Norman Petty

Norman Petty
Norman Petty (right) with wife Vi
Background information
Born	May 25, 1927(1927-05-25), Clovis, New Mexico, U.S.
Died	August 15, 1984(1984-08-15) (aged 57), Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Piano
Associated acts	Norman Petty Trio

Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico

NorVaJak Music, Inc. in Clovis, New Mexico

Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock.

Born in the small town of Clovis, New Mexico, near the Texas border, Petty began playing piano at a young age. While in high school, he was regularly heard on a fifteen minute show on a local radio station.

Petty and his wife Vi founded the Norman Petty Trio, along with guitarist Jack Vaughn. They landed a recording contract and were voted Most Promising Group of 1954 by Cashbox Magazine. In 1956, their major hit "Mood Indigo" had sold a half million copies and enabled Norman to expand his recording studio, considerably. In 1957, their song "Almost Paradise" hit #18 and Norman won his first BMI writers award.

Despite the success with his own records, Petty is most famous for his recording studio in Clovis. In his homespun studio, he made 78 and 45 rpm singles for his own musical group and for then-unknown Texan singers Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox, Waylon Jennings, Carolyn Hester and Buddy Holly, with whom he is most closely associated in the public mind.^[1] "Sugar Shack" and "Bottle Of Wine" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and "Wheels" by the String-A-Longs were recorded at Petty's studio. Petty produced a number of Canadian groups including Wes Dakus & The Rebels, Barry Allen, Gainsborough Gallery, and the Happy Feeling; all which had chart success in their homeland.

Petty served as Buddy Holly's recording engineer and also as his first manager and producer^[1] until late 1958. Many of Holly's best and most polished efforts were produced by Petty at the Clovis studio. After Holly's death, Petty was put in charge of overdubbing unfinished Holly recordings and demos to add to Holly's record output. According to Buddy's immediate family and his wife, Petty refused to pay Holly money contractually owed the composer-singer. Petty reportedly told Holly, "I'd rather see you dead than to give you the money now." ^[2]

In 1963 Petty launched the FM radio station KTQM next door to the recording studio;^[3] he added the AM station KWKA in 1971.^[4] Petty ran both stations until 1979, when they were sold to their current owner.^{[citation needed]} Petty posthumously was named Clovis Citizen Of The Year in 1984.

Norman Petty died in Lubbock, Texas, in August 1984 of leukemia. His wife Vi died in March 1992. The original 7th Street Studio is available for tours by appointment only. Originally named "The Norman & Vi Petty Music Festival" which featured many artists that recorded at the Studios, the event halted in 2002, later to resurge as "The Clovis Music Festival" which is held in September.

Norman & Vi were given "Outstanding Graduate Accomplishment" awards (Class of '45 & '46 respectively) by the Clovis Municipal Schools Foundation and Alumni Association in April 2011. The awards go to Clovis High School graduates based on achievement in their realm of business. Graduates are chosen because their strengths of character and citizenship serve as models to inspire and challenge today’s CHS students. The plaques were given to Vi's relative Nick Brady who turned them over to Kenneth Broad of the Petty Estate to display during Studio tours.

Songwriting credits

The following songs that are wholly or partly credited to Petty have won BMI awards:

• "Almost Paradise" (Norman Petty), #18 US for the Norman Petty Trio
• "Everyday" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty)
• "It's So Easy" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) (#5 US for Linda Ronstadt in 1977)
• "Peggy Sue" (Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #3 US, #6 UK, 1957
• "That'll Be the Day" (Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #1 US, #1 UK, 1957 (#11 US for Linda Ronstadt in 1976)
• "True Love Ways" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #25 UK, 1960
• "Wheels" (Norman Petty, Richard Stephens, Jimmy Torres)

Other notable songs for which Petty received a songwriting credit include:

• "Listen to Me" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #16 UK, 1957
• "Oh, Boy!" (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty), #10 US, 1957
• "I’m Gonna Love You Too" (Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty, Niki Sullivan)
• "Rave On" (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty), #37 US, #5 UK, 1958
• "Think It Over" (Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty), #27 US, 1958
• "Heartbeat" (Bob Montgomery, Norman Petty), #82 US, #30 UK, 1958

References

External links

• Norman Petty Studios official website
• Clovis Music Festival
• "Norman Petty". Rockabillyhall.com. 1997-03-21. http://www.rockabillyhall.com/NormanPetty1.html. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
• Pore-Lee-Dunn Productions. "Interview With The Fireballs". Classicbands.com. http://www.classicbands.com/FireballsInterview.html. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
• Interview with Norman Petty in International Songwriters Association's Songwriter Magazine, dealing mainly with songwriting
• Norman Petty interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (recorded April 1968).^[5]
• BMI entry showing songs credited or co-credited to Petty

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "Show 12 - Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969-04-27. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19761/m1/. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
2. ^ Buddy Holly not fading away, 50 years after death, Reuters, 1-26-2009
3. ^ Don McAlavy. "Buddy Holly, Norman Petty at the heart of the 'Clovis Sound', petty, norman, clovis - History - Clovis News Journal". Cnjonline.com. http://www.cnjonline.com/articles/petty-1111-norman-clovis.html. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
4. ^ Billboard - Google Books. Books.google.com. 1971-01-23. http://books.google.com/books?id=8ggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=petty+kwka&source=bl&ots=3H0ZnVgnCR&sig=DEDyDWO_ztV5Q_MeJyTlz6YE-Y0&hl=en&ei=EzDXS-qpOYSKNJWT2cwF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CBwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=petty%20kwka&f=false. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
5. ^ "O-S — University of North Texas Libraries". Library.unt.edu. 2008-07-24. http://www.library.unt.edu/resolveuid/4cc65566ba40054b35e4348f2eece755. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 

See also

• Buddy Holly discography

Persondata
Name	Petty, Norman
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1927-05-25
Place of birth
Date of death	1984-08-15
Place of death