Larry Norman
Norman in Ohio, October 2001
Background information
Birth name	Larry David Norman
Born	April 8, 1947(1947-04-08) Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Origin	San Jose, California, U.S.
Died	February 24, 2008 (aged 60) Salem, Oregon, United States
Genre(s)	Rock music, Folk rock, Gospel rock
Years active	1966–2007
Label(s)	Capitol, MGM/Verve,Solid Rock, Phydeaux
Website	larrynorman.com

Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and humorist. Norman's recordings are noted for their Christian and social subject matter, and he is often described as the "father of Christian rock music".^[1] Norman has been described as having had a significant influence on many artists, secular and religious.^[2]

Norman had long been associated with the Jesus people of the late 1960s and early 1970s,^[3] although it has been reported that "he did not particularly identify himself with the youth-oriented 'Jesus movement' of the time".^[4][5]

Norman began recording in 1966 and recorded numerous albums. Norman's first album, I Love You, recorded when he was the lead singer for the group People!, was released in 1968. The band's cover version of The Zombies song of the same name reached number 14 on Billboard magazine's top twenty list in June of that year as a single. Norman left People! prior to 1969 and subsequently performed as a solo artist, appearing both on mainstream and independent labels.^[6]

In 2001 Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame as a solo artist.^[7] In 2007 Norman was inducted into the San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame (San Jose, California), both as a member of People!, and as a solo artist. At that time Norman reunited for a concert with People!^[2]

Early life

Larry Norman was born on April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas, the oldest son of Joe Norman, a high school English teacher,^[8] and his wife, Margaret Stout,^[9][10] the daughter of Burl W. Stout (born 21 July 1892; died 30 January 1960),^[11] a former vaudeville performer with the Fontnell's troupe.^[12]

In 1950 the Norman family moved to an apartment near the corner of Lyon Street and Fulton, (one block from Hayes)^[12] near The Panhandle of Golden Gate Park.^[13] in San Francisco, California, a predominantly black neighborhood directly across from the Haight-Ashbury area.^[12] The ground-floor apartment was converted into a church, the Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church (429 Lyon Street). In 1956, when Norman was nine, his family moved "toward the beaches where all the streets were in alphabetical order". He attended fourth grade at Ulloa Annex,^[12] Ulloa Elementary School.

Norman has two sisters, Nancy (Nancyjo) Norman-Overmeyer, who has been married to Bob since 1969,^[1] and Kristy (Cristabell), who have said of their brother Larry: "We are not his sisters. He's our brother."^[14] Norman also has a younger brother, Charles (Charly) Norman (also known as Charles Normal), who later collaborated with him in many of his projects,^[10] including as The Albino Brothers on Norman's Stranded in Babylon (1991) album.^[15]

Religious background

Norman indicated that he became a Christian in 1952 at the age of five.^[16] He attended a Black Pentecostal church as a child.^[17]

Musical influences and beginnings

Norman began singing at the age of two, and learned to play piano at the age of four.^[18] From an early age, Norman was fascinated with the music of Elvis Presley. At the same time, he also frequently accompanied his father on Christian missions to prisons and hospitals. At the age of nine, he began writing and performing original rock and roll songs at school, experimenting with incorporating a spiritual message into his music.

The kids at school seemed impressed with Elvis, [but] none of them accepted my invitations to go to church, Norman told Contemporary Musicians. "So one day I brought church to them, walking around from bench to bench singing".^[4][16]

Other musical influences included gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Belgian jazz musician Django Reinhardt, American concert singer Paul Robeson and Black comedian Bert Williams.^[18]

In 1959, Norman performed on Ted Mack's syndicated CBS television show The Original Amateur Hour. Upon leaving home in the mid-1960s, he moved to San Jose, California and became involved in the local rock music scene, opening for both The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.^[4]

Education

Norman graduated from Leigh High School in San Jose, California,^[19] where his father was an English teacher.

Norman studied music at San Jose State College in San Jose, California but found the technical side too challenging and dropped out after one semester.^[20][21]

Career

People!

Cover art for the first album by People!, 1968

In 1965/66, Norman joined brothers Geoff and Robb Levin to form the band People!: the name was intended as an ironic contrast to bands with animal names, such as The Beatles, The Animals, and The Byrds. Norman became the band's principal songwriter, sharing lead vocals with Gene Mason. The band was also joined by drummer Dennis Fridkin and keyboardist Albert Ribisi.^[22] In 1966, People! signed with Capitol Records, releasing the single "Organ Grinder/Riding High." They began immediate work on a full-length album and released another single, a cover of The Zombies' song "I Love You", which quickly became a hit single. "I Love You" reached the Billboard Top 20 and became a #1 single in several markets.^[6]

However, this success would be cut short by a series of disputes, both between the band members and between the band and their record label. First, all of the band members except lead singers Norman and Mason embraced Scientology, and, according to Larry Norman, zealously issued the ultimatum: "We all have to get into Scientology or you can't be in the band."^[6] Norman and Mason refused. Most of the band members do not share this view, however, citing that Larry was asked to leave the band because he was seen as a negative influence.

