Jim Ed Norman

Jim Ed Norman
Born	(1948-10-16) 16 October 1948
Origin	Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Pop, Rock, Country, Folk rock, Pop rock, Country Rock
Occupation(s)	Producer, Arranger, Musician, Philanthropist
Instrument(s)	Guitar, Piano
Years active	1967 – present
Website	[1]

Jim Ed Norman (born Edward James Norman, October 16, 1948, Fort Myers, Florida) is an American musician, record producer, arranger and label head. He was one of the principal architects of the distinctive sound of West Coast 1970s pop and rock, after which he moved into production, eventually becoming President of Warner Bros. Records Nashville. Following an unsuccessful attempt at retirement in 2004, he re-emerged in Nashville in 2010.

Early career

Norman's career began in earnest when he joined Don Henley in Texas-based group Felicity, playing keyboards and guitar. The group issued one single, "Hurtin'" (1967), prior to renaming themselves Shiloh. Under this guise, and by now based in Los Angeles, they recorded an eponymous album (1970, Amos Records), which bore early signs of the direction in which 1970s country-rock would soon move en masse. Following the album's release, however, the group disbanded.

Norman resurfaced a couple of years later with Uncle Jim's Music, a group who combined West Coast and country music leanings. Norman appeared on their first album as a studio guest in 1971, and by the time of their second collection for Kapp Records, There's A Song In This, he was a full member.

Music and arrangement career

Norman appeared in the guises of string arranger and pianist on a series of bestselling albums by The Eagles, released between 1973 and 1980 including Desperado, One of These Nights and Hotel California. During the same period he wrote string and horn arrangements for Linda Ronstadt’s album, Don’t Cry Now, and Hat Trick - America’s third studio album album (released on Warner Bros). He would continue to accrue arrangement credits throughout his career, and well into its next phase in Nashville.

Production career

In the mid-seventies, Norman emerged as a producer of note. Among the albums he helmed, and which featured his smooth stylistic qualities, were song-writing legend Jackie Deshannon's You're The Only Dancer (Amherst, 1977) and Quick Touches (Amherst, 1978), the first of which restored Deshannon to the pop charts with the spirited pop anthem "Don't Let The Flame Burn Out". Other production jobs included albums by New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Glen Frey, The Osmonds, and Jennifer Warnes’s first hit, “Right Time of the Night” (US #6).

In addition, Norman's production techniques were enlisted repeatedly for one artist in particular - he oversaw a large chunk of Anne Murray's platinum-selling output from 1977 onwards, including Let's Keep It That Way, New Kind of Feeling, and I'll Always Love You. Notoriously hard to please critic, Robert Christgau, credited these albums with Murray's "gradual revitilazation..." thanks to Jim Ed Norman's "...clean, honest, Nashville-quality work".

The albums were platinum-selling successes, spawning multiple hit singles, including the US No. 1, Grammy winning (Female Pop Vocal Performance) "You Needed Me" and a string of US AC chart-toppers - "I Just Fall In Love Again", "Shadows In The Moonlight", "Broken Hearted Me", and "Daydream Believer". Norman's fruitful alliance with Murray extended well into the 1980s, during which he produced the Gold-selling albums A Little Good News and Heart Over Mind, both of which won CMA awards.

While Norman had been known for providing arrangements and keyboards on albums that typified the lush, Californian sound of the seventies, as a producer his natural inclination towards country music became increasingly prominent through his work with such artists as Kenny Rogers and Hank Williams Jr.

By the outset of the nineties, Nashville was the place to be for a migration of singer/songwriters from Los Angeles, and the city gradually became known for music that mixed country with the folk and soul leanings brought by the influx. In 1990 Norman added his expertise to this emergent trend, producing the breakthrough self-titled Warner Bros/Reprise album by singer/songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, which was very much in the new country blend of styles. He resumed duties for Nielsen Chapman's follow-up album You Hold The Key (Warner Reprise, 1993).

Time at Warner Nashville

After joining Warner Bros. Nashville as Head of A&R, Norman was awarded Presidency of the company in 1984. There, he was responsible for nurturing the talents of Randy Travis, Faith Hill, Travis Tritt, and Dwight Yoakam. His new role was also notable for the fact that it did not curtail his direct creative involvement in music, and Norman continued to amass production and arrangement credits throughout his time with the label, including work for Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers and Take 6 as well as continuing his arrangement work with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Diversity at Warner Bros.

Norman was influential at Warner Bros. Nashville, demonstrating an inclination to increase the company's range of genres. To this end, he was involved in the successful expansion of the label's reach to include the WB Gospel and Christian division, and the launches of the Warner Western imprint, featuring Native American and Cowboy artists, and a Hispanic label - Warner Discos. In addition, Norman spearheaded the Progressive division, with artists including Take 6, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Mark O'Connor.

Retirement and re-emergence

Norman's retirement was confirmed on June 14, 2004, and shortly thereafter he relocated to Hawai‘i. Despite ostensibly retiring, he swiftly became involved in music, organizing a music business program between the University of Hawaii and Belmont University, Nashville. In a short space of time, he was widely noted for his largesse, commitment to and support of local talent, which also benefitted Honolulu Community College, with the creation of the MELE program.

In 2010, however, he broke his retirement and returned to Nashville, initially working on the debut album by Nashville Star contestant Christy McDonald, the first of a series of new production assignments which also included newcomer Tim Dugger. He continues to encourage and support education via his involvement as Senior Fellow at The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy at Vanderbilt. In 2011, reports that he would be working with Rounder recording artist Claire Lynch began to emerge.

Awards and philanthropy

Jim Ed Norman was the Founding President of Leadership Music, an organisation that brings together music industry personnel, encouraging community spirit, education, the cross-pollination of ideas, and issue-based interaction.

He was also the Original Fund Raising Chair and past President of the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School, which provides private music tuition for low income families given by an all-volunteer faculty at 50 cents a lesson

Norman was named Producer of the Year by Cashbox in 1989 for his work with Crystal Gayle among others. In 1990, he was given the Andrew Heiskell Community Service Award - a Time Warner award designed to recognise those who have contributed outstanding degrees of community service.

In 1993, Norman received the Anti-Defamation League Johnny Cash Americanism Award, given to recognise individuals who have fought against racism, prejudice and bigotry.

In acknowledgement of his efforts to link the Nashville community at large with the entertainment industry, Norman was given the Leadership Music Bridge Award (subsequently renamed the Dale Franklin Leadership Music Award) in 1996.