Story

The Story

Actually this story has been in our mag some time ago, but we think that you as well might love reading it, especially if you are a "newer" Chris fan and don't really know very much about him. It's just a little story, put together to introduce Chris in our "a little different biography" and we hope you will enjoy reading!

The "CHRISTORY"

"Showbusiness was already put in his cradle...." - like that many stories about Chris begin. Well, it's certainly not quite that easy and it doubtlessly takes a lot more to achieve something especially in the showbiz. Nevertheless Chris's familiar background certainly has been the foundation stone for his further life - his parents and also his grandparents have been active in the showbusiness, too.

So Chris was actually born "on the road", in the small town Redcar, "up in the North" of England, on October, 25th 1950. Chris was still a little boy when he started to imitate showstars like e.g. Charlie Chaplin and he was only 7 when he got his first guitar.

Already in 1964 he played in the school orchestra and loved music more than anything. In 1965 our Chris left school and tried his hand in all kinds of jobs, from wool-salesman to electrician, but with poor success - it was just music he was really interested in whole-heartedly. Finally he and his friends started a band, the "Elizabethans" - dressed in frill shirts and rather conventional suits they played in working men's clubs all over Britain.

1968, during one of those small tours, in the little town Elgin in Scotland, Chris met Linda, his later wife - the two belong together ever since.Finally on the 16th of March 1970 the wedding bells rang for the happy couple and little Bryan who had been born on the 28th of July 1968. On the 25th of May 1972 Paul was born and Chris held Linda's hand during the birth.

Meanwhile the "Elizabethans" had turned into "Kindness" and for the first time there were record releases of Chris and Co. Between 1971 and 1973 a couple of singles came out, like e.g. "Light of love", "Make it better" and "Let the good times roll". Unfortunately they all went more or less unnoticed. Finally, in August 1973, Pete Spencer joined the band as a drummer and he and Chris quickly became close friends.

After all those not very successful years "on the road" things slowly began to turn for the better - 1974 Bill Hurley took notice of the four boys. Bill became the manager of the band and with the new name "Smokey" and finally "Smokie" things were really looking up steadily. 1975 they had their big breakthrough with "If you think you know how to love me" and in the following years Chris and his pals had hit after hit, toured successfully around the whole world and became one of the most popular and most successful bands of the Seventies. It would definitely burst our web-pages now to write about this time in detail, so we simply want to have a look at one or another event or anecdote, as for example the election of the "best looking rock-singer" by the pop magazine "Bravo" in 1976. Already then our Chris could be found on No. 3 (today we can definitely say on No. 3 "only", can't we.....?!). 1977 - in the survey of the magazine "Mädchen" the question was "Who's your favourite Smokie?" and Chris was the clear winner. Among the numerous reasons there were such suitable ones as "because he's an excellent musician", "because I get a goose-flesh every time I hear his voice" and things like that. But extremely suitable was definitely this one: "Because he radiates so much warmth"......!!! There's no need to add anything really, isn't it?!?

Then, in 1977, also "Bright lights and back alleys" was shown on TV - a 45 minutes documentation about Smokie with lots of interesting insights into the private surroundings of Chris and Co., scenes taken during live gigs, the recording sessions for the "Montreux Album" and also lots of funny or just nice "snap-shots". So the film definitely was a real treat for all of us! Also in 1977 Smokie sang the back vocals for Donovan's LP "Donovan" (our tip: listen to "Astral angel"!).

1978 certainly was one of the most eventful years of the Smokie time. "Mexican girl", the first single written by Chris and Pete came out (and became a major hit!), Chris sang "Stumblin' in" together with Suzi Quatro (also a big success!), and Chris and Pete wrote and produced the single "Head over heels in love"/"Move on down" for friend and soccer star Kevin Keegan.

No wonder really, that also the "star elections" were basically dominated by Chris and Co. and they really had a great "all around success". Smokie was the band of the year, Chris singer No. 1, the "top tour '78" was - of course! - the Smokie tour, the "Montreux-Album" topped the LP-election, Chris's and Pete's "Mexican girl" was No. 1 single (plus "Stumblin' in" on No. 3 and "Oh Carol" on No. 6!) and "nearly incidentally" Chris and Pete became the No. 1 songwriters (and that even before people like Chinn/Chapman and Paul Mc Cartney!) and Chris above all was No. 6 of the guitarists!

To save taxes Smokie lived - without their families - in the Isle of Man for some time.

In the early 80ies they once again "stepped on new grounds": they sang the back vocals for ABBA's Agnetha, who recorded her solo album "Wrap your arms around me" (our tip here: "Once burned, twice shy" - Chris's voice is once again absolutely stunning!). They also did so in Agnetha's TV special (and we have been extremely amused by all their jokes in the background!). Then it started to become quiet around Smokie and finally, 1982, the band split up.

