Fred Norman (musician)

Fred Norman (October 5, 1910, Leesburg, Florida – February 19, 1993, New York City) was an American jazz composer, music arranger, trombonist, and singer.

After attending Howard University, he joined the band of Claude Hopkins in 1932. He toured with that group as both a trombonist and singer for much of the 1930s, notably recording his own composition "Church Street Sobbin’ Blues" as the trombone soloist with Hopkins's band in 1937 for Decca Records. He also appeared in short films with Hopkin's band during the 1930s. In 1938 he moved away from performance into work as a full-time music arranger. In the late 1930s and 1940s he wrote arrangements for Bunny Berigan, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Teddy Powell, Artie Shaw, Charlie Spivak, and Jack Teagarden.

In the 1950s he was the music director and an arranger for multiple records made by the singers Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. He continued to work as an arranger until his retirement in the 1970s.