Jimmy Norman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Norman
Jimmy Norman sings at the P&G Bar with Jonny Rosch's band on Dec. 1, 2009.
Background information
Birth name	James Norman Scott
Born	August 12, 1937 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	November 8, 2011 (aged 74) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Rhythm and blues, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1950s–2011
Labels	Wildflower
Associated acts	Bob Marley, Johnny Nash, The Coasters

Jimmy Norman (born August 12, 1937 – died November 8, 2011) was an American rhythm and blues and jazz musician. He was also a talented songwriter. Early in his career, Jimmy had his own song, "I Don't Love You No More (I Don't Care About You)", become popular on music charts. He also played music with famous artists like Jimi Hendrix.

Jimmy Norman is especially known for writing song lyrics. He wrote more words for the song "Time Is on My Side". This song became a big hit for The Rolling Stones. He also wrote many songs for other well-known musicians, including Johnny Nash and Bob Marley. In 1969, he joined the doo-wop band The Coasters. He first worked as a producer for them and later became a touring member. Jimmy also released his own solo album in 1998. He performed in the Manhattan area until shortly before he passed away.

Early Life and Music Career

Jimmy Norman was born James Norman Scott on August 12, 1937, in Nashville, Tennessee. When he was a teenager, he moved to California. He started his music career by touring and performing across the Midwest and southern parts of the United States. Later, he settled in New York City.

In New York, he wrote music for Broadway shows and performed. In 1962, Jimmy Norman released his most successful song, "I Don't Love You No More (I Don't Care About You)". This song reached number 21 on the Billboard "Black Singles" chart. It also reached number 47 on the "Pop Singles" chart.

Writing Songs and Studio Work

In 1964, singer Irma Thomas recorded the song "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)". For the other side of the record, they decided to cover Kai Winding's song "Time Is on My Side". The original song only had a few words. So, Jimmy Norman was asked to write more lyrics for it.

The Rolling Stones also recorded "Time Is on My Side" using Jimmy Norman's new lyrics. This version became their first song to reach the top ten on the music charts. For many years, The Rolling Stones' records gave Jimmy Norman credit for writing the lyrics. However, his name was later removed.

In 1966, Jimmy Norman recorded several songs with Jimi Hendrix in a New York studio. These songs included "You're Only Hurting Yourself" and "Little Groovemaker". "Little Groovemaker" was later changed and released on some of Jimi Hendrix's albums.

In 1968, a young Bob Marley visited Jimmy Norman in his apartment in The Bronx. Jimmy had written many songs for Johnny Nash, whose record label had just signed Marley. Marley wanted to learn more about rhythm and blues music. Jimmy, his co-writer Al Pyfrom, and Marley's wife Rita spent several days playing music together. They recorded a 24-minute tape of Marley performing his own songs and some written by Norman and Pyfrom. This tape was special because it showed Marley exploring pop music, not just reggae. Some songs from this early session were later released on Marley's album Chances Are.

After these sessions, Jimmy Norman traveled to Kingston, Jamaica. He spent over six months there, working in the studio with Bob Marley and writing songs. Many of his songs were recorded by Marley, Peter Tosh, and other Jamaican artists. Some of the recordings Jimmy made with Marley were later released on the Marley album Soul Almighty.

Years with The Coasters

In 1969, Jimmy Norman produced a song for the doo-wop band The Coasters. Later, he joined the group as a touring member, replacing Billy Guy. He toured with The Coasters until 1998, when he had to stop due to health issues. In interviews, Jimmy Norman mentioned that fans of The Coasters mostly wanted to hear their big hits like "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown". He said, "In 30 years we did maybe 10 songs."

While with The Coasters, Jimmy Norman also became the lead singer for a group called Harlem River Drive. They released an album in 1971.

Health Challenges and Recovery

Jimmy Norman faced several health problems, including heart attacks and breathing issues. This made it hard for him to work. Even though he had a successful music career, he didn't have much money saved for retirement or for medical bills. Like many songwriters of his time, he received very little money (royalties) for his songs. In 2002, he told The Jamaica Observer that he got "chump change" for the songs Bob Marley recorded.

He struggled to find work and was almost evicted from his home. Luckily, the Jazz Foundation of America, a charity that helps musicians, learned about his situation.

Jimmy Norman records in studio in 2004.

Wendy Oxenhorn, who leads the Jazz Foundation, helped Jimmy Norman greatly. She arranged for him to have free medical care and helped him plan for his future. She also helped pay his back rent and talked with his landlord. In July 2002, while helping clean his apartment, Jimmy's rare tape of his jam session with Bob Marley was found. This tape was later sold at an auction for $26,290.

During the same cleaning, Jimmy also found old notebooks filled with his songs. A producer named Kerryn Tolhurst recorded Jimmy singing these songs on a tape recorder in his apartment. Later, other musicians added their parts in a studio. Judy Collins, a famous singer, released the album, called Little Pieces, on her own Wildflower label in 2004. This was the first album by Jimmy Norman that was widely available. In 2006, Little Pieces won an award for Best Blues Album at The 5th Annual Independent Music Awards.

In the 2000s, Jimmy Norman continued to perform live. In 2003, he performed at a benefit concert for the Jazz Foundation in New York. In 2007, he sang "Time Is on My Side" at the Jazz Foundation's "Great Night in Harlem" event. He performed locally in Manhattan until shortly before he passed away.

Jimmy Norman died on November 8, 2011, in New York City, after a long illness. His last public performance was on October 29, 2011, for the Jazz Foundation of America. He was married three times and had two children.

Discography

Chart Singles