Released in 1969, who wrote and performed the song "Spirit in the Sky"?

Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is primarily known for writing and performing his 1969 song "Spirit in the Sky". The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was released by Reprise Records in 1969. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.

Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.

Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder, he did had a record placed prominently in the charts called "Canned Ham" in 1970, which reached number 46 on the 'Billboard' pop chart.