Jeff Fenholt

{{Short description|American musician and actor (1950–2019)}}

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{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Jeff Fenholt

| image = Jeff Fenholt.png

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Jeffrey Craig Fenholt

| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|9|15}}

| birth_place = United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|9|10|1950|9|15}}

| death_place = Newport Beach, California

| genre = {{hlist|CCM|Christian rock/metal|hard rock|heavy metal}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer|actor|evangelist}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals|piano}}

| years_active = 1970–2019

| label =

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Bible Black|Black Sabbath|thefifth order|Joshua|Tony Iommi|Driver|Geezer Butler Band|Craig Goldy}}

}}Jeffrey Craig Fenholt (September 15, 1950 – September 10, 2019) was an American musician, singer and actor best known for his performance as the title character in the original Broadway theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and for his appearance on the cover of Time. In later years, Fenholt gained recognition as a Christian evangelist and singer, as well as controversy over his involvement with the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

He attended Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio during which time he was a member of the band The Fifth Order, which charted with the single "Going Too Far".

Fenholt released several solo recordings, including a successful cover of Graham Nash's "Simple Man"{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/445604us|title=Simple Man / Billy Is Dead – Jeff Fenholt|publisher=45cat|access-date=September 13, 2019}} (not to be confused with Lobo's "A Simple Man," which was released at nearly the same time{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/bt141|title=A Simple Man / Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend – Lobo|publisher=45cat|access-date=September 13, 2019}}).

An article in the December 1998 issue of Vanity Fair reviewing Ian Gibson's biography of Salvador Dalí, detailed Fenholt's past as a "boy toy" for Dalí's wife Gala Dalí. The article by John Richardson was titled "Dali's Demon Bride" and was unsparing in its criticism of both Gala and her husband. The article was not much more kind to Fenholt than it was to Gala; according to the review, Fenholt became Gala's lover when she was in her eighties, and secured in return "a sizable house on Long Island... and large sums of money.""[https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1998/12/dalis-demon-bride Dali's Demon Bride]," by John Richardson, Vanity Fair, December 1998. Retrieved 2-3-2022 Fenholt was outraged at the depiction of Gala, and wrote a scathing letter to the editor, stating the authors had no evidence to substantiate their depiction of Gala Dalí.