Chris, for the first time in years, finds time to enjoy his family life, writes and produces songs for the English football team and starts working on solo songs. His first album "Rock away your teardrops" comes out.1984 another "newcomer" arrives in the Norman family: Michael is born on January 20th! Also in 1984 two solo singles of Chris are released: "My girl and me" (what a shame that this beautiful song has been released in England only!) and "Love is a battlefield".

Finally it's a tragedy that brings Smokie back together in the summer of 1985: there's a big charity concert in aid of the victims of the fire in Bradford's football stadium and all the bands of the Bradford area are performing there. So Smokie are back and still in '85 they start touring again.

But it's finally the year 1986 that plays a particularly important part in Chris's life - in his private life as well as his professional life:
On April 27th son Steven is born and in July '86 the Norman family moves to the beautiful Isle of Man. Chris - basically overnight! - becomes No. 1 of the German Sales Charts with "Midnight Lady" (title song of the Schimanski-"Tatort" "Der Tausch"). What a success !!! And what a treat for us as we're simply bombarded with Chris-TV performances...! (Do you remember for example the TV premiere of "Midnight Lady" in the show "Känguruh"? We still don't know really why they let Chris walk out of just a giant fridge?!?)

Chris does a final tour with Smokie and then leaves the band for good. In 1987 he tours Germany for the first time with his new band (already on this tour he's accompanied by Lynn and Elli as background singers - the first two members of Chris's great today's band!), the second tour follows in 1988. In the same year Chris records another duet: "I want to be needed" with Shari Belafonte.

Two other absolute highlights are celebrated in Chris's private life in the 90ies then: on April 4th 1991 little Susan is born and completes the big, happy Norman family. And on the 16th of March 1995 Chris and Linda celebrate their silver wedding!!!! (How did Chris say so nicely in an interview: "I love her more than ever and more than anything!"......!!!)