Members of the band agree that while it was known that Larry had some sort of religious background, he did not make his faith known to the rest of the members. Geoff Levin specifically cites that he was totally unaware that Larry was a Christian and at no time did his faith enter in to any of their discussions. In fact, Larry agreed to be audited by the Church of Scientology on one occasion. This counters his later discussions that his whole motivation from the time he was young was to be a zealous singing Christian evangelist.^[23]

Larry Norman at San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame 10-19-07

A second incident involved the release of People!'s first album. Larry Norman claimed that he expected to name the album after the song "We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus, and a Lot Less Rock and Roll" and to feature Christian imagery on the album cover. Larry also claimed that Capitol Records decided to name the album after the single "I Love You" instead, with a photograph of the band on the cover. According to Norman, since he was facing censorship by his record label and a forced religious conversion by his bandmates, quit the band upon the release of its first album.^[4] This information flies in the face of testimony by the other members of People, who state that at no time was there ever any talk of the album being called anything other than "I Love You." Geoff Levin is quoted in the documentary Fallen Angel as stating these facts are patently untrue and that Larry's "take on things" was delusional.

Despite Norman's departure, the band's second album Both Sides of People (1969) featured one Larry Norman composition, the song "She's a Dancer". Norman and Mason also reunited in 1974 for a benefit concert at UCLA, later released as the live album Larry Norman and People!—The Israel Tapes—1974 A.D. The six original members of People! reconciled and reunited in 2006. After nearly 40 years, they came together for a final concert on 19 October 2007, where they were afterwards inducted into the San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame.^[6]

Recording "The Trilogy"

Larry Norman's "Only Visiting This Planet," 1972

Norman was re-signed to Capitol Records by Mike Curb.^[24] In 1969, Norman recorded his first solo rock album, Upon This Rock, described as "the Sergeant Pepper of Christianity".^[25] Speaking to the magazine Contemporary Musicians, Norman later expressed his intentions and feelings about the record:

I wanted to push aside the traditional gospel quartet music, break down the church doors and let the hippies and the prostitutes and other unwashed rabble into the sanctuary," he recalled to Contemporary Musicians. "I wanted to talk about feeding the poor, going into the world.... I wanted the church to get active and go out and do what Jesus told us to do. I felt that while the hymns had great theology soaked into their lyrics, that most of the modern music was anemic and needed a transfusion".^[4]

While Norman drew ire from much of the conservative religious establishment,^[4] his music gained a large following in the emerging counter cultural movements. While working at Capitol Records, he was approached by Paul McCartney, who wanted to discuss his music. This encounter encouraged Larry, although he inserted a jab at McCartney into the lyrics of his next album."I've been listening to Paul's records, I think he really is dead," from the song "Reader's Digest." This is an allusion to the rumor of McCartney's death.^[26]

In 1972 Norman recorded a second studio album, now with MGM records, with help from Beatles producer George Martin, titled Only Visiting This Planet. The same year, Norman made a film appearance in The Blob sequel Son of Blob.^[27]

In 1973 Norman released another album with MGM, titled So Long Ago the Garden. However, believing that his record label was once again interfering with the subject matter of his records, Norman left MGM to become an independent artist.

Only Visiting This Planet, So Long Ago The Garden and In Another Land are commonly referred to as "The Trilogy."^[28] Norman has referred to these albums having some cohesive theme, that OVTP was about the present, SLATG about the past and IAL about the future,^{[citation needed]} but close inspection of each album don't reveal any topical themes that would suggest that these are concept albums.

As an independent artist

After leaving MGM, Norman was described as "a stubbornly independent artist for three decades."^[4] The majority of Norman's music that was produced during his most creative years (1966 - 1978, from his People! albums up through solo works like Something New Under the Son) remain the fountainhead of his creative work. Until his death he continuously released albums and recordings under the label Solid Rock Records.

His songs were wide-ranging, addressing such matters as politics (The Great American Novel), free love (Pardon Me), the passive commercialism of war–time journalists (I Am The Six O'Clock News), witchcraft and the occult (Forget Your Hexagram), alienation (Lonely by Myself), religious hypocrisy (Right Here In America) and many topics largely outside of the scope of his contemporaries.

