John Norum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Norum
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Norum in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Terry Norum |
| Born | 23 February 1964 Vardø, Norway |
| Genres | Heavy metal, hard rock, blues rock, AOR, glam metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Associated acts | Europe, Dokken |
John Terry Norum (born February 23, 1964) is a famous guitarist from Norway who grew up in Sweden. He is one of the people who started the rock band Europe. Besides playing with Europe, he also has his own music career as a solo artist.
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John Norum's Early Life and Music Career
When John was a baby, he moved with his parents to Upplands Väsby, a town near Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up there and has lived there for most of his life.
Throughout his music career, John Norum has played with many different artists. He worked with Eddie Meduza & the Roaring Cadillacs and the band Dokken. He also played in Don Dokken's solo band. John has also teamed up with other well-known musicians on his solo albums. Some of these include Glenn Hughes, Michael Schenker, Joey Tempest, and Mikkey Dee.
John Norum gets his inspiration from other great guitarists. Some of his biggest influences are Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, and Ritchie Blackmore.
Starting the Band Europe
In 1979, John Norum and singer Joey Tempest formed a band called Force. This band later changed its name to Europe. In 1982, Europe entered a Swedish rock music competition called "Rock Sm." They won the competition, which was shown on TV! John was voted the best guitarist, and Joey was voted the best singer. The prize for winning was a chance to record their first album.
Their first album, named Europe, came out in February 1983. It became very popular in Sweden and Japan. In February 1984, their next album, Wings of Tomorrow, was released. The band became very famous in Sweden and toured all over the country. They also gained more fans in Japan.
In 1985, Europe signed with a bigger record company called Epic Records. They recorded the album The Final Countdown at the end of that year. When The Final Countdown was released in May 1986, it quickly became a huge hit. It was popular in many European countries, Japan, and the United States.
Leaving Europe and Starting a Solo Career
Before the tour for The Final Countdown even began, John Norum had some disagreements with the band's manager. Because of these issues, John decided to leave Europe in November 1986.
After leaving Europe, John Norum signed a solo deal with the same record company. His first solo album, Total Control, came out in October 1987. John sang on most of the songs himself. This album was very successful in Sweden, reaching number 4 on the music charts. It even sold enough copies to be certified platinum! John won many music awards in Sweden in 1988. He toured Sweden, and his last show was in London, England, in late 1988.
John's amazing guitar skills caught the attention of Don Dokken, the singer from the American band Dokken. Don Dokken's band had split up in 1988. John Norum helped Don Dokken with his first solo album, Up from the Ashes, which was released in 1990. They also went on tour together in 1991. In 1990, John Norum released a short live album called Live in Stockholm, which was recorded in 1988.
In 1992, John released another album called Face the Truth. This album was a special project with Glenn Hughes, who used to be the singer for the band Deep Purple. Glenn Hughes sang almost all the songs on this album. Joey Tempest also made a guest appearance on the album.
In 1995, John Norum released Another Destination. This was his last album with Epic Records. He toured in Sweden with a new singer, Kelly Keeling, who had also sung on the album. In December 1996, he released another album, Worlds Away, with Kelly Keeling singing again. This album was released through a new record company. The next year, a show in Japan was recorded with a new singer, Leif Sundin. This recording became the live album Face It Live. At the end of 1997, John Norum played 15 shows with the band Dokken in the United States. He filled in for their guitarist, George Lynch.
In 1999, John Norum released his last solo album before rejoining Europe. It was called Slipped into Tomorrow, and he sang on this album himself. He toured in Scandinavia with Brian Robertson, a guitarist from the band Thin Lizzy.
Returning to Europe
Around the year 2000, John Norum played with Europe again for a special concert on Swedish TV. It was the first time he had played with the band in 14 years! He joined them again later that year at the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm to play their hit song "Rock the Night".
In 2001, John Norum officially joined Dokken as a member. They toured the United States in 2001 and released the album Long Way Home in 2002. However, during a tour in Europe, John decided to leave Dokken because he was not happy with Don Dokken's behavior.
In 2003, Europe announced that their classic five-member lineup was getting back together. John Norum officially returned to the band after 17 years! He had even turned down an offer to join another famous band, UFO, before rejoining Europe.
Since 2004, Europe has released six more studio albums. John Norum has also released three more solo albums: Optimus in 2005, Play Yard Blues in 2010, and Gone to Stay in 2022. He sang on all of these solo albums.
John Norum's Family Life
John Norum started his music career in Sweden, but he also lived in the United States for a few years. There, he met and married Michelle Meldrum in 1995. Michelle was a talented guitarist who started the all-female hard rock band Phantom Blue. John and Michelle had a son named Jake Thomas, who was born on September 22, 2004. Sadly, Michelle passed away on May 21, 2008, due to a growth in her brain.
John later had another son, Jim Henry, born on April 16, 2012, with his Swedish fiancée Camilla Wåhlander. They also have a daughter named Celine Margareta, born on July 28, 2014.
John Norum's younger sister is also a singer named Tone Norum. His stepfather, Thomas Witt, used to be a record producer and a drummer for Eddie Meduza.
John Norum's Guitar Gear
John Norum uses specific equipment to create his unique guitar sound. Here are some of the main things he uses:
- Fender Stratocaster guitars
- Gibson Les Paul guitars
- Gibson Flying V guitars
- Paoletti John Norum Signature guitars
- Marshall JCM 800 2205 amplifier head
- Marshall '72 4x12 speaker cabinets with Celestion Greenback speakers
- Dunlop Cry Baby Joe Bonamassa Wah Wah pedal
- Boss CE-2 Chorus pedal
- MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal
- MXR Phase 90 pedal
- Roland SDE 3000 Digital Delay
- Shure microphones
John Norum's Music Albums
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With Eddie Meduza
With Europe
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Solo Albums
With Don Dokken
With Dokken
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See also
In Spanish: John Norum para niños
