Jim Ed Norman
Senior Fellow
im Ed Norman’s career in the music industry spans the gamut from the creative to administration. He is the former president of Warner Brothers Records, Nashville, producer of acts such as Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers, Jennifer Warnes, Crystal Gayle, Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Lee, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Michael Martin Murphey. Norman’s work with Anne Murray yielded four Grammys and the Country Music Association’s Single and Album of the Year (“A Little Good News”). Jim Ed Norman began his career as a musician in a band with Don Henley, who later became a member of The Eagles. Norman moved to Los Angeles and worked as a session musician (he played piano on “Take It To the Limit” and “Lyin’ Eyes” by the Eagles) and as an orchestral arranger for The Eagles (“Desperado” and “Hotel California”), Linda Ronstadt, Kim Carnes, Bob Seger, America and others. In 1983 Norman joined Warner/Reprise as VP of A&R; the next year he became Executive VP and in 1989 was named President, a position he held until 2004. During his time at Warner Music, Norman formed a gospel label, Warner Alliance, and Warner Western for western-themed music. He signed non-country acts Take 6 and Beth Neilsen Chapman (and produced both) and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. As record company president, he oversaw the careers of Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and Faith Hill. He continued his work as an arranger, working with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. A prominent member of the Nashville music business community, Norman was founding president of Leadership Music, received Time/Warner’s Andrew Heiskell Community Service Award, the Anti-Defamation League’s Johnny Cash Americanism Award, Leadership Music’s Bridge Award and was founding President of the W.O. Smith School, which provides music lessons to low income students. He was the key figure in developing a music business program at the University of Hawaii through a partnership with the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University. In addition to his work as a Senior Fellow with The Curb Center, Jim Ed Norman remains active in the music industry, working with Curb Records on a variety of projects. In his work with The Curb Center, Norman brings his extensive background in both the creative and business sides of the commercial music industry, engaging Curb Scholars through seminars and discussions of the commercial application of Art and Culture.