HISTORY
Lance Norris started his career as an entertainer in his teens guessing people’s age and weight on the midway at Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts. When Norris started giving chilling accurate cold readings to passers by, the amusement park owner, Chester Albright, accused him of practicing Kabala (long before Madonna made it socially acceptable) and he was summarily fired.
Having already developed his skills in subliminal persuasion, Norris next began working as a solo Three Card Monte dealer at Park Street Station in Boston, at a time when Three Card Monte gangs were running ramped in the Public Gardens. Norris’ game was unique because he did not rely on helpers to hustle the card players. He would dupe suckers out of their money with pure skill and guile. Of course, it was still illegal and Norris soon left the streets of Boston for greener pastures.
He left for Washington State where he studied briefly with world-renowned peyote expert Ted Anderson. Then he kicked around the Caribbean for six months learning what he could about West African Voodun and Santaria. After touring extensively in the United States, using Denver, CO as his base of operations; Norris headed out to the People’s Republic of China where he was a lecturer at the Chengdu University of Science and Technology for one year and then he headed for Tibet, where he is believed to be the first Westerner to have preformed a mentalism show in Lhasa.
While in Tibet the Red Army slaughtered over 300 monks and the US Consulate advised all Westerners to head directly to Beijing for safety. However, Norris sensed that there was something wrong in the capital and headed, instead, for Hong Kong. While he was loading up on cheap silk suits and fake Rolexes, the rest of his traveling party ran head first into what has become known as the Tiananmen Square Protest, where another untold thousands were killed.
Norris is the author of over 30 books. He has appeared on the pages of Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine. On TV’s 20/20 program and as an actor he can be seen the major motion pictures MYSTIC RIVER, WITH HONORS, GLORY and many others. He was also The SWAT Team Leader on the Fox TV show AGAINST THE LAW and worked briefly as a stuntman until he shattered his leg in a fight scene gone wrong.
For many years Norris worked as head writer/voice talent for Charles Laquidara’s Big Mattress show on WBCN in Boston and co-hosted a morning show with comedian Steve Sweeney on sister station WZLX. It was here that Norris developed what has become known as Rock & Roll Mentalism. A form he still practices at the occasional corporate show or one-night stand today.
NAME DROPPING
Lance Norris has worked for and with: Clint Eastwood, Jackie Chan, Sean Penn, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Tim Robbins, Jimmy Buffett, Joe Pesci, Brandon Fraser, The Monkees, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Sting, The Dave Mathews Band, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Santana, U2, Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, Elvis Costello, Elton John, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Eagles, John Cougar Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks, REM, Simply Red, The Kinks, Jeff Beck, Sam Kineson, Louie Anderson, Willie Nelson, Procol Harum, AC/DC, The Who, Metalica, Def Leppard, The Fools, The Stools, Van Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, Dave Edmunds, Delbert McClinton, Heart, Rush, John Hiatt, Bad Brains, Tom Petty &; the Heartbreakers, Edgar Winter Group, T Bone Burnett, Paul Simon, The Steve Miller Band, The Beach Boys, Mark Knopfler, The Neville Brothers, Billy Joel, Bryan Ferry, Todd Rundgren, The Pretenders, The Grateful Dead, John Fogerty, Robert Palmer, Three Dog Night, Bob Seger, Peter Gabriel, Bow Wow Wow, BB King, Little Feat, Stevie Wonder, Billy Bragg, .38 Special, Alabama, Fleetwood Mac, The Alarm, Joan Baez, The Beat Farmers, Tiny Tim, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orch., REO Speedwagon, Scorpions, Yes, Billy Preston, Bob Weir, The Stray Cats, Big Country, Elvin Bishop, Mitch Ryder, Earth, Wind and Fire, Level 42, The Police, Black Flag, Warren Zevon, Charles Laquidara, Black Sabbath, Plasmatics, UB40, Levon Helm, The Meters, Nick Lowe, ZZ Top, Lyle Lovett, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, George Benson, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Frampton, The Fixx, The Allman Brother Band, Deep Purple, King Crimson, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Leo Sayer, Gary US Bonds, Boston, RTZ, Cyndi Lauper, Plant &; Page, Julian Lennon, Yellow Jackets, Pat Metheny, Joe Cocker, Kraftwerk, National Lampoon, The Doobie Brothers, Blondie, The Motels, Sun Ra, Steve Winwood, Chicago, The B-52’s, Ian Anderson, Iggy Pop, Flock of Seagulls, Emmylou Harris, Little Richard, Public Image Ltd, Berlin, Inxs, Michael McDonald, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Kiss, Foghat, Krokus, The Bee Gees, The Knack, Whitesnake, Madness, Sea Level, Meatloaf, Crazy Horse, Pulp, The Guess Who, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, Judas Priest, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Genesis, Adrian Belew, Mr. Mister, Chick Corea, Jefferson Starship, Motley Crue, Roy Buchanan, Supertramp, Patti Smith, Billy Idol, The Animals, Steve Sweeney, Alan Parsons Project, Don Henley, Ted Nugent, Skid Row, Anthrax, The Chieftains, Dave Mason, Joan Armatrading, Peter Tosh, Laura Branigan, Livingston Taylor, NRBQ, Quiet Riot, Blue Oyster Cult, Waylon Jennings, Tears For Fears, Michael Bolton, Men at Work, Tony V., Tina Turner, David and David, Dead or Alive, Sha Na Na, Aswad, Patty Ross, BTO, Rick Danko, Southside Johnny &; the Asbury Jukes, Hot Tuna, Steve Perry, Bruce Cockburn, Eddie Money, Boz Scaggs, War, Joe Zawinui, Golden Earring, Be Bop Delux, Eurythmics, Lita Ford, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Steppenwolf, Quarter Flash, Depech Mode, Jeffery Osborne, Lionel Richie,
Tower of Power, Rita Marley, Chuck Berry, Kenny Rogerson, Mike Donovan, The Blasters, Carla Bley, Burning Spear, The Tubes, Kenny Rogers, Gary Numan, Cheap Trick, Judy Collins, Sammy Hagar, Weather Report, Motorhead, Romeo Void, Joey Carol, Joe Yanetti, Marshall Crenshaw, Peter Schilling, Kansas, Europe, C,S,N&;Y. The Cult, Prince, Frank Santorelli, Bob Niles, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rod Stewart, Taj Mahal, Kevin Knox, DJ Hazard, The Fall, WASP, The Culture Club, Charlie Daniels, John David, Paul Nardizzi, The Split Enz, Marshall Tucker, Chance Langdon, Chuck Mangione, Rick Derringer, Neil Diamond, The Roches, The Dixie Dregs, Roxy, Hanoi Rocks, The Outlaws, Ian Dury, Kid Creole &; The Coconuts, Jonathan Edwards, Greg Lake, Room Full of Blues, Robbie Prince, Brian Eno, Steve Hackett, KC and the Sunshine Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, Simon Townshend, Jim Lauletta, Bob Lazarus, Huey Lewis and the News, Teddy Bergeron, The Manhattan Transfer, Oingo Bongo, Robert Ellis Orrall, The Righteous Brothers, Smokey Robinson, Spyro Gyro, Pat Travers, Joe Walsh and Frank Zappa!
