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Artist
Norman Greenbaum
12+ albums
classic rockrock70s60soldies
about
Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing and performing the 1969 song “Spirit in the Sky”. Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. His initial interest in music was sparked by southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky". The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was released by Reprise Records in 1969. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows. Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was and remains an observant Jew. Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers singing a song on television. In an interview Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky". Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder, several of his records placed prominently in the charts, including "Canned Ham" in 1970, which reached number 4
top songs
albums
Spirit in the Sky
Spirit In The Sky (Deluxe Edition)
Music From The Motion Picture Michael
The Original Hit Recording - Spirit in the Sky
Spirit In The Sky "The definitive anthology"
The Rolling Stone Magazines 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time
Spirit in the Sky - The Definitive Anthology
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Best of Norman Greenbaum: Spirit in the Sky
My Name Is Joe
Apollo 13
Guardians Of The Galaxy (Awesome Mix Vol. 1)