In addition to his own recordings, Larry Norman produced music by a few other independent artists, such as Randy Stonehill and Salvation Air Force. The most high-profile, and most controversial, recording to be released on Norman's label was the Daniel Amos album Horrendous Disc, produced by Mike "Clay" Stone. Two decades later, Norman would pay tribute to Daniel Amos on When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos.

In 1981, Norman and his father started Phydeaux Records in order to compete with a market of bootlegs of his own music. Norman reported that his vinyl albums have sold for up to $400(USD) among collectors.^[29]

In 1989, prior to the fall of the Soviet Union, Larry and his brother Charles were scheduled to play a show in Moscow. Norman relates that he and his brother became ill after eating a meal that had been prepared as a "special menu" for them. Shortly afterwards, a trio of nurses ("built like football players") appeared in his room and wanted him to go to the hospital. Norman became suspicious and refused. The concert was cancelled by (Soviet) army personnel twenty minutes after the band began to play.^[30] Despite this incident, Norman returned and performed at Moscow's Olympic Stadium in 1990. After seven successful shows at the stadium, he decided to open a branch of Solid Rock Records in the city.^[4]

Influences

On rock and folk music

The Simpsons parody comic of Larry Norman

By 1971, Time magazine was reporting on the growth of the Jesus movement, the magazine stated, "It's like a glacier...it's growing and there's no stopping it." Time went on to say of Norman: "(he was) probably the top solo artist in the field"^[31], Norman later distanced himself from Time's characterizations of his involvement.^[4]

During the 1970s, Norman embarked on an effort to help musicians who were struggling with drug problems. He began a Bible study group called "The Vineyard" for actors and musicians, which folk/rock performer Bob Dylan started to attend. Dylan subsequently became familiar with Norman's records Only Visiting This Planet and So Long Ago the Garden. During this period^{[citation needed]}, he released three albums: Slow Train Coming (1979), Saved (1980), and Shot of Love (1981).^[32]

While Norman said in a 1984 interview that he didn't know Dylan very well, he remembered thinking "This is the greatest album I've ever heard" when Slow Train Coming was released. He said of the album "I'll never write one as good as that, he'll never write one as good as that, - nobody will. It touched me in every area. You know men in conflict, like Dylan was when he was dying to self and becoming a Christian are very interesting... We were all afraid that he would be overly affected by the evangelical simplicity of American mindlessness and write an album that wasn't really worth his gift for poetry. That album is like a prayer, it's a beautiful prayer, a social communion. It's a communion for all the disenchanted people that are angry."^[33]

Over 300 artists have covered his songs, including Sammy Davis, Jr.^[29] Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and American singer-songwriters like John Mellencamp and David Eugene Edwards (of 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand) have also claimed to be fans of Larry Norman's music^{[citation needed]}.

According to rock historian Walter Rasmussen, Pete Townshend once admitted that The Who's 1969 album Tommy was inspired by the rock opera "Epic" by People! (which he could behold every night when on tour with People!). However, Townshend has since denied the connection.^[28][34]

On punk/alternative rock

Following tours by the first wave of punk musicians in the British Isles in the mid-1970s, the post-punk band U2 was formed in Dublin, Ireland. Active simultaneously in the local punk music scene and the "Shalom Fellowship," some members of U2 eventually became "fans" of Larry Norman's music.^[29] Both artists performed, making unannounced appearances, at the U.K.'s Greenbelt Festival in 1981.^[35]

Charles Thompson IV discovered Larry Norman's music at age 13 after moving to California and seeing him in concert. Thompson said of Norman during this period: "I don't think Larry Norman was necessarily respected by religious people...he had more of a rebellious rock'n'roll kind of an image." "I dressed like him, I looked like him, he was my total idol."^[36] While at college in Massachusetts, Thompson adopted the stage name Black Francis, and formed The Pixies along with Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering. According to Kim Deal, the title of the Pixies' 1987 EP Come On Pilgrim, as well as a similar line from the song "Levitate Me," derive from a Norman catchphrase used during live performances. In the 1987 recording and subsequent performances of the Pixies song "Levitate Me," lead singer Black Francis shouts "Come on Pilgrim, you know He loves you!" while imitating Larry Norman's accent. ^[37]

While recording the Pixies' album Surfer Rosa, producer Steve Albini recognized the Pixies' references and realized that he and Black Francis both "had an affection" for Norman's music. They discussed Larry Norman at length during the recording process of the album.^[38]

With the increased popularity of alternative rock in the 1990s, The Pixies earned increased recognition for their work. They were invited by U2 to join them on the Zoo TV tour in 1992. At one show, Francis was introduced to Larry Norman by members of U2, who had informed him beforehand that Larry would be coming to the show. ^[39]

Black Francis' solo album Frank Black and the Catholics, recorded in 1997 and released in 1998, featured a cover of Larry Norman's song "Six-Sixty-Six."

