Christianity: Details about 'Larry Norman'
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Larry David Norman (born April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas) was a member of the rock band People!. People! released its first album in 1968 and had a Top 20 hit with the song, "I Love You" (written by Chris White of The Zombies). Norman left People! and released his first solo album, Upon This Rock, in 1969. On it is one of Norman's most memorable songs "I Wish We'd All Been Ready", which became a classic and has been covered by many artists. Although Norman was not the first, there were very few artists making Rock and Roll records with Gospel lyrics at the time, possibly because so many people associated rock music with secularism and hostility to traditional morals and Christian values. Larry Norman changed that and opened the door for other artists with his 1972 classic "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music", in which he speaks out against this belief and shows that you can still be a Christian and listen to rock music. For this reason, Norman has often been called the grandfather of Jesus music and Christian Rock. A huge boost at the beginning of his career was an appearance at the Billy Graham youth convention 'Explo 72' in Dallas, Texas (1972). But the road wasn't always easy for Norman whose shoulder length white/blond hair, jeans and tee shirt, and sharp, sometimes caustic diatribes against secular influences in Christianity did not win him many friends with the older generation in the church. In the meantime, teens (both religious and non-religious) were buying his records and attending his concerts in droves. Norman's albums were a mixture of hard rock styles, with lyrics that were usually very serious, but occasionally very silly, (especially when performing with his best friend Randy Stonehill, whose first albums in the early 1970s were produced by Norman). In 1972, Norman and Stonehill made their acting debuts in the Larry Hagman-directed the Blob sequel, (also known as Son of Blob)(sic). Also appearing in the film were Dick Van Patten, Burgess Meredith, and Cindy Williams. In the late 1970s, Norman formed Solid Rock Records, which went on to release Stonehill's Welcome to Paradise and The Sky Is Falling. He also produced Tom Howard's A View From The Bridge, and Mark Heard's Appalachian Melody among other titles from other artists and several of his own works. But perhaps the most controversial involvement in Norman's career occurred over Daniel Amos's Horrendous Disc LP. The album was dropped by Maranatha! Records after the label decided to quit releasing rock and roll albums and focus on children's releases and gospel music. So the band, now without a record contract, began to shop the project around to various labels. After considering a number of offers, DA settled on Norman's Solid Rock Records. Norman had the album mixed and took photos of the band for the album's cover, but for reasons that remain a mystery, the album was shelved until its release in April of 1981, weeks before the band's follow up on Newpax Records, ¡Alarma!, hit record stores. Norman re-released Horrendous Disc on CD in 2000. The re-release stirred controversy among Daniel Amos fans by the inclusion of two covers sung by Norman of the song "Hound of Heaven," a straightforward version and a lounge-style cut. Norman was also accused of being too defensive in his liner notes regarding the long-delayed release of the album in the late 1970's. The amount of controversy that was generated twenty years after the album's original release is a testament to the solid and devoted fan base both Norman and the band Daniel Amos have retained throughout their careers. The late 70's marked a difficult time for Norman. He was severely injured aboard an airplane in 1978 when an overhead compartment door fell on his head. He did not record a studio album for the next twelve years. A dispute with Word Records resulting in the dismantling of the Solid Rock label in 1980. Norman moved to Europe and formed the Phydeaux label. In a curious swap, Norman divorced his wife Pamela to marry the wife of his best friend and writing partner, Randy Stonehill. Her name was Sarah Finch and together they have a son, Michael Norman. In 1992, he suffered a severe heart attack and was expected to live less than one week. He survived high-risk surgery and was left with very limited cardiopulmonary ability. Although easily winded, he continued to perform, albeit very infrequently. He performed what was billed as his "final" concert in December of 2003. Then, in 2005 he announced two more "final" concerts: one in his adopted home of Salem, Oregon and the other at a seaside festival in Norway. Additional dates in the United Kingdom were also planned. Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001 in music.
InfluenceMany artists have been influenced by Norman's music including Frank Black of the Pixies, who even covered one of Norman's songs, "Six-Sixty-Six" on his album Frank Black & the Catholics. During the song "Levitate Me", Black says "Come on pilgrim, you know he loves you" - a phrase that Norman would use in his concerts. Black was one of the "special guests" at Norman's June 2005 concert in Salem, joining him on the song, "Watch What You're Doing". Other artists such as DC Talk and U2 count themselves as fans of Norman's. Guns N' Roses keyboard player Dizzy Reed performed on Norman's Copper Wires album. A rumor has it that Pete Townshend of The Who got the idea for the musical "Tommy" from a similar rock opera Norman wrote in the late 1960s. In the 1990s, animators for the popular television series, The Simpsons created a limited edition comic book featuring Norman as a Simpsons character. Watches were also sold that featured Norman's yellow, three fingered Simpsons likeness. Selected Discography1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Larry Norman
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