Philip Norman | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1943-04-13)13 April 1943 (age 81) |
| Occupation |
|
| Period | 1965–present |
| Subject | Rock music |
| Notable works | Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation |
Philip Norman (born 13 April 1943)[1] is an English author,novelist,journalist andplaywright. He is best known for his biographies ofthe Beatles,the Rolling Stones,Buddy Holly andElton John. His other books include similar studies ofJohn Lennon,Mick Jagger,Paul McCartney andEric Clapton.
Norman was born in London but grew up inRyde, on theIsle of Wight.[2] He attendedRyde School, and his father, Clive Norman, ran the Seagull Ballroom onRyde Pier. He describes his childhood in the bookBabycham Night. Relatives of his produced theeponymous sparklingperry inShepton Mallet.
Norman began working as a staff writer forThe Sunday Times in 1965.[2] In addition to writing the newspaper's Atticus column, he gained notice during the late 1960s and over the following decade for his profiles of public figures such asElizabeth Taylor,P.G. Wodehouse andMuammar Gaddafi,[2] and of musical artists, includingJames Brown,Little Richard,the Beach Boys,Fleetwood Mac,Rod Stewart andthe Everly Brothers.[3]
Another of his assignments was to investigate and report on the problems afflictingthe Beatles' multimedia companyApple Corps.[4][5] In the 1970s, he also worked asThe Times'rock music critic.[3]
Norman's first book,Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation, also published asShout!: The True Story of the Beatles, was published in 1981, with later revisions. An immediate bestseller,[2] it has since sold over a million copies.[3]The New York Times describedShout! as "the definitive biography [of the Beatles] – comprehensive, intelligent, sensitively written and exhaustively researched",[5] while theChicago Sun-Times admired it as "The best, most detailed, and most serious biography of the Beatles and their time."
The book portraysPaul McCartney in an unfavourable light, and the former Beatle voiced his objections to Norman's characterisation of him as "the great manipulator".[6] Norman later recalled that when promotingShout! on the television showGood Morning America in May 1981, he described Lennon as having represented "three-quarters of the Beatles" and was rewarded with an invitation to visit Lennon's widow,Yoko Ono.[7] Norman also recalled that he had heard that McCartney had taken to calling the bookShite![8]
In his review of the most popular books about the group, inThe Rough Guide to the Beatles, Chris Ingham writes that Norman displays a "clear dislike" for McCartney yetShout! merits the praise it has received, due to "the rigour of its research and insightful reflection of the times".[6] Writing in 2005, Beatles biographerIan MacDonald said that Norman's book "remains the sharpest account of The Beatles' career" and suggested that its anti-McCartney sentiments were balanced by the 1997 publication ofBarry Miles'Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now.[9]
Norman was interviewed in 1987 for a feature onGeorge Harrison on the showWest 57th, during which he stated that Harrison's view of the Beatles' history was the only reliable first-hand account, given Lennon's death seven years before.[10] When asked for an explanation, Norman said that McCartney "rewrites history all the time" andRingo Starr was unable to remember "He doesn't know. He just... he drank, he smoked the joints, he had the girls and he drummed the drums... that was Ringo".[11]
Reporting on the British media's reaction to Harrison's death in November 2001,Spencer Leigh wrote that "the only sour note" had come from a piece written by Norman inThe Sunday Times. According to Leigh, Norman's article "tore away at Harrison's memory" by branding him "a serial philanderer" and denigrating his standing as a humanitarian.[12]
In October 2008, Norman's 800-page bookJohn Lennon: The Life was released to some controversy. According toSean O'Hagan ofThe Observer, the tone of the book falls midway between the "extravagantly spiteful" narrative ofAlbert Goldman's 1988 biographyThe Lives of John Lennon and the "respectful, going-on adulatory" message ofRay Coleman'sLennon: The Definitive Biography, published in 1984. O'Hagan reported that Ono and McCartney, both of whom had co-operated with Norman during the book's creation, were displeased with the result.[13]
Norman's book on McCartney, titledPaul McCartney: The Biography, was published in 2016.[14]
Norman has also published what the music journalism websiteRock's Backpages describes as "definitive biographies" ofBuddy Holly,the Rolling Stones andElton John.[3] Additionally, Norman has authored six works of fiction, and two plays:The Man That Got Away andWords of Love.
{{citation}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)15. Schavemaker, Peter (5 November 2012) NPO Radio 2, The Netherlands
