| Butch Norton | |
|---|---|
Butch drumming with Eels in 2000 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Norton |
| Also known as | Butch |
| Born | March 21, 1958 Inglewood, California |
| Origin | U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupations | Drummer, percussionist, record producer |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion, vocals, bird calls |
| Labels | Dreamworks |
| Associated acts | Eels, MC Honky, Lucinda Williams, Tracy Chapman |
| Website | www.butchnorton.com |
Butch Norton, (born March 21, 1958) is an American drummer, percussionist and vocalist. Best known for his work with the Los Angeles-based indie rock band Eels between 1996 and 2003. Since his departure from the group, he has gone on to work with notable musicians like Fiona Apple, Tracy Chapman, Lisa Germano, Aimee Mann, Michael Miller, Michael Penn, Rufus Wainwright, and Lucinda Williams.
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Born Jonathan Norton, he was raised in the San Francisco Bay area, and began studying the drums at a very young age. Classically trained by renowned San Francisco symphony percussionist, Anthony Cirone, Butch began performing in nightclubs at the age of 17.
In 1980 he relocated to Southern California to study with master percussionist, John Bergamo at California Institute of the Arts. His focus was World Music and percussion. Butch composed and performed with Lorretta Livingston and Dancers for the “Music Center on Tour” educational outreach program, and started a long affiliation with Bella Lewitsky. He was a founding member of the world percussion trio, Sugba Sugba, facilitating healing rituals through rhythm and movement concerts on the West Coast. He appeared in the Mike Kelly/Steve Prina/Anita Pace production of Beat of the Traps which premiered in Vienna, Austria at the very first “Wiener Fest Wochen Art Festival”. Butch has performed with Native American Shaman and other musicians in the annual spring healing ritual on Mount Tamalpais in San Francisco, with Anna Halprin.[1]
In 1993, Butch met eels front man Mark Oliver Everett, better known as "E", and toured with him in support of his second solo album called "Broken Toy Shop" on Polygram records. The eels were officially founded when Butch and E met Tommy Walter. In 1996 the band released their debut album "Beautiful Freak", a melancholy pop record with tormented lyrics. The singles "Novocaine for the Soul", "Susan's House" and "Your Lucky Day in Hell" achieved modest national and international success, winning the Best International Breakthrough Act award at the 1998 BRIT Awards. Their first video, "Novocaine for the Soul", was directed by Mark Romanek and garnered several nominations for "Video of the Year".[2] Butch continued with E and the eels through four more albums.
Butch has been performing with Lucinda Williams as her permanent drummer in the studio, and on tour since 2007. In 2008, they went into the studio and recorded Lucinda’s ninth studio album “Little Honey”, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. Butch and the other band mates formed a side project called “Buick 6”, which recorded their own album with the same title. "Buick 6" opened for Lucinda on tour. In 2010, Lucinda and her band recorded, "Blessed", which is hitting stores and radios with critical acclaim. 2011 sees Lucinda and her band on the road promoting "Blessed".[3][4]
Butch recorded and toured with many other artists, including Lowen & Navarro,[5] fellow Dreamworks artist, Rufus Wainwright, and Tracy Chapman on the “Let It Rain” Tour,[6] among others.
Butch plays drums, percussion and sound effects on soundtracks for various films.[7]
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