Norman Petty

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Norman Petty
Norman and Vi Petty.jpg
Norman Petty with wife Vi
Background information
Born (1927-05-25)May 25, 1927,
Clovis, New Mexico, U.S.
Died August 15, 1984(1984-08-15) (aged 57),
Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
Occupations Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments Piano
Associated acts Norman Petty Trio
Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico
NorVaJak Music, Inc. in Clovis, New Mexico

Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician and record producer who is mostly known for his association with Buddy Holly and the Crickets, who recorded in his studio.

Contents

Biography [edit]

Born in the small town of Clovis, New Mexico, near the Texas border, Petty began playing piano at a young age. While in high school, he was regularly heard on a fifteen-minute show on a local radio station.

Petty and his wife Vi founded the Norman Petty Trio, along with guitarist Jack Vaughn. They landed a recording contract and were voted Most Promising Group of 1954 by Cashbox Magazine. In 1956, their major hit "Mood Indigo" had sold a half million copies and enabled Norman to expand his recording studio, considerably. In 1957, their song "Almost Paradise" hit #18 and Norman won his first BMI writers award.

Despite the success with his own records, Petty is most famous for his recording studio in Clovis. In his homespun studio, he produced successful singles for his own musical group and for Texas musicians Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox, Waylon Jennings, Sonny West, Carolyn Hester, Terry Noland and Buddy Holly.[1] "Sugar Shack" and "Bottle Of Wine" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and "Wheels" by the String-A-Longs were recorded at Petty's studio. Petty produced a number of Canadian groups including Wes Dakus & the Rebels, Barry Allen, Gainsborough Gallery, and the Happy Feeling; all which had chart success in their homeland. Throughout the '50s & '60s era, Petty had productions on virtually every major record label in the USA and Canada.

Petty served as Buddy Holly's recording engineer and also as his first manager until late 1958. Many of Holly's best and most polished efforts were produced at the Clovis studio. After Holly's death, Petty was put in charge of overdubbing unfinished Holly recordings and demos. Norman was hired because he had access to the local musicians that Buddy Holly had worked with over the course of his short career, most of whom would not be able to spend time in a professional studio in New York City.

In 1963 Petty launched the FM radio station KTQM next to the recording studio;[2] he added the AM station KWKA in 1971.[3] Petty ran both stations until 1979, when they were sold to their current owner.[citation needed] Petty posthumously was named Clovis Citizen Of The Year in 1984.

Norman Petty died in Lubbock, Texas, in August 1984 of leukemia. His wife Vi died in March 1992. The original 7th Street Studio is available for tours by appointment only. Vi Petty helped start the "Norman & Vi Petty Music Festival" in Clovis, NM in 1987. It featured many artists that recorded at the Studios as well as popular hitmakers. The event halted in 2002, later to be revived as "The Clovis Music Festival" which is currently held in September.

Norman & Vi were given "Outstanding Graduate Accomplishment" awards (Class of '45 & '46 respectively) by the Clovis Municipal Schools Foundation and Alumni Association in April 2011. The awards go to Clovis High School graduates based on achievement in their realm of business. Graduates are chosen because their strengths of character and citizenship serve as models to inspire and challenge today’s CHS students. The plaques were given to Vi's relative Nick Brady who turned them over to Kenneth Broad of the Petty Estate to display during Studio tours.

Songwriting credits [edit]

The following songs that are wholly or partly credited to Petty have won BMI awards:

Other notable songs for which Petty received a songwriting credit include:

  • "Listen to Me*" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #16 UK, 1957
  • "Oh, Boy!" (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty), #10 US, 1957
  • "I’m Gonna Love You Too*" (Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty, Niki Sullivan)
  • "Rave On*" (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty), #37 US, #5 UK, 1958
  • "Think It Over*" (Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #27 US, 1958
  • "Heartbeat" (Bob Montgomery, Norman Petty), #82 US, #30 UK, 1958

It was established in court that Norman Petty gave himself songwriting credits on some of Buddy Holly's songs, as well as numerous songs from other artists, thus securing for himself an undeserved percentage of profits due to the true songwriter(s).[4]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Show 12 - Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969-04-27. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  2. ^ Don McAlavy. "Buddy Holly, Norman Petty at the heart of the 'Clovis Sound', petty, norman, clovis - History - Clovis News Journal". Cnjonline.com. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  3. ^ Billboard - Google Books. Books.google.com. 1971-01-23. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  4. ^ Ellis Amburn, Buddy Holly. A Biography; Larry Lehmer, The Day The Music Died

External links [edit]

See also [edit]

Authority control
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