“From Florida Southern College to London to Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Elton John & Mick Jagger”: An Evening of Songs, Stories & “Up Close” Rock & Roll Photographs”
Place: Branscomb Auditorium, Florida Southern Campus
Date and Time: Thursday, February 16th, 7:00 PM.
2022-23 FLORIDA LECTURE SERIES Rick Norcross
FORMER FSC STUDENT BRINGS SNAPSHOT OF MUSIC HISTORY IN RETURN TO CAMPUS FOR FLORIDA LECTURE SERIES
Nearly 60 years ago, Rick Norcross was a Florida Southern College student. Now, Norcross is bringing his recollections of his time interviewing and photographing some of the world’s biggest music stars as a part of the Florida Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on Feb. 16 at Branscomb Auditorium.
Norcross’ presentation, titled “From Florida Southern College to London to Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, And Elton John & Mick Jagger”: An Evening of Songs, Stories & “Up Close” Rock & Roll Photographs,” highlights his storied career as a music journalist and photographer. In Norcross’ time working for The Tampa Times during The Golden Age of Music (1969-74) he interviewed and photographed stars like Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, Leon Russell, Merle Haggard, Elton John, Eric Clapton, and famous groups like the Byrds and The Rolling Stones. With front row, on-stage and back stage access to these artists, he documented the spirit and the unbridled energy of rock and roll stars caught at the peak of their careers, many of whom have long since passed away and many who are still rocking, buoyed by the quality of these seminal performances.
“We are delighted to welcome Rick Norcross for an evening of his own music and reminiscences of some of the great musicians of the 1960s and 1970s,” said Dr. James Denham, executive director of the Lawton Chiles Center for Florida History. “His multitude of experiences will make for an exciting and entertaining night of music and stories.”
Norcross’ musical journey began at Florida Southern College after he arrived in Lakeland as a freshman from East Hardwick, Vt. Norcross won the “Hootenanny Contest” at the Polk Theater in Downtown Lakeland, and a year later opened a Greenwich Village-style coffee shop (The Other Room) near the FSC campus. Norcross spent time playing music in the folk clubs of England in 1965 and returned to Florida to pursue a degree in journalism from the University of South Florida where he started his career as a rock journalist. Since 1974, Norcross has been playing music professionally, working out of Burlington, Vt., with his award-winning western swing band Rick & The All-Star Ramblers. As a touring musician for 58 years, with 12 albums under his belt, Norcross’ stories of rock and the road are sure to strike a chord with the audience.
The Lawton M. Chiles, Jr., Florida Lecture Series is a forum that brings speakers to the Florida Southern College campus to explore Florida life and culture through a wide range of disciplines, including history, public affairs, law, sociology, criminology, anthropology, literature, and art. The overall objective of the series is to bring members of the community, the faculty, and the student body together to interact with and learn from leading scholars in their fields.
For more information contact: The Lawton Chiles Center for Florida History at 863-680-3001