This article was originally published on Madhouse Magazine. You can read the original article HERE
Singer Norman Greenbaum will perform his hit song “Spirit in the Sky” at your funeral for only $99. The one hit wonder from 1969 is one of the most requested songs at funerals so Greenbaum decided to make some money from it.
Greenbaum released “Spirit in the Sky” in 1969 and it became a huge hit all over the world. Norman was never able to recapture the lightning in a bottle and the song was his only hit. “Spirit” is considered by many to be the greatest one hit wonder of all time.
Norman Greenbaum
Greenbaum, who was raised Jewish, got the idea for the song when he was watching Porter Wagoner sing a gospel song on The Glen Campbell show. “I can do that” yelled Greenbaum. “So I got up and wrote the song in 15 minutes. I immediately went into the studio to lay it down. It was not working because I tried it as a jug band song and a folk song but it sounded lame as you can imagine. The producer had the idea for the fuzz guitar, psychedelic sound and gospel backup singers. He deserves all the money but he only got paid $500 for the session. I became a millionaire. Thanks buddy.”
Greenbaum added, “I was reading an article that my song is the second most requested song at funerals. The first is ‘I Used To Love Her But I Had to Kill Her’ by Guns n Roses. I knew I had to figure out way to capitalize on this. Then it came to me, hey I can just hire yself out to perform the song live at your funeral.”
Spirit in the Sky
Norman continued, “I have created an empire from this one song. I sold my publishing rights a long time ago but I get performer royalties every time the song is played. You hear that, I just made five grand. Bam, there it goes again, ten grand, Ch Ching. Remember when that band Dr & The Medics covered the song in the eighties. A bunch of snotty boys in lipstick made me another ten million.”
“So for $99 and $1 per mile I will come to your funeral and sing the song. What could be better than that? It almost makes dying worth it. The beauty is that since no one knows what I look like, once this really takes off, I can farm out singers all over the world to pretend to be me. Yeah I am a one hit wonder, but guess what? Most people are no hit wonders. See you on the other side buddy.”
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