Norman Greenbaum
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Norman Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942, Malden, Massachusetts, United States) is a singer-songwriter. He studied music at Boston University. Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky", which sold two million copies across 1969 and 1970.[1] This disc sold over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A..[1] The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was a one-hit wonder. The song has been used in many films, advertisements and television shows.
Greenbaum is notable for the rare achievement of having recorded two one-hit wonders. In 1968, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". Greenbaum had a second song in the charts in 1970. "Canned Ham" reached #26 in Canada and #46 in the USA.
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"), and British television stars The Kumars also became one-hit wonders in the UK, when they reached No. 1 with Gareth Gates with the same song in 2003.
Also in 1986, an all girl punk band called Fuzzbox had a hit with the song as well.
Interestingly, although his one hit "Spirit in the Sky" is considered by many to be a Jesus rock song with a heavily Christian theme, Greenbaum was and still is a practicing Jew. He was inspired to write the song after observing Porter Wagoner singing a song about a preacher on television.
Greenbaum lives in Petaluma, California. He no longer performs in public, but continues to promote concerts and lives off the royalties from his songs.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 280. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
