Chris Norman is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 soft rock

Soft rock

Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...

 singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie

Smokie (band)

Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...

, an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 glam rock

Glam rock

Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...

 band from Bradford

Bradford

Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

, which found success in Europe in the 1970s.

Life and career

His parents did not intend that he should pursue a stage

Stage (theatre)

In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...

 career, but when he was just three years old, he decided to walk on stage and join the finale line-up for the show in which his parents were appearing.

This may have had an effect on him because with the advent of rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

, Norman acquired his first guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 at the age of seven. His early musical influences were Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

, Little Richard

Little Richard

Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...

 and Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie Donegan

Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...

.

In these early years, Norman’s parents moved around the country a lot which resulted in him going to nine different school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

s, and living in various locations around England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, such as, Redcar, Luton

Luton

Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....

, Kimpton

Kimpton, Hertfordshire

Kimpton is a village, situated between the Mimram and Lea Valleys, about six miles south of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England. It is approximately four miles from Harpenden and Luton....

 and Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

. By 1962 however the family had moved back to Norman's mother

Mother

A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...

's home city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 of Bradford

Bradford

Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

. Approaching his twelfth birthday, Norman started at St. Bede’s Grammar School where he was to meet Alan Silson and Terry Uttley, future members of Smokie

Smokie (band)

Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...

.

As teenagers, influenced by the new era of groups such as The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 and The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

 and then folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 singer, Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

, Norman and Silson began meeting up and spent nearly all their spare time learning new song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

s on their guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

s. They managed to persuade Uttley to join them and, along with a drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 friend called Ron Kelly, they formed their first band. The Yen, Essence, and Long Side Down were just some of a variety of names they called themselves before settling on "The Elizabethans".

In 1968 "The Elizabethans" had turned professional following a stint at Butlins

Butlins

Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....

 holiday camp

Holiday camp

Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...

 in Skegness

Skegness

Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....

. Another name change was inevitable, but during the next seven years Norman and the band gained much experience playing around the country. They performed some live radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 broadcasts, including Radio 1 Roadshow

Radio 1 Roadshow

The Radio 1 Roadshow was an annual summer event hosted and broadcast by BBC Radio 1 from the 1970s through to the 1990s. The roadshow enjoyed three decades of live broadcasts from beach resorts around the UK...

s. They gained a recording contract

Recording contract

A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...

 with RCA

RCA

RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...

, and then Decca Records

Decca Records

Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

, and released three singles under their new name of "Kindness".

During this period the band played many different styles and venues, and had a period as the backing group to Peter Noone

Peter Noone

Peter Noone is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.-Early life:...

, after he had just left Herman's Hermits

Herman's Hermits

Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...

.

When Ron Kelly left the group in 1973, an old friend called Pete Spencer was asked to take over on the drums, and the group, which was to become Smokie

Smokie (band)

Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...

, was complete.

That same year the group took on a new manager, Bill Hurley. Hurley set about getting them out of their recording contract with Decca Records and managed to sign them to Mickie Most

Mickie Most

Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....

’s RAK

RAK Records

Rak Records was a British record label, founded by record producer Mickie Most in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Kenny, Hot Chocolate, Smokie, Arrows, Span, Racey and Kim Wilde. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI, which bought the...

 record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 with the songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

s Nicky Chinn

Nicky Chinn

Nicky Chinn born Nicholas Barry Chinn, 16 May 1945, London, UK) is a British songwriter and record producer. Together with Mike Chapman he had a long string of hit singles in the UK and US in the 1970s and early 1980s, including several number-one records...

 / Mike Chapman

Mike Chapman (record producer)

Mike Chapman is an Australian born record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s...

 as their production

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 company.

By 1974 they had developed their own sound reflecting their close, three part, harmonies

Harmony

In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...

 and Norman’s distinctive vocal

Human voice

The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...

 sound. The band’s name was changed from Smokey to Smokie

Smokie (band)

Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...

, and their debut album, Pass it Around was released in 1975.

By the summer of that year they had their first hit with "If You Think You Know How To Love Me". This was followed by a string of hit single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

s including "Living Next Door To Alice". Norman completed a successful duet

Duet (music)

A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...

 with Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro

Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...

, "Stumblin' In

Stumblin' In

"Stumblin' In" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, performed by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman from the album If You Knew Suzi....

" in 1978, which gave Norman his first taste of success outside of the group.

By now Smokie were enjoying success touring all over the world, but the strain and pressure of constantly being away from home and family was beginning to tell on Norman. By the early 1980s he decided to spend more time writing and working in the studio.

Norman together with Pete Spencer, now concentrated on songs for other artists including hits for Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

 and the England football team song "This Time (We'll Get It Right)". He also worked with Agnetha Fältskog

Agnetha Fältskog

Agnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...

 from ABBA

ABBA

ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...

 (on her solo album), Donovan

Donovan

Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...

, and The Heavy Metal Kids.

In 1985 Smokie reconvened to appear in a charity show in aid of the Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

 fire disaster. The show was successful and as a result the band decided to go back on the road. Tours of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 followed, but in the latter part of that year, Norman recorded a project for a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 TV

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 movie

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 and decided to once again concentrate on his solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 career.

