My best thoughts to all of his friends and family.

I first heard of Norm like many here through Rick. Jeri posted Norm's heartfelt words about our mutual friend. Sorry he isn't here to do the same for Norm, but the following was a post from Rick's early days on Mudcat:

Subject: Norm Hacking . a great SingerSongmaker
From: Rick Fielding - PM
Date: 07 Jun 99 - 02:09 AM

Just thought I'd tell you about an absolutely magical evening in Toronto (last night). A concert was held in tribute to one of the really fine musical wordsmiths this country has ever produced. You probably have never heard of Norm Hacking because he is just...well, a shy self-effacing (really big) guy, who has plied his minstrel's trade almost exclusively in Toronto for thirty years. He wins his fans a dozen at a time by playing little clubs and bars, and he wouldn't know how to be strategically ambitious for all the tea in China. He's just continued to write beautifully crafted little stories for his following with VERY little in the way of serious remuneration. His life has always been made precarious by the poverty that haunts many fine artists, but in friends and admirers of songmaking quality, he is wealthy beyond his means.
The evening consisted of many of the top performers around singing Norm's songs and he was deeply touched, as were we who were lucky enough to be there.
Rick (proud to be a Hacking fan)


Spaw