Background

Fenholt was born and raised in Ohio and attended school in Columbus. He was a member of several rock bands and played at various school events. When he was 14, Fenholt recorded "Goin' Too Far" with The Fifth Order, becoming a regional hit. He went on a lot of tours when he was in high school. He admitted that he was a troubled adolescent with a criminal past. Later, while still in college, he worked as a material mover in the motor winding and assembly department at Jeffrey Mining Machinery Co., loading and unloading beef sides for EC Jones, Trucking, a non-union roughneck truck dock. Fenholt got his B.A. in music from The School of Bible Theology University in San Jacinto, California, after two years at Ohio State University on a music scholarship.

In the original Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, Fenholt played Jesus in the title role. Jesus Christ Superstar has sold over 12 million albums worldwide. On the JCS world tour, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman, both future JCS superstars, traveled with Fenholt as Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene, respectively.

Fenholt recorded many solo albums, including a hit cover of Graham Nash's "Simple Man."

Fenholt and Jeff Thornburg, the former head of The Robert Stigwood Organization, co-founded Entertainment Capital Corporation, which produced Andy Warhol's film Bad. ECC also had Fenholt's tracks. When Thornburg accepted the head of venture capital for Paramount Pictures, he and Fenholt parted ways amicably.

Fenholt was paid $300,000 to record a disco album called Smile for CBS in 1978. Fenholt also worked for Capitol Records, Universal, Paramount, Polygram, Polydor, Decca, RCA, Laurie, Diamond, and Cameo-Parkway when he was younger. He most recently recorded for Sony.

Fenholt relocated to Southern California in 1983 to pursue his passion for music, this time for rock and roll. Fenholt would record demos in the studio with Tony Iommi and members of Black Sabbath as a lead vocalist at this time, but he would leave the band before anything was officially released. Fenholt was the lead singer of various other rock bands during his career, including "Driver," which had members of Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and Dio.

Fenholt's autobiography From Darkness to Light, published in 1994, discloses that he was abused and neglected as a child and regularly beaten. Fenholt's parents sued him, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and the publisher of his memoirs for defamation of character in 1996 for a total of $12 million. Fenholt's siblings claimed he made up the abuse stories, but the lawsuit was abandoned after Fenholt produced court documents from Franklin County, Ohio's superior court, proving his claims. Fenholt later stated that he and his mother and family had a "warm relationship."

Career

Jeff Fenholt was cast for the role of Jesus in the original Broadway production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" sold more than 12 million albums worldwide. Fenholt recorded many tracks as a solo artist. Among his hits was the cover of Graham Nash's song "Simple Man."

With Jeff Thornburg, Fenholt co-founded the company Entertainment Capital Corporation. They produced Andy Warhol's film "Bad" and also made many recordings for Fenholt himself. Thornburg and Fenholt took different paths when Jeff Thornburg accepted Head Of Venture Capital for Paramount Pictures.

Fenholt published his autobiography in 1994 with the title "From Darkness To Light." In his book, he reveals that he was abused and mistreated as a youth and subjected to frequent beatings. In reaction to these declarations, Fenholt's parents sued him and the publisher of his autobiography for $12 million each for defamation of character in 1996. Fenholt's siblings supported Jeff's parents against him, claiming that Jeff made up the stories of abuse. The lawsuit was subsequently dropped even after Fenholt produced some court documents from the Superior Court Of Franklin County, Ohio, confirming his claims. Fenholt later said that he has a warm relationship with his mother and family.

In his autobiography, Jeff also admitted to being heavily addicted to alcohol and drugs after the success of Jesus Christ Superstar's run on Broadway. But Jeff got converted to religion which helped him fight against his addictions, reaching a more balanced life between his faith and career.

Personal Life and Death

Jeffrey Craig Fenholt was born on September 15, 1950, in Columbus, Ohio, to Robert and Janet Fenholt. He has two sisters, Nancy and Melinda, and a brother named Tom. Bill, his foster brother, is also his biological brother.

Jeff married Maureen (Reeni) McFadden when he was only 20 years old, and they had a 28-year marriage. Shaye, Tristan, Nissa, William, Amory, and Jeffrey are Jeff's six adult children.

On September 10, 2019, Jeff Fenholt died of natural causes at his home. On September 28, 2019, a memorial service was conducted at The Rock in Anaheim, California. Family and friends and members of the original Broadway cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and former bandmates affiliated with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and Dio attended the memorial service. The memorial service was also attended by pastors and ministers from across the country.