Emil Nikolaisen of indierock/shoegazers Serena Maneesh fame have cited Larry Norman's So Long Ago The Garden as a major inspiration for his work.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning in 2004, The Pixies embarked on a reunion tour. During this time, in June 2005, frontman Black Francis joined Larry Norman for what was expected to be his final U.S. concert. The pair performed Norman's 1978 song "Watch What You're Doing."^[1]

On contemporary Christian music

Larry Norman's relationship with the wider Christian church, and with the Contemporary Christian music industry, has been contentious for a number of years. According to Portland news/radio station KXL, Norman's early social positions caused a stir among many conservative Christians. His views against racism and poverty caused him to receive multiple death threats in the 1970s.^[30] A widespread ban on Norman's music, which is largely still in effect today, existed in Christian stores. This ban was due not only to Norman's social positions, but his preferred company as well. Said Norman in a separate interview:

The churches weren’t going to accept me looking like a street person with long hair and faded jeans. They did not like the music I was recording. And I had no desire to preach the gospel to the converted.^[40]

When asked if his 1969 album Upon This Rock was a "Christian" album, Norman stated, "No, it was not a Christian album for those believers who wanted everything spelled out. It was more like a street fight. I was saying [to Christians]...This album is not for you."^[40][41] Commenting on Christian music in 1984, Norman said:

"I'm pleased with what's happening in England and Europe...but I'm not totally thrilled about the commercialisation of Christian music in America." Two years prior to the 1984 interview, he had complained that Christian music generally meant "sloppy thinking, dishonest metaphors, and bad poetry" and stated that "I've never been able to get over the shock of how bad the lyrics are."^[33]

In recent years, however, many CCM artists have credited Norman as an influence on their music, particularly in the sub-genre of Christian rock. He is often cited as influencing both Keith Green and Randy Stonehill in their conversions to Christianity.^[29] In turn both eventually became Christian music artists. He has granted interviews to magazines covering Contemporary Christian music and accepted industry awards. When asked about the relationship between CCM and his own music, Norman has replied "I'm happy if I've been an encouragement to other artists."^[40]

In 1986, Norman appeared in a music video with Christian artist Geoff Moore and the Distance for a cover version of his song "Why Should the Devil (Have all the Good Music?)"

In 1995, several Contemporary Christian music artists released a tribute album, One Way: Songs of Larry Norman. Several popular Christian artists contributed to the project, including dc Talk, Rebecca St. James, Audio Adrenaline, and Grammatrain.

In 2001 Norman was inducted, along with Elvis Presley, into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

In early 2008 Larry Norman recorded his two last songs (Back To The Dust and Walking Backwards) with the German Christian singer/songwriter Sarah Brendel for her record "Early Morning hours". Brendel has long adored Larry Norman for his unique and unblemished style.^[42][43][44] She was able to meet him in Berlin and talked with him about a record session together.

Parodies

In the mid-1990s, Simpsons Comics released a limited edition print of a "Simpsonized" Larry Norman performing "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music?" In addition to the Simpsons Comics release, a Simpsons watch was also produced featuring the yellow, three-fingered likeness of Larry Norman.^[45]

Marriages and family

Norman was married twice - with both marriages ending in divorce.

Pamela Ahlquist

Norman met Pamela Ahlquist the older sister of Dale Ahlquist, currently president of the American Chesterton Society,^[46] in 1971, and after "a brief whirlwind courtship", they were soon married on 27 December 1971.^[47] Pamela worked as both a model and actress in commercials. In 1978, Norman and Pamela separated, and in 1980 Pamela divorced Norman.^[48]

Norman discussed his first marriage in several interviews: Buzz Magazine (1981);^[49] Australian Christian magazine On Being in 1985;^[50] and in a June 1989 article.^[51] Norman attributed his marital problems to Pamela's frequent infidelity and pre-existing drug addiction. According to Norman, Pamela initiated divorce proceedings because "My wife had decided she wanted to marry somebody else."^[52] However, Norman's account of the marriage is disputed in David Di Sabatino's documentary Fallen Angel, in which Pamela claims that it was Larry that committed the adultery on numerous occasions, and it was him that asked her for the divorce^{[citation needed]}.

