Larry Norman was a Christian rock musician before the genre existed, combining faith with a backbeat and social consciousness.
Think of him as rock music's street preacher, often referred to as "the father of Christian rock."
"Between 1969 and 1979, Larry Norman was the Christian rock scene's answer to Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Mick Jagger," said Emmy-nominated director David Di Sabatino, who takes a critical look at Norman's career and life in his documentary "Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman."
"He set the standard. He created the space for others to exist. ... The vision he created for where Christian rock music could go still resonates today."
The documentary is scheduled to go into limited theatrical release in early 2010.
Norman hit the U.S. music scene at a turbulent time for the nation. His first solo album, "Upon This Rock," came out in late 1969, after he left the band People! The San Francisco Bay area psychedelic group was fresh off the success of a Top 20 hit with a cover of the Zombies' "I Love You."
It was a time when college campuses were erupting in anti-Vietnam War protests and the nation was still trying to digest what had just happened that summer at Woodstock.
As many Americans looked for answers, Norman offered his faith, a bold decision for an unknown solo artist making his major-label debut.
"It was a pretty gutsy move to sing about Jesus on his first record," younger brother Charles Norman said. "To take a chance on mentioning Jesus on a secular record was a pretty important step."
No comments:
Post a Comment