Everything about John Tesh totally explained
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. 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 their youngest reporter. 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. He also wrote and composed "
Roundball Rock", the theme song for the
NBA on NBC during the 1990s.
Tesh also co-hosted the show
John & Leeza with
Leeza Gibbons in the 1990s.
Tesh is also a devoted
Star Trek fan. He appeared in "
The Icarus Factor", an episode of, playing a
Klingon warrior.
Musical 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.
After Tesh left his 10-year job as co-host for
Entertainment Tonight in 1996, he turned his career as a New Age keyboardist. This led to him starting
The John Tesh Radio Show in 2003.
In May 2007, Tesh put out "A Passionate Life," a CD that contains songs that he's been writing for over the past 20 years.
In 2008, he'll put out a piano gospel dance DVD. It combines Tesh's music, big gospel choirs and hip-hop dance.
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 (or music selected by an affiliate station themselves), 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, primarily on
adult contemporary music stations; select pieces of "Intelligence for Your Life" are broken up and distributed in short form to other radio stations (including
talk radio formats) as well, for use on morning shows.
Personal life
Tesh, who is a
born-again Christian, first married
Julie Wright in 1982; they divorced in 1991. He is currently married to
Connie Sellecca, and they've a daughter, Prima, together. Tesh is a regular church attender at the
Crystal Cathedral in
Orange County, California.
Awards
In 2007, Tesh was nominated for the Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year award by
Radio & Records magazine for his radio show. Other finalists included
Delilah,
Blair Garner,
Steve Harvey,
Kidd Kraddick, and
The Lia Show. Tesh was nominated in 2003 for the Grammy for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for
Power of Love. John has also earned three gold albums, six Emmys for his sports themes, and a
Keyboard Magazine Award.
Discography
- (1988) Tour de France - Private Music
- (1989) Garden City- Cypress
- (1989) You Break It - Atlantic Records
- (1990) Tour de France - The Early Years - Private Music
- (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
- (1995) Anthology
- (1996) Discovery - Decca Records
- (1996) Choirs of Christmas, featuring Rock Theatre, Paulist Boy Choristers of California, Encore Children's Chorus - 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
- 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 WorldFurther Information
Get more info on 'John Tesh'.
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