One of the creative and driving forces of the 70’s Jesus awakening died in February. I just heard about it yesterday. Larry Norman was a controversial figure in the Jesus People movement and for decades after. He left a touching note to his audience which can be found at his website www.larrynorman.com.
I met Larry three years ago in Salem, Oregon. He shared with me over lunch his concern that too many choruses were us singing to us, rather than directly to God. I told him many of the Psalms appear to do that but I inderstood his concern.
Larry was a rock star in a group called People early in his career. I loved their music. They had one great hit called, “I Love You” written by a British group called the Zombies. He left the group when half the members became devotees of Scientology.
He recorded the first Jesus Music piece in the late 60’s on Capitol records. One the greatest Christians songs of the era was on it, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.” It was an apocalyptic song as many were early on in the scene. I played in an outreach rock band at the time that covered the song.
Larry was always an aggressive contrarian. But we could use more of his type from time to time. He ventured and created a whole new genre. He confronted lovingly a culture that was adrift in its own narcissism. He gave a new pathway and courage to a whole new army of musicians.
I wished I had had a few more conversations with Larry. He was eccentric but in a benign sort of way. At least that was my impression upon meeting him. He seemed to be difficult to get along with. But he had a fertile mind with the savvy of someone who had seen it all.
My prayer is some of the prattle in Christian musicdom and churchdom could be challenged and eclipsed by a few Larry Normans.
It was not always a great pleasure to know Larry; like his life, the highs were very high and the lows tragically low. I knew a young man who was working for Larry in Salem who often referred to him as a prophet. In getting to know him I saw that that description might have been accurate.
He left a legacy for sure; like a lot of prophets he left a lot of debris in his wake. I’m going to miss him anyway. It was a privilege and I’ll keep the memories.
I too covered Larry Norman songs and still do from time to time. I called him the “father of Christian Rock” long before it became a vogue term. Though I never met him personally, one thing that Larry taught me about Christians is our tendency to forget whose shoulders we stand on to achieve our own ends. Hardly a person who is somehow involved in “Christian music ministry” has ever heard or even acknowledges the sacrifice payed by those who led the way. Randy Matthews (another foundational Jesus rocker) lamented on loosing teeth to malnutrition while looking for venues to play and minister long before there was a Contemporary Christian Music scene.
It probably means more to me because I too was given the left foot of fellowship from my long time church and the next one after that for following in the footsteps and performing music that was mild by our standards today. Still, no one with a guitar strapped to their chest can tell me who Larry was, or Mustard Seed Faith or Honeytree. There are people who paid a price for what we take for granted and no one remembers.
I am glad I never knew the obnoxious Larry, though I have connections in the music world who did. Randy Stonehill will hardly even admit today that it was Larry who led him to Christ. His impact is far deeper than just what he personally did. That should be a lesson to us all.
Sorry for the rant… I heard about Larry’s passing the day it happened, grieved, and then mentally hung his picture right there next to Keith Green and Rich Mullins. See you brothers on the other side; hopefully not too soon!
Blessings
Kevin
I met Larry when he played his annual concert at his home church in San Bernardino
He may have been a contrarian, but as you say, we need more of them in our present state
Deacon & Usher
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