Sarah Cannell Finch Stonehill

In April 1984 Norman married Sarah Cannell Finch Stonehill,^[53] whose second husband was Randy Stonehill, to whom she had been married for five years.^[54].Norman had previously dated Sarah years before when she was in high school.^[55] Norman described his marriage to Sarah in an interview in On Being magazine in 1985:

In April I married a wonderful Christian woman. ... She's had an interesting life, and she's experienced a lot of heartbreak so we understand what each other has been through. ^[56]

In 1986, Norman and his wife Sarah had their only child, Michael David Fariah Norman.^[57][58] In 1991 Norman wrote in the producer's notes of the 1991 CD re-release of In Another Land:

Sarah got her teaching credential in Oregon and wants little to do with the gospel industry. There's been a lot of tragedy in our personal lives, but as dysfunctional as we may be I still feel like I'm part of a real family. Good and bad, this is still real life and far better than the travesty of our previous relationships. We don't care what our enemies say about us; we love them. We pray for them. We hope they get better.^[59]

Their marriage ended in divorce. Sarah subsequently re-married.^[60]

Norman's relationship with Randy Stonehill

This marriage caused an estrangement between Norman and Sarah's ex-husband, Randy Stonehill, who was one of Norman's best friends and collaborators. Norman had met Stonehill in 1967,^[61] when Stonehill was dating Norman's sister, Nancy.^[62] Norman led Stonehill to Christ on 12 August 1970 in Norman's kitchen.^[63]

Norman's song "Don't You Want to Talk About It", first released in 1985's "Stop This Flight" Album (1985) about the time of Norman's second wedding, describes this estrangement and contains references to Stonehill's songs. For example, the line "Paradise is falling" references both Welcome to Paradise (Solid Rock Records, 1976) The Sky is Falling (Solid Rock Records, recorded 1977, released 1980), the only two albums produced by Norman for Stonehill, and his "Shut De Do", which was released on Stonehill's Equator album (1983).^[64] Stonehill subsequently married his second wife, Sandi.

Stonehill, in an interview published in August 1990 in CCM magazine, discussed his relationship with Norman:

I remember my early relationship with Larry Norman, which for a season of time was a mutually nurturing thing. I prefer to to remember the productive stuff and to remember the good times. It was a really good chemistry between us. I learned a lot about controlling my turf on a concert stage from Larry, and I learned a lot about songwriting from Larry. I think Larry learned a lot about some of the primal elements of rock’n’ roll and humor from me. So it seemed to be a nice exchange.^[65]

Referring to Norman's own interview in CCM magazine in the summer of 1990, Stonehill indicated:

Because he [Norman] goes on living his life in a way that really concerns me, and so for him to associate himself with me or my friends sounds like we applaud or embrace who he is and what he does. And I want to say ‘no.’ Understand, the old days had some special stuff, and I love Larry, but I’m completely out of fellowship with him. As a Christian, I just have no other recourse than to do that.^[66]

Norman and Stonehill performed again together after a surprise reunion in 2001 at a Christian music festival.^[67]

Family controversy

Following Norman's death, World magazine reported that he had fathered an child with an Australian woman Jennifer McCallum (née Wallace) during a tour in 1988. According to McCallum, she has made the information public because Norman had broken a "promise" to include the young man, Daniel Robinson, in Norman's will.^[68]

Documentary

Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman is a 2008 documentary on Norman's life by film producer David Di Sabatino, maker of a previous documentary on Lonnie Frisbee.^[69]

Death

Norman died on February 24, 2008, aged 60, at his home in Salem, Oregon with family and friends present.^[70] The previous day he had posted a message regarding his illness on his website:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home. I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help. My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly... However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you. I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be funeral information posted on my website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.^[71]

He is buried in Salem's City View Cemetery.^[72]

Discography

Since the 1960s, Larry Norman's work has appeared on over 90 albums, compilations, and concert bootlegs. These recordings have been released under various labels, with various artists. A partial sampling of these albums is listed below.

• Upon This Rock (1969)
• Only Visiting This Planet (1972)
• So Long Ago the Garden (1973)
• In Another Land (1976)
• Something New under the Son (1981)
• Stop This Flight (1985)
• Live At Flevo (1989)
• Stranded in Babylon (1991)
• Copper Wires (1998)
• Tourniquet (2001)

Notes and references

Further reading

• Alfonso, Barry (2002), The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music, New York: Billboard Books, ISBN 978-0823077182 .

External links

• Official Larry Norman Site
• Official British Site
• Documentary Site
• Larry Norman Interview
• Larry Norman's final interview
• Larry Norman at 60
• Obituary in The Guardian, 27 February 2008
• Obituary in The Times, 7 March 2008
• Larry Norman at Find A Grave