Norman Foote
Encyclopedia
Norman Mervyn Barrington-Foote is an internationally acclaimed musician, songwriter, and comedian for all ages. Originally from Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
, he is best known for his songwriting, outrageous props, and off beat sense of humor in children's music and live performance; he has been nominated for four Juno Awards for Best Children's Album in 1990
, 1993
, 2001
, and won in 2010
.
Norman has received critical acclaim for his clever songs and engaging concert performances. He has written for Walt Disney Records
, Shari Lewis
, CBC's syndicated TV show Scoop and Doozie
, KOBA's production of Nelvana's Little Bear Live and Backyardigans Live.
, Hank Williams, and Elvis
, he soon switched to the electric guitar
. This led to performing with garage bands throughout his high school career. At the age of 20, Foote left home to travel Australia
and New Zealand
and it was while he was abroad and performing with a travelling theatre group in New South Wales
, Australia that Foote discovered his passion for puppetry
and slapstick comedy.
Foote was one of the first artists to sign on for the Music Box Artist Series with Walt Disney Records. It is with Disney that he recorded his first two albums, FootePrints and If the Shoe Fits. In 1995, Foote teamed up with another children's performer, Fred Penner
, and his company Oak Street Music to release his next album Shake a Leg. Oak Street Music continued to be a major contributor in the production of future records, including Pictures on the Fridge, released in 1997.
Foote's songs are witty and humorous, and use examples of life's valuable lessons to find inspiration for new songs. One of his many talents is his ability to take a small aspect of life and turn it into a subject worth singing about. His music is exuberant, good-natured, and fun with refined mannerisms. While Foote uses only his voice and guitar as instruments, he combines light jazz
, pop
, and folk
music to create his own style that has helped keep his name alive for over 15 years. His first contemporary album, Domestic Rendez-vous, is geared towards an adult audience rather than children's ears. He uses influences such as Randy Newman
and Billy Joel
to create an edgier, more mature sound while still engaging listeners with his stylistic humor and charm.
He has performed with numerous symphonies, including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic
, Nashville Symphony Orchestra
, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
, and the London Symphony Orchestra
. He has also performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs
and internationally at the Galway Arts Festival
in Ireland
.
Norman Foote has five children and two grandchildren.
His most recent release, Love My New Shirt won "Best Children's Album" at the 2010 JUNO Awards in St. Johns, Canada.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he is best known for his songwriting, outrageous props, and off beat sense of humor in children's music and live performance; he has been nominated for four Juno Awards for Best Children's Album in 1990
Juno Awards of 1990
The Juno Awards of 1990, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 18 March 1990 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre...
, 1993
Juno Awards of 1993
The Juno Awards of 1993, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 21 March 1993 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Celine Dion was the host for the ceremonies, which were broadcast on CBC Television at 8 pm Toronto time...
, 2001
Juno Awards of 2001
The Juno Awards of 2001 were held in Hamilton, Ontario Canada during the weekend of 3-4 March 2001.The primary ceremonies were hosted by Rick Mercer at Copps Coliseum on 4 March 2001 and broadcast on CBC Television...
, and won in 2010
Juno Awards of 2010
The Juno Awards of 2010 honoured music industry achievements in Canada for the latter part of 2008 and for most of 2009. These ceremonies were in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada during the weekend ending 18 April 2010...
.
Norman has received critical acclaim for his clever songs and engaging concert performances. He has written for Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
, Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s...
, CBC's syndicated TV show Scoop and Doozie
Scoop and Doozie
Scoop and Doozie is a late 1990s television show about the everyday lives of Doozie, an orange toy bulldozer, Scoop, a yellow toy excavator, and Axel, a blue and red dumptruck, aimed at preschoolers and kindergarteners. It uses skillful puppetry and live videos to teach about construction and...
, KOBA's production of Nelvana's Little Bear Live and Backyardigans Live.
History
Norman Foote received his first guitar from his parents at the age of 11. Influenced by the BeatlesThe 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...
, Hank Williams, and Elvis
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"....
, he soon switched to the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. This led to performing with garage bands throughout his high school career. At the age of 20, Foote left home to travel 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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and it was while he was abroad and performing with a travelling theatre group in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia that Foote discovered his passion for puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
and slapstick comedy.
Foote was one of the first artists to sign on for the Music Box Artist Series with Walt Disney Records. It is with Disney that he recorded his first two albums, FootePrints and If the Shoe Fits. In 1995, Foote teamed up with another children's performer, Fred Penner
Fred Penner
Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner, is a Canadian children's entertainer who gives appearances throughout North America. His television show, Fred Penner's Place, aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 1997. It was co-produced by Nickelodeon in 1989 and 1990.Penner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, and his company Oak Street Music to release his next album Shake a Leg. Oak Street Music continued to be a major contributor in the production of future records, including Pictures on the Fridge, released in 1997.
Foote's songs are witty and humorous, and use examples of life's valuable lessons to find inspiration for new songs. One of his many talents is his ability to take a small aspect of life and turn it into a subject worth singing about. His music is exuberant, good-natured, and fun with refined mannerisms. While Foote uses only his voice and guitar as instruments, he combines light jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and 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....
music to create his own style that has helped keep his name alive for over 15 years. His first contemporary album, Domestic Rendez-vous, is geared towards an adult audience rather than children's ears. He uses influences such as Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
to create an edgier, more mature sound while still engaging listeners with his stylistic humor and charm.
He has performed with numerous symphonies, including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic
Oklahoma City Philharmonic
The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is the most prominent performing orchestra in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and its environs.- History :The first Oklahoma City orchestra was formed as early as 1924. The Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1938 with Ralph Rose conducting its inaugural season...
, Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Nashville Symphony Orchestra
The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra performs 140 concerts annually.-History:...
, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
, and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. He has also performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
and internationally at the Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place each July in Galway, Ireland. It is Ireland’s leading arts festival and one of the most successful and influential arts enterprises in the country. The Festival is one of the key European arts festivals...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Norman Foote has five children and two grandchildren.
His most recent release, Love My New Shirt won "Best Children's Album" at the 2010 JUNO Awards in St. Johns, Canada.
Awards
- Parent's Choice Award - 1992, 1996, 2001, 2002
- Socan's Best Songwriter for Children - 2002
- National Association of Parenting Publications of America Award - 1992, 2002, 2003
- Juno Awards Nominee - 1990, 1993, 2001
- "Juno Awards" Winner - 2010
Discography
- FootePrints (1991)
- If the Shoe Fits (1992)
- Shake a Leg (1995)
- Pictures on Fridge (1997)
- Step To It (1999)
- One Thousand Pennies (2001)
- Domestic Rendez-vous (2005)
- Love My New Shirt (2009)