John Tesh
John Tesh |
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John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of new age and contemporary Christian music. He is also a nationally syndicated radio host, and has previously served as a sportscaster, news anchor and reporter. Besides the piano, he also plays the keyboard, guitar, saxophone and sings. He is also known by many as the long time host of the television program Entertainment Tonight
Early years
He was born in Garden City, New York on Long Island, and graduated from Garden City High School in 1970. Playing piano and trumpet from the age of 6, he studied with teachers from The Juilliard School and was named to the New York State Symphonic Orchestra in high school, while also playing the organ in a rock band.[1] Tesh studied communications and music at North Carolina State University graduating in 1975. While at NC State, he was initiated into Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. While in the area, Tesh worked as a news anchor at WTVD in Durham, North Carolina. After graduation, Tesh went to Orlando, Florida to take a television position at WFTV.
Entertainment Tonight and television career
His television career included a stint as a news anchor and reporter at WSM-TV in Nashville, Tennessee in the 1970s, where he often covered the same stories as Oprah Winfrey who worked at a competing Nashville station. He shuffled from Nashville to Raleigh to Orlando and finally to New York's WCBS where, at age 23, he was its youngest reporter.[1] He later hosted the television show Entertainment Tonight from 1986 to 1996.
Tesh also served as a sportscaster for events such as the Tour de France bicycle race from 1983 through 1986 (Tesh has the distinction of being the anchor for the first American broadcast of this event), and gymnastics at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. His best-known connection to sports, however, might be as the writer and composer of Roundball Rock, the theme song for the NBA on NBC in the 1990s.
Tesh also co-hosted the show John & Leeza with Leeza Gibbons in the 1990s.
Musical career
John Tesh always knew he wanted to pursue a music career. In 1987, Yanni was putting together his first touring band to promote his album Out of Silence, as well as selections from Keys to Imagination. Being good friends, Tesh asked Yanni if he could join the band as keyboardist along with Joyce Imbesi and drummer Charlie Adams, as he'd never been onstage for a live performance and needed the experience. Despite already having a full time job with Entertainment Tonight, and the long hours of rehearsal for the band, he did very well, although he did only one tour with Yanni, about 12 shows including the "1988 Concert Series", before being replaced by Bradley Joseph. Later, Yanni helped Tesh get his first recording contract with Private Music. [2]
After Tesh left his 10-year job as co-host for "Entertainment Tonight" in 1996, he turned his career as a New Age keyboardist. With this move he began pursuing projects that excited him and it led to him starting "The John Tesh Radio Show" in 2003.
In May 2007 Tesh is putting out a CD, "A Passionate Life" which features the most passionate songs written over the past 20 years.
In 2008 his Piano Gospel Dance DVD will be due. It combines Tesh's music, big gospel choirs and hip-hop dance. [3]
John Tesh Radio Show
Tesh currently has a nationally-syndicated radio show called the John Tesh Radio Show, which plays "1980s, 1990s, and today's soft rock" music, interspersed with various factoids and other information Tesh considers useful to listeners, often with topics such as health and well-being. These factoids are called "Intelligence for Your Life." It is played on radio stations across the United States and Canada. "This show was created for my wife, (actress Connie Sellecca)," he says. "She's one of those people where, you look at her side of the bed (and see) six issues of Prevention magazine and five months of Oprah magazine . . . (she) never has time to read any of that stuff . . . I feel there's enough entertainment there - nobody needs to know the latest in the trial of Anna Nicole Smith from us, or who the celebrity birthdays are. So I said, ‘Let's just do something that moves people forward in their life, and we'll do the work for them.'" According to Tesh the show now airs on about 250 stations nationwide.
Personal Life
Tesh, who is a born-again Christian, was first married to Julie Wright in 1982; they divorced in 1991. He is currently married to Connie Sellecca, and they have a daughter, Prima, together.
Discography
- (1988) Tour de France - Private Music
- (1989) Garden City- Cypress
- {1989) You Break It - Atlantic Records
- (1992) A Romantic Christmas - Decca Records
- (1992) Ironman Triathlon - GTSP
- (1992) The Games - GTSP
- (1993) Monterey Nights - Decca Records
- (1994) A Family Christmas - Decca Records
- (1994) Sax by the Fire - Decca Records
- (1994) Winter Song - Decca Records
- (1995) Music in the Key of Love - GTSP
- (1995) Backstage with John Tesh - Digital Entertainment
- (1995) Live at Red Rocks - Decca Records
- (1995) Sax on the Beach - Decca Records
- (1996) Discovery - Decca Records
- (1996) Choirs of Christmas - GTSP
- (1997) Avalon - Decca Records
- (1997) Sax All Night - Decca Records
- (1998) Grand Passion - Decca Records
- (1998) Guitar by the Fire - Decca Records
- (1998) Songs from the Road - BMG Special Products
- (1998) Pure Movies - GTSP
- (1999) One World - Decca Records
- (1999) John Tesh & Friends - Columbia River
- (1999) One Day - Unison
- (2000) Pure Movies, Vol. 2 - Garden City
- (2000) Pure Hymns - Faith M.D.
- (2001) Classical Music for an Intimate Mood - Garden City
- (2001) Pure Orchestra - Garden City
- (2001) Classical Music for a Stress-Free World - Garden City
- (2001) Pure Gospel - Faith M.D.
- (2001) Classical Music for Babies (And Their Moms), Vol. 1 - Garden City
- (2001) Classical Music for Babies (And Their Moms), Vol. 2 - Garden City
- (2001) Classical Music for a Prayerful Mood - Faith M.D.
- (2002) The Power of Love - Garden City Music
- (2002) Christmas Worship - Word Entertainment
- (2002) A Deeper Faith - Garden City
- (2003) Worship Collection: Awesome God - Garden City Music
- (2003) A Deeper Faith, Vol. 2 - Garden City Music
- (2004) Worship at Red Rocks (live) - Garden City Music
- God of Wonders - Word Entertainment
- Anthology
- Drive Time Intelligence CD
- Grand Piano Christmas
- Heart of the Sunrise
- John Tesh - Romantic Christmas Collection
- John Tesh - Ultimate Christmas Collection
- The Power of Prayer and Worship
- Ultimate Love Song Collection
- Victory
- See also: A Thousand Summers (1988)
Videography
- John Tesh - The Avalon Concert
- John Tesh - Live at Red Rocks
- One World
References
- ^ a b Bio at Crossmap.com Cite error: The named reference "bio" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Yanni (2002). Yanni in Words. Miramax Books. pp. 123, 202. ISBN 1-4013-5194-8.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ John Tesh Finds His Groove. NewsMax.com, March 15, 2007.