All Photos: Alan Mercer
Ted Neeley was born in Ranger, Texas. He signed his first record deal in 1965, at age 22, with Capitol Records. He and his group, The Teddy Neeley Five, recorded an album titled ‘Teddy Neeley.’ They played the club circuit for years, and at one point their name on a marquee appeared in an episode of Dragnet. In 1968 Ted starred in the Los Angeles productions of Larry Norman's rock musicals ‘Alison’ and ‘Birthday for Shakespeare,’ with Norman, Richard Hatch and Kay Cole. Then, in 1969, Ted played the lead role of Claude in both the New York and Los Angeles productions of ‘Hair.’ His work with that show's director, Tom O'Horgan, led to his being called when O'Horgan was hired to stage Jesus Christ Superstar for Broadway.
Ironically, Ted 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, Ted signed on as chorus and also became the Christ understudy. This particular opportunity led to his taking on the title role in the Los Angeles stage version, which played at the Universal Amphitheatre, after receiving a standing ovation during a performance earlier in the tour. Castmate and close friend Carl Anderson was touring also as a Judas understudy.
Ted also performed the title role in ‘Tommy’ in Los Angeles, which in turn led him to reprise the title role in the film version of ‘Superstar,’ directed by Norman Jewison, alongside Carl Anderson as Judas. For his performance in the film, he was nominated for Best Motion Picture Actor in a Musical or Comedy, as well as Best Newcomer, at the 1974 Golden Globe Awards.
Fresh from the success of ‘Superstar,’ Ted released a solo album, ‘1974 A.D.,’ in 1974, and played the role of Billy Shears in ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road’ in New York. From then on, he was a frequent musical guest star on network variety programs such as ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,’ and ‘A Touch of Gold’ and as a guest actor in network dramas during the 1970s and 1980s, such as ‘Starsky and Hutch,’ and NBC movies including ‘Of Mice and Men’ as Curly and ‘McLaren's Riders.’
At the same time, Ted Neeley also provided his abilities as singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and producer to albums and appearances by such artists as Nigel Olsson, Tina Turner, Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Keith Carradine, and Meat Loaf. In the late Seventies, Ted expanded his talents once more to live performance with his band Pacific Coast Highway.
However, while Ted moved on in his career, the specter of ‘Superstar’ still loomed large. 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 (as Judas and Mary Magdalene), and the second reunited him again with his close friend Carl.
Twenty years after first playing the role, Ted gained renewed success in the lead role of Jesus in the 1990s touring company of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ which once again co-starred Carl Anderson as Judas. 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 Ted the opportunity to reprise his role over 1,700 times.
In 2012, Ted performed a new cabaret style retrospective show of his work called "Ted Neeley and the Little Big Band" , from January 20-29th at the Rubicon Theatre Company. Neeley also had a cameo role in Quentin Tarantino's 2012 blockbuster Django Unchained and contributed a background music track, "Tracker's Chant", to the film, which is included on his new CD, ‘Workin’ For The Words.’
Ted Neeley met his wife, the former Leeyan Granger, during the making of the film, Jesus Christ Superstar. They currently reside in California with their children Tessa and Zack.
I have been a “Tedhead” since 1973 when the movie came out. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ted Neeley perform the role of Jesus twice on stage and he is always in top form. I’m very happy to share these new photos and my conversation with the remarkable and very kind Mr. Ted Neeley.
AM: I had no idea you were from Texas. Where did you grow up?
TN: A town called Ranger like Texas Rangers.
AM: I lived in Dallas forever.
TN: Ranger is half way between Fort Worth and Abilene. If you go on Highway 81 to Abilene you go right through it. You don’t even know it’s there.
AM: How did you get out?
TN: They chased me out! Too much rock n’ roll! (laughter)
AM: You’ve been singing since day one haven’t you?
TN: Oh yeah! I’ve been singing since the day I was born. I was working in a band since the time I was seven in the church. We couldn’t really call it a band but we pretended to be one. All through school I knew these guys who were my buddies that I grew up with and we didn’t know what we were doing but we played instruments since we knew three or four chords. We could sing anything. When we graduated from high school our parents were happy about us taking off on the road for the summer. We went from Ranger out to Los Angeles. When we got to LA we were hired constantly because we were the only band doing something other than surfer songs. We played all the nightclubs back then.
AM: What was it like auditioning for 'Hair?’
TN: I didn’t even know I was auditioning for it. I like to talk to people so anytime we were playing in the clubs I’d go around and introduce myself to people so after a while we built up this following. We were the band that created ‘Cheers.’ Everywhere we played everybody would come because we all knew each other. The club owners loved us because we had created a following. At the end of the night we’d all sit around and have a good time. Since we were in Hollywood it would be all these actors, singers, dancers, writers and producers who were all coming to see the band from Texas.
AM: So that’s how you met a lot of industry people.
