Avraham Shabsi Hakohen Friedman (Hebrew:אברהם שבתי הכהן פרידמן; born March 22, 1959) better known by hisstage name,Avraham Fried,[1] is anOrthodox Jewish American singer.
Fried was encouraged towards a music career by RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneerson, the rebbe ofLubavitch,[2] Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum,Mordechai Ben David and producer Sheya Mendlowitz.[3] Fried began his career with the release of his first albumNo Jew Will Be Left Behind in 1981. The title song was composed byYossi Green and the song "Kel Hahodaos" was written by RabbiBaruch Chait of Kol Salonika &The Rabbis' Sons.[4] Music was by the Zimriah Orchestra and arrangements by Marty Lewinter. Fried went on to collaborate with Sheya Mendlowitz and Yossi Green on eight albums.[5] Green is credited with some of Fried's biggest hits, including "Aderaba", "Tanya", and "Didoh Bei".[6] Fried also collaborated most notably with arranger Moshe Laufer over the years, but worked with a number of other arrangers including Marty Lewinter, Yisroel Lamm (the Neginah Orchestra), Suki Berry, Mona Rosenblum, Hershel Lebovits, Yaron Gershovsky, and others.[citation needed]
Avremel, as many of his friends call him, had appeared as a guest soloist on the Amudai Shaish Orchestra'sKol Sason V'kol Simcha - Wedding Album in 1981. During that same year he appeared as special guest star onSuki With a Touch of Ding II - Wedding Album. He also appeared as an adult soloist on the Amudai Shaish Boys Choir's third album (their second double album), in 1982. He also sang on a number ofall-star cast albums produced by Suki & Ding.[citation needed]
In summer 2009, Fried made a concert tour inIsrael where he introduced Israeli singer and composerChanan Yovel and featured the songs "Rak T'filla" ("רק תפילה") and "U'Nesane Tokef" ("ונתנה תוקף").[citation needed]
His music is mostly categorized aspop Jewish music,[7] similar toMordechai Ben David and tends to integrate many styles of popular music, including pop, rock and jazz, with Jewish lyrics and themes.[citation needed] He also has a few "cantor" style songs on most of his albums, as well as many songs written in Yiddish.[citation needed]
Fried's grandfather, Rabbi Meir Yisroel Isser Friedman, was the head of theBobovEitz Chaim Yeshiva inKrenitz, a renownedhalakhist, and a Hasid of the Rebbe of Bluzhov. After World War II he resided in Crown Heights for many years, before moving toBorough Park,Brooklyn. His father, Yaakov Moshe Friedman, was originally a Hasid of Bobov, and worked as an administrator at theUnited Lubavitcher Yeshiva inCrown Heights for 40 years.[8]
His nephews include Jewish singersBenny Friedman (son of Manis), Eli Marcus & Shmuel and Bentzi Marcus (sons of Ita) of8th Day, and Simche Friedman (son of Eliyahu).[8][10]
Fried has appeared several times in the annualA Time for Music HASC concert to benefitHASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Children), an organization that provides Jewish children with disabilities the chance to live a normal lifestyle. He most recently appeared in the 37th HASC concert, which took place atNJPAC in New Jersey on January 7, 2024. Avraham was the headline performer along with Mordechai Ben David and others at the Ohel [Organization] concerts inMadison Square Garden during the late 1990's.
1980:A Moment of Meditation (Arukah M'eretz Midah) &Gam Ki Eileich (singles) [part ofAmudai Shaish Wedding Album] (first promo for the Jewish music scene)
1981:V'hu K'chasan &Asher Bara/Chaim Shetehei Banu (singles) [part ofSuki with a Touch of Ding 2; re-released asThe Greatest Wedding Collection 2]
1981:Hodu Lahashem &Bo'ee V'shalom (solos) [part ofKol Naim Choir Sings the Best of Chaim Banet] (as Avraham Friedman)
^abcdefghijBesser, Yisroel. "On the Wings of a Song".Mishpacha, March 20, 2013, pp. 84-101.
^Bensoussan, Barbara. "Speaking to the Soul: Rabbis Manis and Benny Friedman use their talents to awaken the pintele Yid".Mishpacha Special Supplement: "A Father to Follow". Pesach 5771 (Spring 2011), pp. 18-25.
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