April 5, 2024
Growing up in Vancouver, I saw a lot of local bands, and there was no one cooler to me than Rocket Norton. He was the ultimate rock star. From The Seeds Of Time, which morphed into the Rocket Norton Band, then with Prism, Rocket’s onstage presence was huge. He played with an intense focus, a killer shuffle, and perfect parts for whatever band he was with at the time.
When Rocket left the reformed Prism back in the early ’90s, I got the call and spent a few years having a ball playing his iconic parts.
I was always a fan, but I got to know a whole other side of Rocket after he was diagnosed with cancer. His reaction to the terminal diagnosis was to get busy, undertaking the mammoth task of pulling together almost a dozen legendary bands for a memorable cancer benefit concert. Then he did it again last year, raising over $750,000 for BC Cancer Foundation.
I was honoured when he told me his plan – the two of us splitting drumming duties, playing with the majority of bands on the bill. We shared the load, and it was fantastic. For all of that, an absolute highlight for me was when the two of us played together with Chilliwack on “Crazy Talk,” creating a massive rhythm. This shot is from right after that song.
My wife Karen and I spent last Saturday night with Rocket and his wife Bee. We knew his time was short, but it’s still hard to accept. He got a couple of extra years, and look what he did with his remaining time. He was already my hero, but more so now than ever. So proud to have called him a friend.
Love you, Rocket.