The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
, born Norman Carl Odam
in 1947 in Lubbock,Texas, is a rock and roll performer who invented an early example of the genre that came to be known as psychobilly in the 1960s. While often considered a novelty artist, he considers himself a serious performer.
He recorded his only hit, the song "Paralyzed", in 1968, in what was, apparently, a moment of spare time in a recording studio in Texas. T-Bone Burnett played drums on the record. The track features unintelligible snarls, growls, and similar vocalisms, surrounded by frantic strumming on acoustic guitar, Burnett's equally frantic drumming, and occasional yelps of what sounds
like the song's title, "Paralyzed!"
Five hundred copies of the single were initially pressed. It earned the Cowboy an appearance on the TV comedy show Laugh-In
. A musicians' strike forced the postponement of some follow-up TV appearances for Odam, and by the time the strike was over, his 15 minutes of fame were up. "Paralyzed" went on to be featured on several Doctor Demento compilations, and it often appears prominently in lists of the worst recordings ever made.
Odam has recorded a number of songs since "Paralyzed". "I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship" was covered by David Bowie on his Heathen
album. Odam returned the compliment by recording his version of "Space Oddity". Bowie himself has said that the term "stardust" in "Ziggy Stardust" is taken from The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.
Odam currently lives in the bay area in California, and performs regularly. In May 2007 he played the David Bowie High-Line festival in New York City, at Bowie's invitation.
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THE LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY TICKETS
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The
Legendary Stardust Cowboy
, born
Norman Carl Odam
in 1947 in
Lubbock,
Texas, is a
rock and roll performer who invented an early example of the genre that came to be known as
psychobilly in the 1960s. While often considered a novelty artist, he considers himself a serious performer.
He recorded his only hit, the song "Paralyzed", in 1968, in what was, apparently, a moment of spare time in a recording studio in Texas.
T-Bone Burnett played drums on the record. The track features unintelligible snarls, growls, and similar vocalisms, surrounded by frantic strumming on acoustic guitar, Burnett's equally frantic drumming, and occasional yelps of what
sounds
like the song's title, "Paralyzed!"
Five hundred copies of the single were initially pressed. It earned the Cowboy an appearance on the TV comedy show
Laugh-In
. A musicians' strike forced the postponement of some follow-up TV appearances for Odam, and by the time the strike was over, his
15 minutes of fame were up. "Paralyzed" went on to be featured on several
Doctor Demento compilations, and it often appears prominently in lists of the worst recordings ever made.
Odam has recorded a number of songs since "Paralyzed". "I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship" was covered by
David Bowie on his
Heathen
album. Odam returned the compliment by recording his version of "Space Oddity". Bowie himself has said that the term "stardust" in "
Ziggy Stardust" is taken from The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.
Odam currently lives in the bay area in California, and performs regularly. In May 2007 he played the David Bowie High-Line festival in New York City, at Bowie's invitation.