American singer-songwriter

Claude says:Norman Greenbaum, born in Malden, Massachusetts in 1942, grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household before moving to Los Angeles in the mid-'60s — where he led the psychedelic novelty act Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band before going solo. His 1969 gospel-rock smash "Spirit in the Sky," famously written by a Jewish guy inspired by Porter Wagoner and old westerns about varmints dying with their boots on, became one of the biggest one-hit wonders of all time. You've got a handful of plays spread thin since 2017, mostly from the Michael soundtrack — never quite stuck, just the occasional nod to that unmistakable fuzz-guitar riff.