Into Outer Space with the Legendary Stardust Cowboy
by Steve Jackson and Ryan O

Sticking to your guns.

Security guard by day, cosmic minstrel by night.

It figures that it would take a cowboy to show what sticking to your guns really means. In the case of Norman Odam, a.k.a The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, it means pursuing your dreams with little or no regard toward social or musical conventions.

When it comes to music, there is so much in the middle that there always needs to be a healthy fringe to shake things up. As dissonant as 'outsider' music can be, there is no doubting its originality and occasional brilliance. The alternative is commercial music, which for all its resources is rarely original or brilliant. The system of mainstream radio involves grafting elements of earlier successes on to newer works. Therefore, progress is slow and selection is narrow. But, thanks to those like The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, who has the fortitude and imagination to do something new and original, there is a chance to break free and experience an original moment. It's a chance to free minds.

Ironically, Norman Odam has been trying to make it onto mainstream radio since the 1960s. His plan was to develop his own unique persona and become famous. In a way, he succeeded. Nobody like him has come before or since. No one will likely be able to write music like him because his tunes defy the traditions of music (pitch, melody, meter). Trying to decipher what key "My Underwear Froze to the Clothesline" is in wouldn't be possible, because The Legendary Stardust Cowboy himself doesn't know. As his name suggests, "The Ledge" plays music that is otherworldly. Some people have come to think of his albums as the worst records ever, and they may have their case. Others, who cherish the triumphantly weird like Captain Beefheart, Syd Barrett, or The Shags, know what a treasure he is. One could say that The Ledge is West Texas's best jazz musician.

His story begins in Buddy Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, where Odam would listen to "anything but the radio." He loved Elvis, of course, and Tom Jones, and the Tijuana Brass. He taught himself to play the bugle and the guitar, eventually cultivating his persona. His act consisted of him in flamboyant cowboy digs shooting off guns, screaming like a banshee, and dancing his sexy cowboy moves. Early gigs involved Norman standing on top of his decorated car and serenading the kids at the local drive-in. Crowds would form around him, mainly for the purpose of heckling the strange outsider in the silly costume. Still, The Ledge was undaunted. He continued to perform, eventually landing a one-off recording session engineered by T-Bone Burnett. The session resulted in a single called "Paralyzed" which went on to be a modest novelty hit, landing him a spot on the U.S.'s most popular television program of 1968, Laugh-In. An offer to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show followed, but a Musician's Union strike ruined his chances and left him with a bar he's been trying to jump over ever since.

"I went to several music studios to make a record. I even tried to get on the Steve Allen Show, Joey Bishop Show, and Art Linkletter's House Party. I made friends with a lot of people and bought a buckskin coat." - The Legendary Stardust Cowboy on his first trip to California, 1969

Though the national spotlight has evaded him since appearing on Laugh-In, The Ledge has not exactly fallen into obscurity. In the 80's he released his first album, Rock-It To Stardom, and has continued to record for indie labels ever since. He still performs regularly in the San Francisco Bay area, and recently played shows in Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Chicago. Many consider him to be a founding father of the cowpunk and/or psychobilly genres, and he even counts Dead Kennedys bassist Klaus Flouride amongst his current backing band.

In 1997, at a show in Chicago, one of the members of The New Duncan Imperials (a punk/country band) introduced The Ledge as "a punk rock hero." It took a while to sink in, but it eventually rang true. Whereas he doesn't exactly play punk rock, he is just as daring and renegade as the Sex Pistols, Circle Jerks, etc. It's just that The Ledge is from Texas and he's been around a lot longer (before punk was punk). He does it a little differently, but one thing for sure is that when his music was considered "the new music," he probably scared parents just as much as The Ramones did in the 1970s.

The recent resurgence of The Ledge can be partially attributed to filmmaker Tony Philputt, who has made the telling of Norman's story a personal crusade. When Philputt was a 15 year old punk rocker, a friend had given him a copy of the "Paralyzed" single. He immediately decided it was "the greatest thing ever." "It was amazing to me that one person could make as much noise as all four members of the Velvet Underground put together," Philputt explains. As an adult, he began working on a documentary about The Ledge, which took several years to complete. Despite not being commercially available, the film, Cotton Pickin' Smash, has been passed around frequently in bootlegger circles. The word traveled far and quick, even reaching long-time admirer David Bowie. Bowie's viewing of the film led to him having a gush-fest over his favorite cult hero. In 2003, not only did Bowie cover "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" on the LP Heathen, but he also told The Ledge's story to anyone who would listen, going as far as to write articles for W and Mojo magazines.

Bowie displays the handmade jacket given to him by his mainman The Ledge. (photo ©2002 Tony Philputt)

Despite all this attention, one gathers that Norman Odam would still rather be on The Tonight Show. Perhaps with Conan O'Brien as the host, he'll finally have the chance.

Fame or no fame, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy remains an inspiration to those on the fringe. For anyone who dares to try something new, he is a kindred spirit guiding the way. When asked if he had any words of advice for young alternative artists, The Ledge said, "Just stay with it. Keep on doing your wild stuff. And you sooner or later will be in orbit like me."

Basically, after what Norman Odam has done, nobody has any excuses not to try their own weird thing. It doesn't matter if the audience isn't ready. One day maybe they will be. Besides, who needs the approval of the many to reaffirm what they do anyways? That's a fool's game. Stick to your guns.

"God is my partner and he is on my side. It looks like that I will be able to record Gospel records, be on Johnny Carson, have my first date, and later on be in the Western movies." - The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, 1969