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John Tesh
John Tesh Bio
For many years, John Tesh went virtually unrecognized as
a musician and composer, instead enjoying television success
as the co-host of the nightly showbiz news magazine Entertainment
Tonight; while his initial attempts to mount a recording career
were met with scorn and ridicule, he enjoyed the last laugh
on his detractors, rising to become one of new age instrumental
music's biggest superstars. Born July 9, 1952 in Long Island,
New York, Tesh began playing piano at the age of six; as a
teen, he also played organ and trombone with local rock bands.
After graduating North Carolina State University with a degree
in music and communications, Tesh worked at a progression
of television stations throughout the southeastern U.S., later
graduating to the position of anchor at the CBS network's
New York City affiliate. In 1981, he joined CBS Sports as
a commentator, where he later won Emmy Awards for his Pan
American Games theme and the theme to the Tour de France.
In 1986, Tesh left CBS to host the syndicated Entertainment
Tonight with co-anchor Mary Hart; while television remained
his primary focus, he continued writing and performing music,
and in 1988 issued his first album, Tour de France. Critics
panned his brand of melodramatic, orchestral new age music,
but the success of further efforts including 1989's Garden
City proved a growing audience existed for his work. In 1991,
Tesh won another pair of Emmys for his music for NBC Sports'
coverage of the World Track and Field Championships; a year
later, he formed his own label, GTS, and issued Romantic Christmas,
his biggest hit to date. Smashes including 1993's Monterey
Nights and 1994's Sax by the Fire followed, and in 1995 Tesh's
PBS special and album Live at Red Rocks emerged as something
of a phenomenon. He soon left Entertainment Tonight to focus
all of his energies on music, scoring successive hits with
the likes of 1996's Sax on the Beach and its 1997 follow-up,
Sax All Night. Grand Passion followed in early 1998, trailed
a year later by One World and John Tesh & Friends. Pure
Hymns was issued in fall 2000 and Pure Orchestra and Pure
Gospel followed in early 2001.
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