Ted Neeley, left, as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, coming to PPAC on Tuesday.

Joan Marcus

Ted Neeley likes to think of himself as the “most hugged man in America.” And why not? He’s been playing the part of Jesus on and off for the past 40 years, and his fans — called Tedheads — feel they have a special bond with him.

Neeley picked up a Golden Globe nomination for playing Jesus in the 1973 film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and he toured the show for several years in the 1990s. Now he is back on the road at age 65 in yet another tour of Superstar that comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center Tuesday for a single performance.

“It’s the most positive thing anybody can experience,” Neeley said about playing the iconic spiritual leader. “I wish everyone could do it.”

The show, the first hit from the creative team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, is a rock opera of sorts that traces the last days of Jesus’ life.

Asked if it were becoming a challenge for a man in his mid-60s to play someone in his early 30s, Neeley said the voice is still solid and audiences seem to like what they see on stage.

He said the tour made a recent stop in Flint, Mich., where residents have been hard hit financially because of the downturn in the auto industry. Neeley was expecting a small turnout, but the theater was packed.

He said he knows of people who will attend a matinee and turn around and by tickets for the evening show on the same day, because it’s “such a personal story.”

“No one is more amazed than I am that I’m still able to do it,” said Neeley. “You’d think people would stand up and say, ‘Enough.’ ”

Neeley was calling from Stamford, Conn, where the show made a recent stop. Two days earlier the tour was in Florida. Traveling, he said, can be “overwhelming.”

But isn’t it hard to keep a part fresh after almost 40 years? Not at all, said Neeley.

“I honestly can’t wait to get back on stage,” he said. “It’s fresh. It’s timeless.”

Neeley, born Teddie Joe Neeley in Ranger, Texas, has tried his hand at a little of everything. He started out as a drummer and singer, and has acted, composed and produced records. He signed his first record deal with Capitol Records in 1965 at the age of 22. His group, The Teddy Neeley Five, toured the club scene for years, until Neeley landed the role of Claude in both the New York and Los Angeles productions of Hair.

It was the association with the show’s director, Tom O’Horgan, that led to him being called when O’Horgan was hired to stage Superstar on Broadway. Neeley played the understudy, then starred in the Los Angeles run.

Interestingly, Neeley at first auditioned for Judas. But when Ben Vereen got the part, Neeley settled for a role in the chorus and as the understudy for Jesus.

That led to the lead in the Norman Jewison film version of Superstar, which meant he has sort of owned the role after that. His close friend, Carl Anderson, who had been a Judas understudy, played opposite him as Judas in the film.

Anderson was supposed to be part of this current tour, said Neeley, but died of cancer in 2004. James Delisco is playing the part, instead.

“That’s a big gap for me,” said Neeley. “Carl and I always worked the show together. But he had leukemia for a long time, and by the time it was diagnosed, it was too late.”

Neeley said he picked up a lot of acting tips from O’Horgan, who directed him in three shows. But basically, he’s a self-taught actor who learned “by virtue of doing it.”

And he has apparently been successful, given the loyalty of his fans. He admits, in fact, that he has been approached by audience members looking for spiritual advice, by people who blur the line between art and real life. Members of the clergy have even sought his counsel.

But when that happens, he said, “I just say, ‘Thank you very much, but I’m just a rock ’n’ roll drummer from Texas who screams the high notes and has been very lucky.’ ”

And what about those high notes? Can he still hit them? To this Neeley replies, “I just lean back and try my best”

Neeley, who has a son and daughter who are both in college, has a commanding speaking voice and an easy way with conversation. When asked how long the Superstar tour had been on the road, he was quick to reply, “Just over 2,000 years.”

Actually, it got under way in 2006 and was at first supposed to be a three-month tour. And now its three years later, with no end in sight.

“I’m loving every second of it,” he said, “and I’ll keep doing it for as long as audiences approve of what I’m doing.”

When the tour ends, Neeley won’t be putting his feet up. He has been working for several years on a musical called Rasputin, which is about the fall of the Romanov dynasty and the mad monk of Russia, a role Neeley has created.

Neeley said the show is ready to open at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura Calif, a company with whom he has maintained close ties.

“We’re just waiting for the tour to end to jump in,” he said.

Neeley said one reason Superstar has been so long-lived is because of Webber’s accessible tunes, and a text that makes the characters seem so human.

“A lot of people go to church and listen to a sermon and may feel confused. The show makes it more understandable. There’s a comfort factor to the show. People walk away feeling a little better,” he said.

“I’m so fortunate to celebrate this every day. I feel blessed.”

Jesus Christ Superstar comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center Tuesday for one night. Tickets are $65-$43. Call (401) 421-2787, or log on to www.ppacri.org.