That part of his career took off in 1986 with the song, "Midnight Lady", which was a hit throughout Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 holding the number one spot in Germany for six weeks.
Written by Dieter Bohlen

Dieter Bohlen

Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...

, it sold 900,000 copies in Germany alone.

Further success followed by the songs "Some Hearts Are Diamonds", "No Arms Can Ever Hold You", "Broken Heroes", "Fearless Hearts", "Sarah" and "Baby I Miss You". In 1994 Norman was honoured by CMT Europe as their "International Video Star of the Year".

In 2004 he took part at "Comeback Show" on the German TV station PRO7 and he performed "Stumblin' In" as a duet with C. C. Catch.
In the final episode of the show he was joined by Smokie for the final Song.

"With Smokie we had success all over the world, but our greatest success we always had in Germany", says Norman. "In Germany there has always been the highest interest in my solo albums".

Norman continues to this day to record

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

 and perform gigs

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 throughout Europe and beyond.

Solo Albums - Chris Norman

• 1982 Rock Away Your Teardrops
• 1986 Some Hearts Are Diamonds
  Some Hearts Are Diamonds
  Some Hearts Are Diamonds is the solo album by Chris Norman, released in 1986 by Hansa Records. Dieter Bohlen, formerly of Modern Talking, produced the album and wrote several of the songs....
  
  
• 1987 Different Shades
• 1989 Break the Ice
• 1991 The Interchange
• 1992 The Growing Years
• 1993 Jealous Heart
• 1994 The Album
• 1994 Screaming Love Album
• 1995 Every Little Thing
• 1995 Reflections
• 1997 Into the Night
• 1997 Christmas Together
• 1999 Full Circle
• 2000 Love Songs
• 2001 Breathe Me In
• 2003 Handmade
• 2004 Break Away
• 2005 One Acoustic Evening - CD
  Compact Disc
  The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
  
   & DVD
  DVD
  A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
  
   (Live at the Private Music Club/Live in Vienna)
• 2006 Million Miles
• 2006 Coming Home
• 2007 Close Up
• 2009 The Hits! From His Smokie And Solo Years
• 2009 The Hits! Tour - Live at the Tempodrom, Berlin (Deutschland) DVD
  DVD
  A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
  
  
• 2009 The Hits! Tour - Live at the Tempodrom, Berlin (Dänemark) DVD
  DVD
  A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
  
  
• 2011 Time Traveller

Albums - Smokie

• 1975 Changing all the time
• 1975 Pass it around
• 1976 Bravo präsentiert: Smokie (Germany)
• 1976 Midnight Café
• 1976 Smokie
• 1977 Bright Lights & Back Alleys
• 1977 Greatest Hits
• 1978 The Montreux Album
• 1979 The Other Side of the Road
• 1980 Greatest Hits Vol. 2
• 1981 Smokie-The Very Best of Smokie
• 1981 Solid Ground
• 1982 Die großen Erfolge einer Supergruppe (Germany)
• 1982 Midnight Delight
• 1982 Strangers in Paradise
• 1990 Smokie Forever
• 1994 The Collection - Komplett 'B' platten 1975-78 (Germany)
• 1998 The Concert - Von 1978 Essen's Grugahalle (Germany) - Recorded "Live" for the Smokie film

Singles

• 1978 "Stumblin' In
  Stumblin' In
  "Stumblin' In" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, performed by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman from the album If You Knew Suzi....
  
  "
• 1982 "Hey Baby"
• 1983 "Love Is a Battlefield"
• 1984 "My Girl and Me"
• 1986 "Midnight Lady"
• 1986 "Some Hearts Are Diamonds"
• 1987 "No Arms Can Ever Hold You"
• 1987 "Sarah"
• 1988 "Broken Heroes"
• 1988 "I Want to Be Needed"
• 1988 "Ordinary Heart"
• 1988 "Wings of Love"
• 1989 "Back Again"
• 1989 "Keep the Candle Burning"
• 1991 "If You Need My Love Tonight"
• 1992 "I Need Your Love"
• 1993 "Come Together"
• 1993 "Goodbye Lady Blue"
• 1993 "Growing Years"
• 1993 "Jealous Heart"
• 1994 "As Good As It Gets"
• 1994 "I Need Your Love"
• 1994 "Wild Wild Angel"
• 1995 "Goodbye Lady Blue"
• 1995 "Obsession"
• 1995 "Red Hot Screaming Love"
• 1996 "Fearless Hearts"
• 1996 "Reflections of My Life"
• 1996 "Under Your Spell"
• 1997 "Baby I Miss You"
• 1997 "Into the Night"
• 1999 "Oh Carol"
• 2000 "Mexican Girl"
• 2002 "Ich Mache Meine Augen Zu"
• 2003 "Keep Talking"
• 2004 "Amazing"
• 2004 "Only You"
• 2004 "Too Much / Without Your Love"
• 2006 "Without Your Love" (UK)
• 2009 "Endless Night"
• 2011 "Chasing Cars"

Trivia

• Played with Robin Gibb along with Bonnie Tyler on 2 June 2007 at Peel Bay Festival, Isle of Man

External links