| rdfs:comment | - Norman Greenbaum is an American singer-songwriter. His song "Spirit in the Sky" is featured in the film Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Psychedelic rock musician known for his counterculture hit Spirit in the Sky. Although the song mentions Jesus, Greenbaum himself is Jewish.
- 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. This disc sold over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A.. The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, has been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.
|
| abstract | - Norman Greenbaum is an American singer-songwriter. His song "Spirit in the Sky" is featured in the film Guardians of the Galaxy.
- 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. This disc sold over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A.. The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, has been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows. Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a Christian theme, Greenbaum was and still is a practicing Jew. He was inspired to write the song after observing country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing a religious song on television. Greenbaum is regarded by some 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. Greenbaum returned to the charts in June 1970 with the upbeat "Canned Ham," which reached #46 in the United States and #26 in Canada. Later follow-ups like "Skyline" failed to match his first two Warner hits. His last charted single in America was "California Earthquake", which reached #93 in 1971. Greenbaum used Crossfire as a backing band in 1973 and 1974, which included Mitchell Froom and Gary Pihl. One of his very few national television appearances was on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in 1970, lip-synching to "Spirit in the Sky." The low-key Norman Greenbaum never cared for keeping the high profile required by show business; shortly thereafter, using some of the proceeds from "Spirit in the Sky," Greenbaum bought a farm in Petaluma, California. His second Warner album, Back Home Again, features a photo of the singer on the farm.
- Psychedelic rock musician known for his counterculture hit Spirit in the Sky. Although the song mentions Jesus, Greenbaum himself is Jewish.
|
