Ted Neeley

Ted Neeley, born Teddie Joe Neeley on September 20, 1943, in Ranger, Texas, is an American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer whose Broadway career spanned from 1968 to 1992. He is best known for portraying Jesus Christ in the 1973 film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, a role that earned him two Golden Globe nominations and that he has reprised numerous times across stage productions.

Neeley's professional career began in music. At age 22, in 1965, he signed his first record deal with Capitol Records, recording an album titled Teddy Neeley with his group, The Teddy Neeley Five. The group performed extensively on the club circuit, and their name appeared on a marquee in the pilot episode of Dragnet 1967. In 1968, Neeley appeared in the Los Angeles productions of Larry Norman's rock musicals Alison and Birthday for Shakespeare, alongside Norman and Richard Hatch. The following year, he took on the lead role of Claude in both the New York and Los Angeles productions of Hair.

His work on Hair brought him into a professional relationship with director Tom O'Horgan, who later called on Neeley when he was hired to stage Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway in 1971. Neeley had originally auditioned for the role of Judas, but when Ben Vereen was cast in that part, he joined the production as a chorus member and understudy for the title role. During an earlier stop on the tour, Neeley received a standing ovation while performing as Jesus Christ, which led directly to his being cast in the title role for the Los Angeles stage version, which played at the Universal Amphitheatre in 1972. His castmate Carl Anderson, who would become a close friend, was also touring as an understudy for Judas at the time.

Before reprising the role on film, Neeley performed the title role in a stage production of Tommy at the Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood in 1973. That same year, director Norman Jewison cast him as Jesus Christ in the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, with Anderson appearing alongside him as Judas. At the 31st Golden Globe Awards in 1974, Neeley received nominations for both Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and New Star of the Year — Actor for his performance in the film.

As a vocalist, Neeley considers himself a baritone and is recognized for an exceptionally wide vocal range, including the G above high C, designated G5, which he performs in the song Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say) from Jesus Christ Superstar. His discography includes the solo albums Teddy Neeley (1967), 1974 A.D. (1973), and Rock Opera (2018), as well as collaborative recordings including the Jesus Christ Superstar original motion picture soundtrack (1973) and Ulysses: The Greek Suite (1978).