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February 26, 2008
Larry Norman, “father of Christian rock,” has gone home. After suffering a severe heart attack and other ailments, he slipped away at 61.
Larry Norman was the writer of a number of popular Christian songs, including “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” many people’s first encounter with the chilling eschatology of the Rapture. He popularized, and perhaps even invented, the “One Way” gesture of the index finger pointing straight up. He helped launch the careers of many talented artists, including Randy Stonehill (my personal favourite, from whom Norman later became estranged), the Daniel Amos band, and many others on his “Street Level” and then “Solid Rock” labels.
For me, however, Larry Norman in particular was a larger-than-life figure who, with authors C. S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer, helped this Plymouth Brethren teenager, in the backwoods (literally) of northern Ontario, look out onto a larger world of Christian possibilities. Indeed, he helped me to look out onto the larger world itself and feel that perhaps I could actually live there, rather than just briefly venture out into it to evangelize a soul or two and then hurriedly withdraw to the sanctuary of my sect.
I saw Norman in concert only once, but it was while I was attending a Brethren Bible school in Edmonton, Alberta. And the contrast between his “cool,” his sarcasm (God bless him), and his driving rock’n'roll over against the staid and square culture of my denomination and Bible school experience was paradigm-shattering.
He was electric and we were acoustic. He was backbeat and we were 6/8. (Take that, Bob Larson.) He was wild and we were repressed. He was “out there” and we were definitely “in here.”
He gave us permission to like stacks of Marshalls and fuzz boxes and wah-wah pedals and countertenor wailings (let the reader understand). He sanctified the idea of being a smarty-pants for Jesus–while also producing art of accessibility, wit, beauty, and fun.
“Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?” Larry asked, echoing William Booth of the Salvation Army a century before. It was a good question then, and it’s a good question now–in this era of unrelentingly derivative “CCM” (Christian Contemporary Music).
But the bigger question was simply, “Why should we yield the world to the devil–the world of rock music, the world of clever joking, the world of funky fashion, the world of authentic protest?” As Lewis and Schaeffer helped my generation engage the most intimidating of philosophers, Norman helped us engage the music our parents feared—and loathed.
The rest of my youth group was into “The Imperials” (a pop-country Nashville quartet–whom I liked, too) and the really edgy ones listened to Andrae Crouch, a good black gospel singer. For this one and only time in my life I was actually cool, because I listened to the “Jesus Rock” of Norman, Stonehill & Co.—much too racy for my peers. (Thanks, Larry.)
But ‘way beyond “cool” was Larry Norman’s prickly integrity. Norman was a rocker and used that language to express good things about Jesus and the world. And if rock’n'roll could be claimed and used for Christ–well, what couldn’t be?
Rest in peace, Uncle Larry. I look forward to turning up the amps with you in the Great Jam Session to Come.
Mister Jim...
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend and favorite Christian artist, Rick Elias had some personal dealing with Larry. He posted this poignant and moving rememberance the morning the news broke...
Thursday, February 28, 2008
more on Larry
these are my incomplete and free-form recollections...
Larry was the closest thing to Dylan for me. I was a troubled young man from a broken and abusive home. Went on a YFC mountain retreat at the age of 15 with the sole intent of ditching the "christians" and dropping acid for the weekend, ended up turning my life to Christ...Larry's music had a lot to do with that decision. Needless to say, I sought him out fervently, and was a regular audience member every time he played San Diego in the early to mid '70's...once, I had the opportunity to meet him after a gig at Pt Loma College, I was about 16 or so, I was nervous because I LOVED the man as a musician and he spoke to my soul, especially when he berated the idiots who attempted to reign him in...anyway, he looked me in the eyes and shook my hand and asked, "are you a musician?". I thought nobody would ever notice. He sealed my fate then and there.
A year or two later, me and my buddies Dave and Lou pooled our money and drove up to Hollywood, found his office on Hlwd Blvd (we got the address from the back of his album) and, upon arriving at 10 pm or so, discovered the building locked...so I slipped my horrible reel to reel demo with a heartfelt note throught the main door mail slot. Don't know if he ever got it, but it was enough to try...
The years rolled on, went to a christian college briefly before being thrown out, became a full fledged musician, moved to Hlwd, fell into drugs etc, became a cliche. Came back to the fold unexpectedly (by me anyway) and kept writing and perfoming music as I'd always done - for better or worse, putting everything I could think, see, feel, or imagine into it...was grandfathered into this latter day version of christian music only to discover that, at least to most of the folks I met, they either didn't know much of or appreciate Larry. As shocking to me now as then...
Anyway, I had some contact over the next 15 years with him and those who worked with him. Here's what I remember...
'88, standing in line at a Home Depot or something in N Hollywood, and there's Larry with his brother behind me...didn't want to bug him...walked to my car and his brother walks up and asks for my phone number because Larry noticed I made eye contact (so much for my alternate career as a spy) and he would love to talk to me sometime...sure, I think, sure he does...a couple of months later, relatively late, I get a call from LARRY, and he asks me about myself, my family, tells me a bit about himself...keep in mind that at this time, I'm not signed, nobody outside my family really knows me, that I'm a MUSICIAN maaaaaan...I'm a newlywed working a day job with two adopted kids and a newborn in the crib, and he is interested in me, my faith, my music....I can't express how much it meant to me.
'90, my first record comes out to some minor acclaim, and he calls me to chat...he reminds me to be careful, you know about things, the industry... I should have heeded his advice a bit more closely over the years. I sign with the Street Level agency. I play Cornerstone for the first time, and he mentions me to some folks as someone to check out...
'93, I go to GMA here in Nashville and see him in the hotel lobby...we chat a bit, but over the ensuing days it seems to me few industry types pay much attention to him. Sad. We stand on his shoulders, and piss on his head. To paraphrase Mailer - an industry without shame cannot be hindered...
I heard stories over the years of slights and grievances, blessings and sightings. To my great regret, we never crossed paths again.
He was a giant. He was a man after God's own heart. He was David, Peter, imperfect yet anointed. He was necessary, essential. He was not made for these times.
Rest in peace, Larry.