When Larry Norman passed away in February of 2008, an incredible assortment of unsubstantiated rumors about him began darting around the dark corners of the Internet, propelled in large part by a Canadian journalist, David Di Sabatino.

Various Christian publications began citing Di Sabatino’s accusatory articles on the life of Larry Norman, nearly always without any attempt to contact the Norman family or any of Norman’s well known friends to verify the veracity of these accusations. The film Fallen Angel has recorded these imprecations aimed at Larry Norman. Below is a review I wrote upon seeing the film.

A Venue of Vultures

My initial response to David Di Sabatino’s film Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman – A Bible Story

I saw the premiere of Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman – A Bible Story by David Di Sabatino at the San Jose film festival on March 1, 2009. I was appalled. Larry Norman had passed away only the year before (February 24th 2008) and here was a movie with a diabolic angle — destroy the legacy of Larry Norman. Equally appalling was the handful of Christians who had appeared in the film showing up in person to support the film and to continue their attacks on Larry Norman.

God Have Mercy

Even if all the accusations about Larry Norman were true, which they are not, one would expect these Christians, who claim to have experienced the forgiveness for their sins through the sacrificial death of Jesus, would have, after 3 or 4 decades, forgiven their brother in Christ, so recently buried. You would not expect followers of Jesus to gather around to peck at the reputation of their brother in Christ for sins they believe he had committed so long ago.

Where were the thoughts of compassion toward the grieving family? Where was the love for their brother in Christ who had so recently passed and was therefore unable to respond? What type of people participate in this sort of postmortem character assassination?

What species of Christianity is this?

As I watched the character assassination of Larry Norman, it began to sound familiar somehow. Who else did I know who had also been accused of being delusional, crazy, and labeled a “Fallen Angel” and an “Outlaw”? And what would happen if I applied David Di Sabatino’s documentary method in telling His story? Click here for the answer.

A Word to the Loved Ones of the People Involved with Fallen Angel

Before I go any further in this exposé let me say a word to the families and friends and fans of the people exposed here. Because of you, the innocent bystander, I have done my best to soften the blows. I have, whenever possible, excluded documentation of drug use, larceny, and infidelity among the Christian celebrities and participants involved with Fallen Angel. However in some cases this was unavoidable when refuting the accusations made against Larry Norman. Also I am limiting myself for the most part to only those people in the film who showed up in person at the premiere in support of Fallen Angel. All of you please forgive your loved ones in advance.

A Word for Daniel Robinson

Daniel Robinson is also a victim of Fallen Angel. Because of his family’s continued threats of legal action I have been advised by council not to address Daniel’s concerns or the stories he has been told by those involved with Fallen Angel at this time. I can only guess how disturbing and disheartening all this must be for him.

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Admirably, the family of Larry Norman declined, for the most part, to address or respond to the filmed and published diatribes. Also they are still mourning the loss of their loved one. The Norman family is inclined to turn the other cheek here.

I had been writing Larry Norman’s biography, and I was given carte blanche access to Larry’s unbelievably extensive archives of letters, emails, photographs, contracts, agreements, correspondence, and cassette recordings of business meetings dating back to the 1960s. What I uncovered disproved many of the claims of Larry’s past associates, “friends” and acquaintances.

I had a chance a year ago to interview the director and a couple of the “actors” in the theater lobby after the “first premiere” screening. I raised several concerns and questions about the veracity of the film, mentioning to them that I personally knew the Normans and that the film seemed to be at odds with everything I was familiar with in my dealings with Larry. “What evidence do you have for all the accusations made against Larry Norman in Fallen Angel?”, I asked. I was not the only one there asking these tough questions about the film (I seemed to be the only one there with a microphone however). No supporting evidence was offered by any of the people featured in Fallen Angel. Nearly everything was anecdotal.

I am writing Larry Norman’s biography, and I have been given carte blanche access to Larry’s unbelievably extensive archives of letters, emails, photographs, contracts, agreements, correspondence, and cassette recordings of business meetings dating back to the 1960s. To date I have only scratched the surface of these multitudinous documents, but what I have uncovered so far inarguably disproves many of the claims of Larry’s past associates, “friends” and acquaintances. So in these pages I will defend Larry Norman with substantial evidence against Fallen Angel’s unsubstantiated accusations.

Why?

Why would these people who call themselves Christians go to such lengths to attack their brother in Christ? Who but God knows what moves the hearts of men. So the following is what I have found that might be what fuels the unquenchable fires that burn in the hearts of Larry Norman’s accusers.

Let the readers be the judge.

– A. Flemming – January 2010