Norma Jean will be playing the Grand Stafford Theater on Friday October 23. Hailing from Atlanta, the band has been busy touring heavily in recent months. This week alone, they will play shows in California and Arizona before heading to BCS. The group was originally founded in 1997 and the evolved from their original ensemble that was dubbed “Luti-Kruss.” The band used Marilyn Monroe’s real name for the name of the band, and the nomenclature took a special meaning when they found out that Norma means “patterns” and Jean means “God’s grace and mercy.” The combined meaning of the name is “Patterns of grace and mercy.”
Since their beginning, the band has released six studio albums, with their first album “Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child” dropping in 2002. Their next release “O God, the Aftermath,” went on to claim the top spot on the Top Christian albums chart, a release that would earn them a Grammy nomination in 2006. “Redeemer,” the band’s third album was released in 2007, and shortly thereafter, drummer Ross Robinson left the group. The next year, the group went on to play all tour dates for Vans Warped Tour.
In 2009, Norma Jean cut ties with their longtime record label Solid State and signed a new record deal with Razor & Tie. They went on to release their fifth album, “Meridonial,” in July 2010. This album showed a darker, heavier side to the band. After touring four a few more years, the band released a sixth album, “Wrongdoers,” in August 2013.
In May 2015, the band announced plans to release a seventh full-length album. In September of 2015, they re-signed with Solid State Records, who will be handling the release of their next album in 2016. They also released plans for the 10th Anniversary of “O God, the Aftermath” Tour.
In addition to their extensive studio work, the band has had incredible touring opportunities – including playing Ozzyfest in 2006 with Ozzy Osbourne, Avenged Sevenfold, and others. Norma Jean has headlined, opened, and changed members, but one thing has stayed consistent: the music. They have evolved and matured, but as a band, they have never forgotten their roots.
