangelical career and agenda. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ==Decline== | |||
| ] | |||
| Fenholt disappeared from TBN programming shortly after an article published in the ] ] issue of '']'' detailed his past as a "boy toy" for ], wife of ]. Gala was known for her numerous affairs and affections for young artists during the later years of her life. | |||
| For the next several years, Fenholt would be largely ] from TBN, except for a few brief appearances, including one after the events of ], ] that featured a marked change in his demeanor and appearance, including short collar-length hair and a quick exit from the stage following his performance. He was also briefly given a late-night timeslot for a half-hour program. | |||
| Fenholt returned to TBN on ], ] as a guest on the ''Behind the Scenes'' program, hosted by ]. Fenholt once again claimed to have been a member of Black Sabbath, citing a recent publication on the history of the band that had mentioned his involvement with the early ''Seventh Star'' sessions in detail. | |||
| ==Quotes== | |||
| ''"Jeff Fenholt sang on some demos for Tony Iommi in (19)85 in (Los Angeles). He was never in Black Sabbath. Tony was looking for a singer for what was supposed to be his "solo" album. Jeff came down and sang some ideas in the studio for what were simply demos. That project became the "Seventh Star" album with ] on vocals, and my first album. That's pretty much all there is to the story. Jeff had a great voice but it just didn't work out."'' - ] | |||
| ⚫ | ==External |
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Latest revision as of 16:07, 15 November 2024
American musician and actor (1950–2019)
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Jeff Fenholt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeffrey Craig Fenholt |
| Born | (1950-09-15)September 15, 1950 United States |
| Died | September 10, 2019(2019-09-10) (aged 68) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1970–2019 |
Jeffrey Craig Fenholt (September 15, 1950 – September 10, 2019) was an American musician, singer and actor best known for his performance as the title character in the original Broadway theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and for his appearance on the cover of Time. In later years, Fenholt gained recognition as a Christian evangelist and singer, as well as controversy over his involvement with the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
Attended Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio during which time he was a member of the band The Fifth Order, which charted with the single "Going Too Far".
Fenholt released several solo recordings, including a successful cover of Graham Nash's "Simple Man" (not to be confused with Lobo's "A Simple Man," which was released at nearly the same time).
An article in the December 1998 issue of Vanity Fair reviewing Ian Gibson's biography of Salvador Dalí, detailed Fenholt's past as a "boy toy" for Dalí's wife Gala Dalí. The article by John Richardson was titled "Dali's Demon Bride" and was unsparing in its criticism of both Gala and her husband. The article was not much more kind to Fenholt than it was to Gala; according to the review, Fenholt became Gala's lover when she was in her eighties, and secured in return "a sizable house on Long Island... and large sums of money." Fenholt was outraged at the depiction of Gala, and wrote a scathing letter to the editor, stating the authors had no evidence to substantiate their depiction of Gala Dalí.
References
- "Simple Man / Billy Is Dead – Jeff Fenholt". 45cat. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- "A Simple Man / Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend – Lobo". 45cat. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- "Dali's Demon Bride," by John Richardson, Vanity Fair, December 1998. Retrieved 2-3-2022
External links
- Jeff Fenholt at IMDb
- Jeff Fenholt at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jeff Fenholt discography at Discogs
