Norman Greenbaum Biography
20 November 1942, Malden, Massachusetts, USA. Greenbaum first tasted minor US chart fame as the founder of Los Angeles jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show And Junk Band, who achieved a minor hit with the novelty "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". After the break-up of the group in 1967, Greenbaum effectively retired from the music business to run a dairy farm in Petaluma, California (he later recorded "Milk Cow Blues"). In 1970, however, one of his recordings, "Spirit In The Sky" (inspired by a Porter Wagoner song), unexpectedly scaled the US charts, finally reaching number 3 and later hitting the top in the UK. It was a startling single of its era, highlighted by a memorable fuzz guitar riff and some spirited backing vocals and handclaps. Although Greenbaum was teased out of retirement to record a couple of albums, he remained the quintessential one-hit-wonder chart-topper. Since 1981, he has worked as a short-order chef in Santa Rosa, California. In 1986, 16 years after his finest moment, the British group Doctor And The Medics revived "Spirit In The Sky', which hit number 1 in the UK for the second occasion. In the 90s, the song was prominently used in the Tom Hanks" movie Apollo 13, leading to the release of a new compilation album. Although in poor health, Greenbaum has also started to write new material. In 2003, UK crooner Gareth Gates once again took the song to the top of the charts as part of the charity appeal Comic Relief.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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