(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Wake With a Song
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2016/06 - June | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography
Norma Jean Zahner, popular singer and guitarist on the Plateau, has been part of the local music scene for years.
When asked her origins she quotes her dad, “I wasn’t born here, but I got here as fast as I could.”
She was, she says, lucky.
“My parents, Bob and Glenda Zahner, never told me to be quiet,” she says. “I’ve been singing since I was a kid. I took up guitar around age 12, borrowing my brother Bob’s whenever I could. He taught me a few chords, gave me a Joan Baez songbook, and the rest is history.”
Other influences include Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Bonnie Raitt, and John Denver. While performing in the Florida Keys, Jimmy Buffett became a repertoire staple. “A Pirate Looks at 40” is a personal favorite.
Norma Jean’s solo act is in its fifth season at Main Street Inn, Saturday and Sunday lunch. You can also catch her at Table 64 on alternate Wednesdays. Jim Gordon often joins her for a mellow blend of folk, easy listening, and classic rock. Two guitars, two voices, and percussion crank up the crowd at Cork and Barrel Lounge and Wildcat Country Club. Together they are Jimandi, and you can also enjoy them Sunday afternoons at Bucks in Cashiers and Thursday’s at Satulah Mountain Brewing in Highlands.
Norma Jean says, “Music is my life. I usually wake up with a song in my head.” In addition to music, her loves are art, flowers, her crazy cat, and her family.
“So happy that I can enjoy all these things in the mountains I call home,” she says.
One of the most rewarding parts of her career is connecting with a listener.
“It’s a powerful experience,” she says. “When I touch someone’s memories, I can see it in their eyes. It reaffirms that I am doing what I love and people love hearing it.”
Jimandi is available for weddings, parties, and gatherings. Contact Jimandi for public and private parties at [email protected], phone (828) 526-1617;
or fb: jimandi.
