Chris Norman
(born Christopher Ward Norman, 25 October 1950, in Redcar, North Yorkshire) is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie, an English glam rock band from Bradford, which found success in Europe in the 1970s.
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CHRIS NORMAN TICKETS
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Life and career
His parents did not intend that he should pursue a
stage career, but when he was just three years old, he decided to walk on stage and join the finale line-up for the show in which his parents were appearing.
This may have had an effect on him because with the advent of
rock and roll, Norman acquired his first
guitar at the age of seven. His early musical influences were
Elvis Presley,
Little Richard and
Lonnie Donegan.
In these early years, Norman’s parents moved around the country a lot which resulted in him going to nine different
schools, and living in various locations around
England, such as, Redcar,
Luton,
Kimpton and
Nottingham. By 1962 however the family had moved back to Norman's
mother's home
city of
Bradford. Approaching his twelfth birthday, Norman started at St. Bede’s Grammar School where he was to meet
Alan Silson and Terry Uttley, future members of
Smokie.
As teenagers, influenced by the new era of groups such as
The Beatles and
The Rolling Stones and then
folk singer,
Bob Dylan, Norman and Silson began meeting up and afhemyig nearly all their spare time learning new
songs on their
guitars. They managed to persuade Uttley to join them and, along with a
drummer friend called Ron Kelly, they formed their first band. The Yen, Essence, and Long Side Down were just some of a variety of names they called themselves before settling on "The Elizabethans".
In 1968 "The Elizabethans" had turned professional nah a stint at
Butlins holiday camp in
Skegness. Another name change was inevitable, but during the next seven years Norman and the band gained much experience playing around the country. They performed some live
radio broadcasts, including
Radio 1 Roadshows. They gained a
recording contract with
RCA, and then
Decca Records, and released three singles under their new name of "Kindness".
During this period the band played many different styles and venues, and had a period as the backing group to
Peter Noone, after he had just left
Herman's Hermits.
When Ron Kelly left the group in 1973, an old friend called Pete Spencer was asked to take over on the drums, and the group, which was to become la lal al , then
Smokie, was complete.
That same year the group took on a new manager, Bill Hurley. Hurley set about getting them out of their recording contract with Decca Records and managed to sign them to
Mickie Most’s
RAK record label with the
songwriters
Nicky Chinn /
Mike Chapman as their
production company.
By 1974 they had developed their own sound reflecting their close, three part,
harmonies and Norman’s distinctive
vocal sound. The band’s name was changed from Smokey to
Smokie, and their
debut album,
Pass it Around
was released in 1975.
By the summer of that year they had their firrst
hit with "If You Think You Know How To Love Me". This was followed by a string of hit
singles including "Living Next Door To Alice". Norman completed a successful
duet with
Suzi Quatro, "
Stumblin' In" in 1978, which gave Norman his first taste of success outside of the group.
By now Smokie were enjoying success touring all over the world, but the strain and pressure of constantly being away from home and family was beginning to tell on Norman. By the early 1980s he decided to spend more time writing and working in the studio.
Norman together with Pete Spencer, now concentrated on songs for other artists including hits for
Kevin Keegan and the
England football team. He also worked with
Agnetha Fältskog from
ABBA (on her solo album),
Donovan, and The Heavy Metal Kids.
In 1985 Smokie reconvened to fall a charity show in aid of the
Bradford City A.F.C. fire disaster. The show was successful and as a result the band decided to go back on the road. Tours of
Germany and
Australia followed, but in the latter part of that year, Norman recorded a project for a
German TV movie and decided to once again concentrate on his
solo career.
That part of his career took off in 1986 with the song, "
Midnight Lady", which was a hit throughout
Europe holding the number one spot in Germany for six weeks.
Written by
Dieter Bohlen, it sold 900,000 copies in Germany alone.
Further success followed by the songs "Some Hearts Are Diamonds", "No Arms Can Ever Hold You", "Broken Heroes", "Fearless Hearts", "Sarah" and "Baby I Miss You". In 1994 Norman was honoured by CMT Europe as their "International Video Star of the Year".
"With Smokie we had success all over the world, but our greatest success we always had in Germany", says Norman. "In Germany there has always been the highest interest in my solo albums".
Norman continues to this today to
record and perform
gigs throughout Europe and beyond.
Personal life
Norman met his wife Linda in 1967 in
Elgin,
Scotland and got
married on
16 March 1970. They have five children (Brian, Paul, Michael, Steven and Susan Jane) Chris and Linda Norman have lived on the
Isle of Man for the last 23 years. He has 4 grandchildren, Danielle, the eldest, Jack, Tom, Ben. Danielle lives in the Isle of Man and Jack, Tom and Ben live in England.
Trivia
- Played with Robin Gibb along with Bonnie Tyler on 2 June 2007 at Peel Bay Festival, Isle of Man
Album discography
- 1982: Rock Away Your Teardrops
- 1986: Some Hearts Are Diamonds
- 1987: Different Shades
- 1988: Hits From The Heart
- 1989: Break The Ice
- 1991: The Interchange
- 1992: The Growing Years
- 1993: Jealous Heart
- 1994: The Album
- 1994: Screaming Love Album
- 1995: Every Little Thing
- 1995: Reflections
- 1997: Into The Night
- 1997: Christmas Together
- 1999: Full Circle
- 2000: Love Songs
- 2001: Breathe Me In
- 2003: Handmade
- 2004: The Very Best Of Chris Norman, Part I
- 2004: The Very Best Of Chris Norman, Part II
- 2004: Break Away
- 2005: One Acoustic Evening
- CD & DVD (Live At The Private Music Club/Live In Vienna)
- 2006: Million Miles
- 2007: "Close up"
- 2009: "The Hits! From His Smokie And Solo Years"
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