TN: We got in this conversation about working and one of the actors told me to come with him tomorrow to an audition. He wanted me to see what he had to go through to even get a job. I didn’t work in the daytime so I went to the audition. We got there and there were so many people waiting. He told me he forgot it was an open call so the only way you can get in is to “Follow me in line and do what I do.”
AM: What did that involve?
TN: I filled out some forms and they gave me a number. So we finally got to the point where they called his number and he went on stage and did his thing while I watched. When he was finished we started to walk out, but before we left they called my number. He told me to get up there and see what it feels like, so I did. I walked up on stage and it was absolutely dark except for one little light on the piano. I just stood there in silence and all of a sudden a voice goes, “Are you Mr. Neeley?” I said, “Yes sir.” Then the voice said, “What have you prepared for us today Mr. Neeley?” I said, “Nothing. I’m just here to watch.” Then he said, “Since you’re on the stage can you sing an up tempo song that shows us your rhythm and your vocal power?” I was performing Stevie Wonder’s 'For Once my Life’ at the time so I sang that and I start to walk off, then the voice said, “Excuse me Mr. Neeley can you sing us a love song ballad that shows your passion and vocal range?” Well I was also doing impressions at the time and I was doing Tony Bennett, so I turned to the piano player and said, “Think Tony Bennett, same song.” So I did ‘For Once In my Life’ Tony Bennett style. I start to walk off and the guy came and talked to me and hired me. They didn’t hire the actor who took me. The show was 'HAIR.’
AM: That’s quite a Hollywood story!
TN: It wasn’t that I was better than the actor. He was brilliant and still is today, but I could hit the high notes. That director, Tom O’Horgan was the man who nurtured me for three years in 'HAIR’ as an actor/performer. He also directed 'Superstar’ on Broadway and he wanted me in that show. That’s how I go into this business.
AM: You are such a natural playing Jesus. Has playing the role for so many years influenced your personality?
TN: It has certainly affected me spiritually as a human being.
AM: You have a peaceful Jesus quality to your personality.
TN: I don’t think anybody who pretends to be a character and does it over a period of time doesn’t get influenced by the character he plays. Obviously growing up in a little town in Texas I had all the Biblical knowledge since I was in church every day. If you grow up in the Bible belt, you go to church. When I did the stage show and the film the directors would tell the cast if they had any questions on Biblical scriptures or theory, talk to Ted. He knows all that stuff.
AM: I have to tell you I love your 1974 A.D. album.
TN: Oh that one! Wow! Thank you.
AM: Did you enjoy making that one?
TN: I loved every second of it.
AM: It’s a timeless recording and so is your new one, ‘Workin’ For The Words.’ It’s very exciting to me as a Tedhead. The new album is just so good! There is passion and hunger in this new music. You wrote all the music didn’t you?
TN: I collaborated on the music with Bruce Yauger.
AM: What was your main inspiration for this?
TN: The main inspiration was I really wanted to record with a new band. We did one leg of our tour back east just to test the waters and see if anybody would show up.
AM: You enjoyed it didn’t you?
TN: We had the time of our life! The people who came heard all the songs off the CD. They sat there and listened to the new songs as if they’d already heard them a thousand times. They made us feel like we knew what we were doing up on stage. I showcased my band at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura. It’s a beautiful theater. I’ve been there forever. They are wonderful people. Bruce and I have known each other forever. We met on one of the ‘Superstar’ tours. He is a genius sound engineer. By nature he is a guitar player and a singer/songwriter so we decided to write together for this CD.
AM: You all did a great job writing these new songs.
TN: He just pops out songs. We recorded it at his backyard studio in Virginia. He plays every instrument in the world. I’m just a drummer and singer. We just sit down and start talking and the next thing you know we’ve written a song. Then an hour later we are in the studio recording it. It happens all the time. It’s inspirational and it’s fun. When we finish we’ve had a good time and hope that it’s worthy of somebody listening to it. I’m blessed that it’s still so enthusiastic so long after we did ‘Superstar.’
AM: As an artist you are in a unique position as a Rock n’ Roll singer and a Broadway singer. That doesn’t happen.
TN: That comes from when I started out in Texas because we were copying everybody. Anything we heard on the radio we would play. We were a Texas band that played country rock. We’d be playing for dances and someone would walk up and ask if we knew the song, 'For Once In my Life’ and I’d say, “No, what is it?” They would tell me it was from a Broadway show so I’d go listen to it and the next night we’d be playing it.
AM: Will us fans get some more new music with less time between your first two releases?
TN: There’s no question, I’ve already got three more songs ready and I am definitely recording a Christmas album because I’ve never done one of those. It will be classic Christmas songs. I’m writing for other people as well. I can do anything musically but there’s a public out there who will doubt that so it’s better for me to write for other people who they will accept doing it.
To learn more about Ted Neeley visit his web site http://neeleytour.com/