Norman Greenbaum – Marcy

Early life

Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel.[1] His initial interest in music was sparked by southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.[citation needed] He currently resides in Santa Rosa, California.[2]
Career

Greenbaum is best known for his song “Spirit in the Sky”. The song, with its combination of ‘heavy’ guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1969. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970,[3] and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A.. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.[3]

Although “Spirit in the Sky” has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was and remains an observant Jew.[2][4] Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing a religious song on television.[citation needed] In an interview Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for “Spirit in the Sky”:[5]