"Showbusiness was already put in his cradle...." - like that many stories about Chris begin. Well, it's certainly not quite that easy and it doubtlessly takes a lot more to achieve something especially in the showbiz. Nevertheless Chris's familiar background certainly has been the foundation stone for his further life - his parents and also his grandparents have been active in the showbusiness, too.
	So Chris was actually born "on the road", in the small town Redcar, "up in the North" of England, on October, 25th 1950. Chris was still a little boy when he started to imitate showstars like e.g. Charlie Chaplin and he was only 7 when he got his first guitar.
	Already in 1964 he played in the school orchestra and loved music more than anything. In 1965 our Chris left school and tried his hand in all kinds of jobs, from wool-salesman to electrician, but with poor success - it was just music he was really interested in whole-heartedly. Finally he and his friends started a band, the "Elizabethans" - dressed in frill shirts and rather conventional suits they played in working men's clubs all over Britain.
	1968, during one of those small tours, in the little town Elgin in Scotland, Chris met Linda, his later wife - the two belong together ever since.Finally on the 16th of March 1970 the wedding bells rang for the happy couple and little Bryan who had been born on the 28th of July 1968. On the 25th of May 1972 Paul was born and Chris held Linda's hand during the birth.
	Meanwhile the "Elizabethans" had turned into "Kindness" and for the first time there were record releases of Chris and Co. Between 1971 and 1973 a couple of singles came out, like e.g. "Light of love", "Make it better" and "Let the good times roll". Unfortunately they all went more or less unnoticed. Finally, in August 1973, Pete Spencer joined the band as a drummer and he and Chris quickly became close friends.
	After all those not very successful years "on the road" things slowly began to turn for the better - 1974 Bill Hurley took notice of the four boys. Bill became the manager of the band and with the new name "Smokey" and finally "Smokie" things were really looking up steadily. 1975 they had their big breakthrough with "If you think you know how to love me" and in the following years Chris and his pals had hit after hit, toured successfully around the whole world and became one of the most popular and most successful bands of the Seventies. It would definitely burst our web-pages now to write about this time in detail, so we simply want to have a look at one or another event or anecdote, as for example the election of the "best looking rock-singer" by the pop magazine "Bravo" in 1976. Already then our Chris could be found on No. 3 (today we can definitely say on No. 3 "only", can't we.....?!). 1977 - in the survey of the magazine "Mädchen" the question was "Who's your favourite Smokie?" and Chris was the clear winner. Among the numerous reasons there were such suitable ones as "because he's an excellent musician", "because I get a goose-flesh every time I hear his voice" and things like that. But extremely suitable was definitely this one: "Because he radiates so much warmth"......!!! There's no need to add anything really, isn't it?!?
	Then, in 1977, also "Bright lights and back alleys" was shown on TV - a 45 minutes documentation about Smokie with lots of interesting insights into the private surroundings of Chris and Co., scenes taken during live gigs, the recording sessions for the "Montreux Album" and also lots of funny or just nice "snap-shots". So the film definitely was a real treat for all of us! Also in 1977 Smokie sang the back vocals for Donovan's LP "Donovan" (our tip: listen to "Astral angel"!).
	1978 certainly was one of the most eventful years of the Smokie time. "Mexican girl", the first single written by Chris and Pete came out (and became a major hit!), Chris sang "Stumblin' in" together with Suzi Quatro (also a big success!), and Chris and Pete wrote and produced the single "Head over heels in love"/"Move on down" for friend and soccer star Kevin Keegan.
	No wonder really, that also the "star elections" were basically dominated by Chris and Co. and they really had a great "all around success". Smokie was the band of the year, Chris singer No. 1, the "top tour '78" was - of course! - the Smokie tour, the "Montreux-Album" topped the LP-election, Chris's and Pete's "Mexican girl" was No. 1 single (plus "Stumblin' in" on No. 3 and "Oh Carol" on No. 6!) and "nearly incidentally" Chris and Pete became the No. 1 songwriters (and that even before people like Chinn/Chapman and Paul Mc Cartney!) and Chris above all was No. 6 of the guitarists!
	To save taxes Smokie lived - without their families - in the Isle of Man for some time.
	In the early 80ies they once again "stepped on new grounds": they sang the back vocals for ABBA's Agnetha, who recorded her solo album "Wrap your arms around me" (our tip here: "Once burned, twice shy" - Chris's voice is once again absolutely stunning!). They also did so in Agnetha's TV special (and we have been extremely amused by all their jokes in the background!). Then it started to become quiet around Smokie and finally, 1982, the band split up.
	Chris, for the first time in years, finds time to enjoy his family life, writes and produces songs for the English football team and starts working on solo songs. His first album "Rock away your teardrops" comes out.1984 another "newcomer" arrives in the Norman family: Michael is born on January 20th! Also in 1984 two solo singles of Chris are released: "My girl and me" (what a shame that this beautiful song has been released in England only!) and "Love is a battlefield".
	Finally it's a tragedy that brings Smokie back together in the summer of 1985: there's a big charity concert in aid of the victims of the fire in Bradford's football stadium and all the bands of the Bradford area are performing there. So Smokie are back and still in '85 they start touring again.
	But it's finally the year 1986 that plays a particularly important part in Chris's life - in his private life as well as his professional life: On April 27th son Steven is born and in July '86 the Norman family moves to the beautiful Isle of Man. Chris - basically overnight! - becomes No. 1 of the German Sales Charts with "Midnight Lady" (title song of the Schimanski-"Tatort" "Der Tausch"). What a success !!! And what a treat for us as we're simply bombarded with Chris-TV performances...! (Do you remember for example the TV premiere of "Midnight Lady" in the show "Känguruh"? We still don't know really why they let Chris walk out of just a giant fridge?!?)
	Chris does a final tour with Smokie and then leaves the band for good. In 1987 he tours Germany for the first time with his new band (already on this tour he's accompanied by Lynn and Elli as background singers - the first two members of Chris's great today's band!), the second tour follows in 1988. In the same year Chris records another duet: "I want to be needed" with Shari Belafonte.
	Two other absolute highlights are celebrated in Chris's private life in the 90ies then: on April 4th 1991 little Susan is born and completes the big, happy Norman family. And on the 16th of March 1995 Chris and Linda celebrate their silver wedding!!!! (How did Chris say so nicely in an interview: "I love her more than ever and more than anything!"......!!!)

Meanwhile Chris has released a series of excellent albums, has done many, many great TV shows and even more brilliant live gigs and we really can't write about each of these events in detail once again. But there's one thing we can say for sure: Each song, each TV performance and each gig is something very special for all of us!

But most of all it's doubtlessly Chris himself who - through all the years - always again impresses us deeply: as an ingenius musician with an outstanding voice and as a man with an incomparable charisma and a wonderful personality. That's definitely rare enough and especially so in the showbiz!

In this sense - after our review of the past - we'd still like to take a short look forward: without any doubt we can also look forward to Chris's next album, his next TV shows and his next live gigs, because we meanwhile really know: what Chris does, is simply good!

And so it's already back again: the well-known tingling in our stomachs in expectation of everything that's yet to come "Chris-wise"!