Norman's Rockwell

Happy Birthday to the King of Pop! Billie Jean and I Want You Back rate among the greatest and most important musical moments in our pop cultural history. Time to celebrate the man who gifted us. Hard to believe that Michael Jackson, who's music is eternally youthful, is turning 50 today. It's another half-century for another one of my favorite artists. Prince hit 50 back in June. So today, I will be spinning Michael's greatest album on my iPod . That's right: Off The Wall . Over the years, people have come to realize that Thriller is Michael's Sgt. Pepper and OTW is his Revolver . I've spoken to many peers who agree that it is OTW that remains his creative high water mark. Not that Thriller is coasting, but OTW is simply more fun to listen and dance to. Plus, OTW was the first "soundtrack" for a road-trip for me, when my Dad, Nathan and I trekked to Pasadena for the Superbowl in a camper. And that was the 8-Track of Off The Wall , by the way.

Here are 15 favorite shots from last night's performance on the Universal Citywalk. Some repeat and new thanks are in order. Again, a big hand for the folks running the event (Heidi, Jeff, Silvana, Gene, Marcus; thank you). Also a shout out to Gilbert Cadena who also took some amazing pix posted to his myspace. Thanks to Lupe who runs the Norman Kelsey fan page on MySpace. All photos in this blog were taken by Patty. Brilliant work as usual. There are 49 pix on myspace from the show. These however are higher quality, suitable for printing. Featured are yours truly and my Merry Company (Larry, Bryan and Jennifer). I love y'all. Thanks for bringing your "A" game to the stage. You look mahvelous, too. Peace & Disco Beats

Wow. What a great show last night and a huge turnout on the Universal Citywalk. It began hot, hot, hot. But as the temps cooled, the stage heated up. Thanks to everyone who made the show happen last night. The folks on CityWalk and 102.7 KIIS-FM are to be applauded for putting on such a grooving event. Special thanks go to all the fans and all of the passersby on CityWalk who gave the band and me such great energy to put on a rollicking show. But the gang I really have to thank are my band: Larry & Bryan. You all have given so much to get the music across in an amazing way... More on that in a moment. This was one of the larger crowds I've ever played to. There were plenty of people in the courtyard where the stage was set up, and more in the balcony of the food court and the patio of the Hard Rock Cafe (where some folks could enjoy their adult beverages during the set). Our performance was beamed to the Astrovision above the stage, I've seen a few stills, so I got lots of

Like many of you, I'm following the Olympics. 3 channels of HD sports I wouldn't otherwise watch. Including gymnastics. But I'm right there with our team, cheering for all of them. Here's one that I'll be rooting for especially. Heard about Lopez Lomong ? He's one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan." As a youth he escaped a prison camp and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp for 10 years. Now he's an American citizen and running the 1500m. That's incredible, to coin a phrase. Check out Lopez's story on the official Olympic site. USA! USA!

Last night, we had the opportunity to visit Holman United Methodist Church in South Central to check out World Vision's exhibit "Step Into Africa." It was an incredibly moving experience. World Vision has authentically recreated the home lives of 4 children living in AIDS affected villages and towns in Africa. You walk through the exhibit and, with the help of an iPod , hear narration and the child's voice telling their story. My guide was Mathabo , an 11 year old girl from Lesotho. The display is interactive, with sets, props and lots of photographs of the kids. By the time I got through Mathabo's story, I was in tears. It's alternately heartbreaking and inspiring. One set is a small chapel and inside were dozens of pictures of the children that World Vision is reaching out to in their mission. All of them were angelic. Of course, I had to choose one to sponsor. His name is Stewart. He is 7 and lives in Uganda. His birthday is the day after mine, it was the

Check out this Oscar nominated short I Met The Walrus . It's the voices young interviewer and Beatle John in Toronto during the famous bed-in melded with some outta sight animation. Be sure to "watch in higher quality." (Thanks for the link, Bry) What have I been listening to lately? Last night, I picked up a copy of the new CD by Blind Boys of Alabama Down in New Orleans . A fantastic gospel record made in the Big Easy with the help of Allen Toussaint and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. My dad took me to see the PHJB in Louisiana back in '81. Mom took me to see them around the same time in my hometown of Columbus at the time. I've always loved their performances and they are the perfect complement to the Blind Boys harmonies. The Blind Boys last few albums were actually a bit too adventurous at times. This one's that good old-time religion. Down By The Riverside is a favorite and the cd's finale I'll Fly Away is rousing. Oh, for you, hip to the

Here are some choice snapshots from my performance at Fais Do-Do on 8.8.08. All taken by Patty Tokahuta. See more pictures from the show at Myspace . Peace & New Wave Beats

Sad news in the music world, Isaac Hayes passed this afternoon. Most younger people know him as the voice of Chef on the infamous cartoon South Park . But he was an Oscar and Grammy winning performer who brought us the Theme From "Shaft" and a song I perform with some regularity, Hold On, I'm Comin ' . Many folks don't know that he and his songwriting partner Dave Porter were responsible for many hits on Stax records in the '60s, including Soul Man and I Thank You for Sam & Dave. This was a seriously talented dude, who was also an inductee in the Rock Hall. Mr. Hayes was only 65. Today was an exciting day for me. This morning, I was invited to perform the lectern duties (including the invocation and offertory) at church. It was kind of nerve-wracking, but thankfully, God got me through it with minimal missteps. It's wonderful and humbling to be involved and to serve that way. I hope that I'll be blessed with the opportunity again. Anyway, I ho

It was a wild night down at the Fais Do-Do. My first show in L.A. proper. My first solo performance in L.A. or the States, for that matter. And it was fantastic from my point of view. Thanks to everyone who made the trip on a Friday night with high gas prices and a cover at the door. Sunshine funk makes good counter-programming for those who can wait to see the Olympics on their DVR. Ha ha. A special thanks to everyone who bought my CD at the show. Hope you are bopping to it now. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces (Jen Tafolla , Paul Brown, Amee Brown) and some I hadn't seen in a year (Gabe Gianola , Lisa Golden, Bart Gold, TV's Star Hansen). Decades almost in some cases (Craig Hall). Many of you brought new people to see the show. You rock. Like Homecoming, this year's International Pop Overthrow was chock full of friends: the Piper Downs played last night; Lisa Mychols from Nushu was in the house; Theresa Cowles , who sang on my album, was representing the Ch

Hey all, it's almost time for my American solo debut. The show is at Cafe Fais Do-Do in Los Angeles (W. Adams & La Brea). The set is presented by International Pop Overthrow. Fans aged 18 and up are welcome to attend. Since this is also my CD premiere party, the first 30 fans who buy my CD will receive a FREE A TALENT FOR LOVING poster! Hope to see you there. It's gonna be a beautiful night!