Bebo Norman

Bebo Norman Biography

Bebo Norman was an independent artist before that tag was even cool. It’s widely known how the Georgia-born singer/songwriter took a year between college and medical school to try his hand as a performing artist and had soon enough sold fifty thousand self-made copies of The Fabric of Verse (1996) at coffeehouse shows, out of the trunk, and online.

No surprise then that Dr. Norman never materialized, though the field still holds his interest and healthy living is clearly among his priorities. A big-time label wisely sought to bottle his folksy, post-university charm to great effect. Bebo’s original goal was to sell a thousand records, and to date his discography has outdone that nearly a thousand times.

1999’s national debut, Ten Thousand Days, landed Norman on the cover of CCM—a rare honor for a new artist. Its follow-up, Big Blue Sky, was voted #1 Christian album of 2001 by the editors at Amazon.com. Myself When I Am Real (2002) earned seven Dove Award nods and charted the defining hit, “Great Light of the World.” Recent projects Try (2004) and Between the Dreaming and the Coming True (2006) continued the steady climb, the latter gaining a near-perfect score at ChristianMusicToday.com which called it “his best.”

Last year Norman’s contract reached its natural conclusion. But rather than staying put, he spoke with several companies, took a long view, and chose to regain that independent spirit by partnering with Seattle’s BEC Recordings, an offshoot of Tooth & Nail Records.

“The label is managed by a guy who promoted some of my very first concerts,” Bebo says. “So there’s a neat history and a lot of independent thinking there. I love that, especially in the context of what’s happening with the music industry right now. I am excited by what they’re encouraging creatively.”

Now working on a new studio album scheduled for fall 2008 release, Bebo Norman will soon premiere what should be his most surprising effort yet. Still rooted in the tuneful sensibilities of comparable artists like James Taylor or more recently John Mayer, he is confidently stretching the musical arrangements to his often worshipful melodies.

“Stylistically it’s a bit more modern,” he explains in a speaking voice that has the same emotional catch as his singing one. “We’re keeping the melodies really simple, really folk-based, and creating more space in each song through the instrumentation. Mat Kearney’s drummer Will Sayles is playing on it. The rhythm section will be a bigger part of this record than in the past. And we’re experimenting a lot with sounds, putting delay effects on old upright pianos, doubling the acoustic guitar parts for a different feel.”

Although it’s a work-in-progress with no confirmed title ready to share, the album’s theme has clearly surfaced. The personal peace Bebo felt on his last record is still there, but some close friends are facing struggles that have inspired new questions, new songs.

“There are several people around me in dark throes and desperately clinging to Christ in the midst of it. Friends battling addiction, illness, or crazy marriage stuff. And they all love the Lord. It’s a reminder that real life happens to believers and unbelievers alike. Rain falls on the just and unjust.”

The likely first single is “Remember Us,” an anthemic plea that God would be mindful of us in every moment of need. “Where I Am Saved” is a further reminder that our holiest hour is often our most desperate hour. “I Am Not Living in the In Between” points more to the weightier, thought provoking elements now developing in Bebo’s artistry.

Such progression is right in line with all that’s happening in the singer’s life off stage. Once pegged by the media as a bachelor, Norman married a few years ago and now has a one-year-old son. Where his life was formerly lived in the extremes of either being all alone or singing to a large audience, he now finds wonder and meaning in more direct community whether it’s family time, getting together with local friends outside the music business, or sharing the gospel in other countries as a Compassion International sponsor.

“I really needed to be thrown into a smaller community, and being a husband and father has definitely helped that to happen. I’ve been digging into some friendships that I was desperate for,” he says. “And I’m not too sure that we as believers were meant to be in the masses all the time. I’m fascinated that Jesus spent the majority of his time with just a few people. I draw a lot of life from being in community with people, which in turn gives me the desire to go back on the road and share what I’ve gained from that experience.”

Look for Bebo Norman on tour this fall promoting his new album on BEC Recordings.