(What? You never heard of him? Maybe not. But if you have been influenced by "contemporary" Christian music, you've been influenced by him.)I just heard today that Larry Norman passed away. (Click on his name to find out more about him.)
Never heard him in person, but I still have a collection of his LPs (vinyl record albums for the younger set). A talented musician, he chose to sing for Christ when it wasn't cool in the late '60's and early '70's . His music has been covered by lots of contemporary bands.
Back in the day when I used to pick and grin, my favorite LN song to do was "The Outlaw". He was way ahead of his time, asking the question of the church, "Why should the devil have all the good music?". He challenged the world, "Why don't you look into Jesus?". Many called it the "Jesus Revolution". If it was, Larry was the one stirring the pot.
His lyrics weren't tame. He dared sing about the emptiness of trying to find fulfillment w/o God in street talk language. He referred to Jesus' return as an "unidentified flying object". He broke from tradition. His most well-known song was "I Wish We'd All Been Ready". And his trademark "one way" sign was the icon of the Jesus Movement that revived the church and brought my generation to Christ.
Thanks, Larry, for daring to be different. For being an evangelist first and an artist second. For being willing to be misunderstood and criticized. You were only visiting this planet. One day we'll all gather and "sing that sweet sweet song of salvation" around the throne.
(I am curious as to why he was never invited to participate in one of the Gaither Homecomings.)
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My father introduced me to Larry Norman.
I can remember him singing "Outlaw" in the old white NHBC building a long, long time ago...
I'm going to ask Mark Lowry about Larry. He might write me back. I'll let you know. : )
I listened to Larry starting in 1980 but first remember him from when I was 12 and he was in the band People and I had the 45 record "I Love You". I had the pleasure to meet Larry in 2000 (or 1999) at the Creation festival where I am a supervisor. In all the years I have served at the festival I had never approached an artist to "chat". I broke my code that year to tell Larry thank you for still being real and saying what needed to be said. He had many difficulties in his life and died without the funds or his own funeral. That is the price you pay for refusing to sell out. You can see some pretty cool videos of him on utube. There are several from the Corner Stone festival that are very good. I am so glad his has left this planet he suffered long and hard and has gone to his reward.
Love this blog! Thanks for posting!
DC Talk did "All been ready" with Larry on the dvd. It was pretty cool stuffs.
Loved Larry's music. I was introduced to his music by an incredible youth leader back in the mid 80's. I think I may have even seen him at Ichthus in Kentucky.
So - were you a closet Larry norman fan back in the Liberty days? :)
Rosi,
I've never been in any closet!
When I lived in the dorms downtown I was warned numerous times about that Christian rock music I was playing on my stereo.
You know. All that stuff I brought from California.
Thanks for this post and for others. I'm an old fan of Larry and I've been listening to his fantastic music a lot over the last week and a half. It holds up for me, even though I'm not really the same kind of Christian I was once. (I've gone "liberal," I guess.)
I might take issue with your characterization of Larry as "an evangelist first and an artist second." Certainly he was never shy about evangelizing, and his courage was one of the things that was beautiful about him. But back in 1976, he told The Wittenberg Door that "I'm not really in a ministry. I'm not an evangelist. I'm a musician and a writer." One of the things that makes his work so much better than most contemporary Christian music is his musical and lyrical integrity. He was not about sales, not about being popular, not about anything but the truth.
Interesting: I'm weeping a little as I write this. I loved that guy.
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