Goodbye, Farewell, We'll Meet Again

I just read here that Larry Norman died last Sunday. Norman was legendary in his ability to communicate his faith in an edgy and thought-provoking way, all the while eschewing the Christian contemporary music (CCM) establishment that claimed his work as their genesis.

Norman would never get air play on today's Christian radio stations: he wasn't packaged or predictable enough. Singing lines such as "Gonorrhea on Valentine's Day, you're still looking for the perfect lay" didn't endear him to the establishment, but that was his charm. One famous CCM Magazine article in October of 1995 labeled him a "troubled troubadour" and implied that he was insane. In response, Larry dressed in some old clothes and posed for, and then posted on his website, pictures of himself sprawled next to the dumpsters behind a thrift store, looking unshaven and homeless.

It was this down and outer attitude that made him so approachable to people that weren't in the church, precisely the people to whom he believed he was called to minister. He is quoted in this article as saying, "The churches weren’t going to accept me looking like a street person with long hair and faded jeans. They did not like the music I was recording. And I had no desire to preach the gospel to the converted." Quite a different take than today's CCM industry, which caters to the white, suburban, Republican evangelicals looking for "family-friendly" fare.

That he was influential in his art is unquestioned. He had an influence that went far beyond that of many of the CCM artists of today who sell millions of dollars worth of product a year. How many of them can claim collaborations with Frank Black of the Pixies or Dizzy Reed of Guns 'n' Roses? How many can claim friendships with both Jimmy Carter and Oliver North? In his book Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock, SPIN journalist Andrew Beaujon related the story of a CCM executive who drove Bono to a meeting of Christian artists to discuss the ONE campaign. On the drive over, Bono asked if Larry Norman would be there. That's influence.

I had the opportunity to meet the man himself at a concert he performed at a coffee house in Lindenhurst, IL in 1997. He was very personable and even poked fun at me when my lovely wife told him that I had once mused that we could name our son "Larry Norman". He looked at me and said, "You would do that to a child?"

Until I got an iPod earlier this year, I hadn't listened to much of his music in a while. But in ripping all my CDs to it and listening again, I have realized how fresh and relevant it still sounds, although his best stuff was recorded from the late 60s to the mid 70s. If you have never listened to him, I highly recommend you check out a copy of Only Visiting This Planet. In fact, go to his online store and buy a couple of copies. He didn't die in luxury as most in the music industry do, and the money his family gets through the sale of his music will help cover his lingering medical bills and the cost of a funeral.

He will be missed by many people that hold him dear. He was influential on my own thinking after I first came to faith, and I have listened to his music for countless hours in the last 16 years. I am saddened at his passing, but confident that the mark he left on the world will be felt for years to come.

Larry Norman
1947-2008