John Norum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| John Norum | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | February 23rd, 1964 Vardø, Norway |
| Genre(s) | Hard rock |
| Affiliation(s) | Europe Dokken |
| Years active | 1978 - Present |
| Official site | www.johnnorum.com |
John Norum (born John Terry Norum on February 23rd, 1964 in Vardø, Norway) is the guitarist in the Swedish hard rock band Europe. He formed the band together with vocalist and bass player Joey Tempest in 1979. They both grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. Norum played on the first three Europe albums before leaving in November 1986. He was not satisfied with the keyboard-dominated production of hit album The Final Countdown nor the band's commercialized image. He was replaced by Kee Marcello.
Norum released his first solo album, Total Control in 1987, and would release several studio and live albums throughout the years. In 1989 he moved to USA, to join Don Dokken's band and record the album Up From The Ashes, which was released in 1990. Norum's 1992 album Face the Truth, made with Glenn Hughes, featured a guest appearance from Joey Tempest on the duet "We Will Be Strong", a song which was only included on the European version of the album. Norum has also collaborated with his wife Michelle Meldrum-Norum and her bands, as guest guitarist on the 1994 album Built To Perform for the band Phantom Blue, and the 2001 album Loaded Mental Cannon for the band Meldrum. In 1995 Norum collaborated with Tempest on the song "Right to Respect", which was included on Tempest's first solo album, A Place to Call Home. Norum joined the band Dokken in 2001, both on the Long Way Home album and tour.
In 2003, Norum was back in a reunited Europe, recording their new album Start from the Dark the following year. Currently, he lives with his wife Michelle and their son Jake Thomas in Stockholm, and the family also spend some time in Los Angeles. On his 41st birthday, February 23rd, 2005, Norum released his latest studio album Optimus, where he handles both guitars and vocals. Optimus had a heavier and darker sound than previous recordings, and was well received by metal fans and the musical press. In 2006 he has been working on both the new Europe album Secret Society and a new solo album.
Norum's younger sister, Tone Norum was a popular pop singer in the 1980s and 90s. A close friend and rival of Norum's is fellow Swedish guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
[edit] Solo albums
- Total Control (1987)
- Live in Stockholm - EP (1990)
- Face the Truth (1992)
- Another Destination (1995)
- Worlds Away (1996)
- Face It Live '97 (1997)
- Slipped into Tomorrow (1999)
- Optimus (2005)
[edit] External links
| Europe | ||
| Members - Discography - DVDs |
|---|
