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 Norum (born on February 23, 1964) is a famous Norwegian-Swedish guitarist. He is one of the people who started the rock band Europe. While playing with Europe, he also has his own successful solo music career.
Contents
John Norum's Early Life and Music Journey
John Norum was born in Vardø, Norway. When he was a baby, his family moved to Upplands Väsby, a town near Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up there and has lived most of his life in Sweden.
John Norum has played with many different musicians. These include Eddie Meduza & the Roaring Cadillacs and Dokken. He has also worked with famous singers like Glenn Hughes and Kelly Keeling on his solo albums. John Norum gets his musical ideas from guitarists like Gary Moore 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 won a TV competition called "Rock Sm," which was the Swedish championship of rock. John Norum was named the best guitarist, and Joey Tempest was the best singer. Winning this contest helped them record their first album.
Their first album, Europe, came out in 1983. It was popular in Sweden and Japan. In 1984, they released Wings of Tomorrow. The band became very well-known in Sweden and started touring. They also gained fans in Japan.
In 1985, Europe signed with a bigger record company, Epic Records. They recorded their famous album The Final Countdown. This album was released in May 1986 and quickly became a huge hit in Europe, Japan, and the United States. After this success, John Norum decided to leave the band in October 1986.
John Norum's Solo Career
After leaving Europe, John Norum signed a deal to make three solo albums. His first solo album, Total Control, came out in October 1987. John Norum sang on most of the songs himself. The album was very successful in Sweden, reaching number 4 on the music charts. He won many music awards in Sweden in 1988. He toured Sweden and played his last show for that tour in London, England.
John Norum's guitar skills caught the attention of Don Dokken, the singer from the American band Dokken. Don Dokken asked John Norum to play on 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 also released a live mini-album called Live in Stockholm.
In 1992, John Norum released his album 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.
John Norum released Another Destination in 1995. He toured Sweden with a new singer, Kelly Keeling. In 1996, he released Worlds Away, also with Kelly Keeling. The next year, a live show in Japan was recorded and released as the Face It Live album. In 1997, John Norum played 15 shows with the band Dokken in the United States.
In 1999, John Norum released Slipped into Tomorrow, where he sang the vocals himself. He toured in Scandinavia, playing songs 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 TV concert in Sweden. It was the first time he had played with the band in 14 years. Later that year, he joined them again at the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm to play their song "Rock the Night".
In 2001, John Norum officially joined Dokken. They toured the United States and released the album Long Way Home in 2002. However, John Norum decided to leave Dokken during a European tour.
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 even turned down an offer to join another famous band, UFO, to rejoin Europe.
Since 2004, Europe has released six more studio albums. John Norum has also released more solo albums, including Optimus in 2005 and Play Yard Blues in 2010, where he sang on both. His most recent solo album, Gone to Stay, was released in 2022.
John Norum's Family Life
John Norum started his music career in Sweden. He also lived in the United States for a few years. In 1995, he met and married Michelle Meldrum. Michelle was a guitarist and founder of the band Phantom Blue. They had a son named Jake Thomas, born in 2004. Sadly, Michelle passed away in 2008 due to a health issue.
John Norum later had another son, Jim Henry, born in 2012, with his fiancée Camilla Wåhlander. They also have a daughter, Celine Margareta, born in 2014.
John Norum's older sister is the singer Tone Norum. His stepfather, Thomas Witt, was a record producer and drummer for Eddie Meduza.
John Norum's Guitar Gear
John Norum uses specific equipment to create his sound. Here are some of the guitars and other gear 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 Cabinets with Celestion Greenbacks 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
His guitar sound goes through a Wah pedal, then a chorus pedal. From there, the sound splits to two different amplifier heads. A delay effect is added only to one of the amplifiers.
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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John Norum's Film Appearances
- On the Loose (1985)
See also
In Spanish: John Norum para niños
