CHRIS NORMAN & BAND KONCERTS

The summer music festival in Biržai  with CHRIS NORMAN

Biržu district – a stop on the concert tour of the world-famous Chris Norman! On 2nd of July 2022 a live concert of the original SMOKIE’s voice - CHRIS NORMAN will take place in a breathtakingly beautiful area of the Biržu district – on the peninsula of the Kilučiai lake (Biržai county, Kilučiai village, Apaščios street) near the border of Lithuania and Latvia. The concert will start at 6pm.

The audience will be warmed-up by:

·        Lithuanian cult rock band REBELHEART

·        The rapper IRONVYTAS

·        The famous  Lithuanian DJ JOVANI (Jonas Nainys)

·        The participant of the “Lithuanian voice” IGORIS JARMOLENKA & the rapper JULIAN VERDEE

The concert will last for 6 hours.

The croaky, original voice of “Smokie”.

The music enthusiasts worldwide need no introduction for this famous singer. It was the unique hoarse voice of Chris Norman, which made the band change its name from “Kindness” to “Smokey”, following the suggestions of the band managers. The band members repeatedly explained that Chris’s hoarse voice had to do with “smoke”, but later still the band was renamed again and became “Smokie”.

Chris Norman (born Christopher Ward Norman) was born in an artist family in Yorkshire, UK. The rising star, whose taste in music was influenced by Elvis Presley, “The Beatles”, Bob Dylan, Little Richards and “The Rolling Stones”, was given his first guitar when he was only seven years old.

In 1962 Norman started at St. Bede's Grammar School, where he met Alan Silson and Terry Uttley, his fellow future members of Smokie.

There were many different names for the band - “The Yen”, “Essence”, “Long Side Down” and “The Elizabethans”. But the band achieved its true creative success only along with their destined name. In 1975 the long-awaited “Smokie” debut album “Pass It Around” came out – the famous producers and song-writers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman had worked on it too.

1978 was the golden age of “Smokie” – their album “The Montreaux Album” came out, they received the highest critical acclaim, and their single “Mexican Girl” became a superhit. At the same time, Chris Norman’s and Suzie Quatro’s duet “Stumblin’ in” made it into top 10 of the American Billboard. A year of incredible fame followed, and the band went on tours in every continent, gathering full stadiums of fans wherever they went.

And, even though Chris Normal left “Smokey” for good in 1986 and started his solo career, his discography is truly impressive: he’s had more than 50 singles and more than 30 albums (9 of them with “Smokie” and 25 – solo albums). More than 30 million records are sold worldwide, and the singer is still creating music and doing tours.

After successful Chris Norman and Suzie Quatro concerts, he collaborated with the composer, singer, and the creator of “Modern Talking”, “Blue System” and “CC Catch” project Dieter Bohlen. 

Norman reached his highest peak of the musical Mount Olympus in many countries with the song “Midnight Lady”. He started a duet with “CC Catch” named “Another Night in Nashville” in 2014.

For the last 23 years the musician lives in the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, is married to his wife Linda for more than 50 years, has five children (Brian, Paul, Michael, Steven, Susan) and four grandchildren. 

“My wedding day was the happiest day of my life,” Norman has said in several interviews, emphasizing the importance of his wife Linda in his life. In 2001 the singer’s family was devastated by the painful news of his son Brian’s death in a motorcycle accident. However, after recovering from the tragedy, Norman continued his successful career, and is still very welcome everywhere in the world – Bangkok, Munich, and Saint Petersburg, where he even celebrated his birthday.

All hits will be played

The singer is actively performing, and last year another solo album of his – “Just a Man” came out. Chris Norman is touring in various locations in the world, and he’s surprising his fans with his enviable energy.

“It’s humour and exercise that helps me stay energetic. Although sometimes I’d really love to be lazy, I push myself to go to the gym and exercise,” Chris admits with a smile. He will shortly start a tour in Germany and will perform in an exclusive concert in Lithuania this summer.

The Birža district will hear „Living Next Door to Alice”, „Midnight Lady”, „Needles and Pins”, „Mexican Girl”, „Oh Carol”, „I’ll Meet You at Midnight”, „Don’t Play Your Rock’n’Roll to Me” and other world-famous pieces by Chris Norman. 

The name of the famous singer is linked equally to lyrical and romantic songs as it is to energetic rock, which is why the concert in Biržu district will offer both rock’n’roll and lyrical experience. It will offer a journey through the performer’s life, stopping at the most memorable and beautiful of places. 

Kilučiai (Biržai county, Lithuania) will be another stop of the world-famous singer on 2nd of July 2022.