Song:Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music
Album:Only Visiting This Planet
Larry Norman was the founding father of what is now called Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). The 1972 album Only Visiting This Planet may have been the first Christian Rock album. Today it's considered to be a classic though it wasn't received well at the time. He was born April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, TX but he grew up in San Francisco. Norman became a Christian at age five. He performed on Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour in 1959. During high school, he led The Back Country Seven which included his sister and friend Gene Mason. After opening for the group People! in 1966, Norman became their lead singer and songwriter. Mason also joined the group. People! were on Capitol and they scored a top twenty hit with I Love You in 1968. Norman and Mason left when the other members got into Scientology. Capitol hired Norman to write musicals. He moved to Los Angeles and spent all his money on a street ministry. A couple of his musicals were performed in Los Angeles. And Norman turned down a role in the Los Angeles production of Hair. Capitol released the 1969 album Upon This Rock which is considered to be the first Christian Rock album. TV evangelists denounced Norman and the album didn't sell so Capitol dropped him. But it did well in Christian bookstores. Norman toured and released a couple of albums. Then he signed with MGM's Verve label for the 1972 album Only Visiting This Planet. It was recorded at George Martin's AIR Studios in London and produced by Rod Edwards and Roger Hand of the group Edwards Hand. They became producers after the band split up. John Wetton of Family played bass. The album almost crossed over to pop. Of course it is now considered to be important in the development of CCM. In 2013, it was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. It is available as a digital download. After one more album for MGM, Norman started his own Solid Rock label with distribution from ABC's religious label Word. Solid Rock closed in 1980 and Norman moved to England and started a new label. Then he returned to the US in 1985 and signed with Benson Records. Norman continued to record and tour but health problems plagued him until his death on Feb. 24, 2008 at age 60. Today Norman is revered as a CCM pioneer. Back in the 70s, not so much. Here's Larry Norman performing Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music at Cliff Richard's house in London 1972.
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