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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".[Sanford, David. "Farewell, Larry Norman." Christianity Today. June 27, 2005. Retrieved December 26, 2007. "The man known as the Father of Christian Rock, whose health has been failing in recent years, played his last U.S. concert Friday night in his hometown of Salem, Oregon."] Norman has been described as having had a significant influence on many artists, secular and religious.[Quillen, Sherry. "Local legends on stage." San Jose Mercury News October 17, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007. "His gritty, idiosyncratic approach to "Jesus rock" earned him a devoted following that wasn't limited to Christian music fans. Charles Thompson III, who called himself Black Francis when he fronted the influential group the Pixies, is one of his fans in the secular world."]
Norman had long been associated with the Jesus people of the late 1960s and early 1970s,["The New Rebel Cry: Jesus is Coming!" Time
. June 21, 1971. Retrieved December 26, 2007.] although it has been reported that "he did not particularly identify himself with the youth-oriented 'Jesus movement' of the time".[Alfonso, Barry "Larry Norman Biography." Musicianguide.com. Retrieved December 27, 2007.]
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.[title= Split over Scientology, 60s band 'People' reunites for one night ]
In 2001 Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame as a solo artist. 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!
Early lifeLarry Norman was born on April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas, the oldest son of Joe Norman, a high school English teacher, and his wife, Margaret Stout,[Quillen, Shay. "Obituary: Father of Christian Rock: Musician Larry Norman, 60." Mercury News February 26, 2008. Accessed February 15, 2009.] the daughter of Burl W. Stout (born 21 July 1892; died 30 January 1960), a former vaudeville performer with the Fontnell's troupe.[Ayers, William Ayers. "Historical Chrono-Spective." 1991 CD booklet of the European version of Stranded In Babylon.]
In 1950 the Norman family moved to an apartment near the corner of Lyon Street and Fulton, (one block from Hayes)
Norman has two sisters, Nancy (Nancyjo) Norman-Overmeyer, who has been married to Bob since 1969,[ and Kristy (Cristabell), who have said of their brother Larry: "We are not his sisters. He's our brother." Norman also has a younger brother, Charles (Charly) Norman (also known as Charles Normal), who later collaborated with him in many of his projects,]
Religious backgroundNorman indicated that he became a Christian in 1952 at the age of five.[first=Larry ] He attended an African-American Pentecostal church as a child.[first=Mike ]
Musical influences and beginningsNorman began singing at the age of two, and learned to play piano at the age of four.[McNeil, W. K., ed. "Bob Gersztyn and Larry Norman. Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge, 2005:278.] 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, [1] 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". Other musical influences included gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Belgian jazz musician Django Reinhardt, American concert singer Paul Robeson and Black comedian Bert Williams.
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.
EducationNorman graduated from Leigh High School in San Jose, California,["A Biography/Timeline of Terry Scott Taylor." February 19, 1999. Accessed February 16, 2009] 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.
CareerPeople!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.[first=Tony ]
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.
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."[ 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.[David Di Sabatino, Fallen Angel, (Jester Media, 2009).]
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.[ This information contradicts 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.
Recording "The Trilogy"Larry Norman's "Only Visiting This Planet," 1972
Norman was re-signed to Capitol Records by Mike Curb.[
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