More Info on Norman GreenbaumSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
BLP sources|date=December 2009 Norman Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942, Malden, Massachusetts|Malden , Massachusetts , United States ) is an American singer-songwriter . He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and went to Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school, and attended Boston University for two years, performing at local coffeehouses during that time, but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. He studied music at Boston University . He is best known for his song " Spirit in the Sky ".
Career
Greenbaum is best known for his song " Spirit in the Sky ", which sold two million copies across 1969 and 1970.cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= 280 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 Sales for this song reached over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a music recording sales certification|gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America|R.I.A.A. . Spirit In The Sky, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar , hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, has been used in many films, advertisement s, and television shows.
Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christianity|Christian theme, Greenbaum was and still is a practicing Jew .Citation | last = McNichol | first = Tom | author-link = | title =A ‘Spirit’ From the ’60s That Won’t Die | newspaper = The New York Times | pages = | year = | date = 2006-12-24 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/fashion/24norman.htm? pagewanted=all | accessdate =2009-12-22 Cite book | last = Benarde | first = Scott R. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Stars of David: rock'n'roll's Jewish stories | publisher = UPNE | date = 2003 | location = | pages = 186 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books? id=XI4-VnSrEcAC | doi = | id = | isbn =1584653035 He was inspired to write the song after observing country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing a religious song on television .
Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder ; however, several of his records placed prominently in the charts. In 1968, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band , he recorded the novelty hit " The Eggplant That Ate Chicago ". Warner Bros. Records released "Spirit in the Sky" to tremendous response in 1970; a December 1970 survey of the top 100 songs of the decade, hosted by radio personality Robert W. Morgan , listed "Spirit in the Sky" at #7.
"Spirit in the Sky" remakes
Another group, Doctor and the Medics , became a one-hit wonder of sorts with their version of "Spirit in the Sky" in 1986 (they had a minor hit with the follow-up "Burn", and a hit album Laughing at the Pieces ). Also in 1986, an all-girl punk band called We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It|Fuzzbox had a hit with the song. British television stars The Kumars at No. 42|The Kumars also became one-hit wonders in the UK, when they and Gareth Gates reached #1 with the same song in 2003. "Spirit in the Sky" is featured on the video game Rock Band 2 . The song was also remade by the Christian band Stellar Kart and debuted in their 2010 album, Everything Is Different Now . The Kentucky Headhunters recorded it, including it on their 1991 album, Electric Barnyard .
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.spiritinthesky.com Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky web page
http://www.jewhoo.com/editor/profiles/normangreenbaum.html Interview with Norman Greenbaum
Persondata | NAME = Greenbaum, Norman | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1942-11-20 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Greenbaum, Norman Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:American Jews Category:American male singers Category:Boston University alumni Category:Jewish American musicians Category:People from Malden, Massachusetts Category:People from Sonoma County, California Category:Songwriters from Massachusetts
