Michael Scott Valens, otherwise known as Norman… The Surfing Rocker from down in Orange County, California… Norman is the youngest son of three children, born to Fredrick and Margaret Valens… At an early age, he was driven by his two passions in life, Music and Surfing… Growning up the Baby of two older brothers, Norman was heavily influenced on both loves… He was taught to surf at the age of 8 years old by his older brothers… This is where he first recognized the spiritual side of his life… The way the waves seemed to transcend everyday life and bring upon soulful healing that would be stay with him his entire life…
There was even a time where he contemplated taking up Surfing as a profession, but he soon realized his true calling in life… The true gift that was bestowed upon him… You see, Norman was one of those guys who made everything he did seem effortless… What ever put his mind to, he was successful… Whether it was surfing, playing guitar, shooting pool, golf, or riding motorcycles, Norman was excellent… Most of his early days were listening to bands that would completely mold his tastes and style as an adult… The likes of Hendrix, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and his all time favorite, The Stones, played a major role in his musical development as a player, writer, and producer…
Norman began his musical career playing lead guitar for a successful southern Californian rock band, Undertow… This was the 1st project where young Norman could express his frustrations in a healthy manner… Without getting in trouble at school or with the Law… He would have many a confrontation with authorities as a youngster… An outsider looking through the hazy stained glass that supported the lives of most kids his age… Norman was different… He was a surfer, a rocker, and a rebel… This lifestyle appealed to him in ways that seemed to frighten the normal school kids… But he thrived…
“Listen Bra, All I need is a cool breeze, narly surf, a guitar in one hand, and my lady in the other. What else is there in Life?”
At the age of 19, Norman began to really come into his own as player and writer… Undertow was becoming unsatisfying to him, so he began searching for other outlets to pursue… One of his best friends from childhood, Daniel “Deek” Smalls, suggested he help out some friends on their demo… This was considered an honor for him, and helped establish his musical reputation amongst the local scene…
So he took on his 1st producing gig… The band he produced was a local garage band by the name of The Fine Tunes… These guys were not exactly making fine tunes, but with the brilliant ear of Norman on their side, the boys put out a nicely produced EP… About this time, the advent of Pro Tools was hitting the local studios and bringing with it a buzz of excitement… And Norman was all over it… The ability to fix something on a whim was magic…
Norman soon became a regular at one the local studio, Limelight Studios, as a producer and a player… Getting called in for sessions to produce and play guitar, as well as Bass, were becoming more and more frequent… Ironically, it was the Bass that landed him his 1st real studio gig in LA… He was hired to play Bass for a young red-headed singer by the name Dirk Chasen… A pretty boy with an amazing, soulful voice that seemed to suck in his audience with his classy, yet ballsy antics… This kid had all the right tools, the look, the sound, and a stage persona of a seasoned performer… So began a fruitful relationship that would last many years…
The producer that was in charge of the session, Don “Smiley” Jones, was so impressed with Norman's ear and ability, that he became his #1 guy… Working on sessions as a bassist, guitarist, and eventually producer… His 1st producing gig was working with an R&B act by the name of, Windfall… And it was during these 1st sessions that Norman would hone his writing skills… Out of the 10 songs that was on the album, he had 7 songwriting credits… This is where he knew he belonged… Finally, his art that he’d worked his whole life developing, was paying off…
The checks began to roll in through the mail… This lifestyle seemed to suit Norman just fine… But his true passion was always the forefront of his ambitions… A rocker, through and through… So he established his own band and set out to perform his own material… But he never went far from his bread and butter… Working as a producer during the day, and jamming at night… Norman was completely satisfied with his life up to this point…
But soon there after, living in Orange County became a strain on Norman… He was traveling back and forth form OC to LA on a daily basis… And what he most desired was to run his own studio, but the opportunities in the OC were limited… So he packed up his bags and moved north on the 405, where he would open up his very own studio, The Cave in the Canyon Studios… A magical space up in Laurel Canyon that was completely surrounded by the Land of the Hidden Moonlight…
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