Who is the singer behind "Spirit in the Sky"?

How does a Jewish kid from Massachusetts sell millions of records singing about Jesus? Well, Norman Greenbaum had already tasted some success in Los Angeles with his psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band and their novelty song "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago." But by 1969, the band had split up and Greenbaum was going solo, trying to figure out his next move as a folk artist. One afternoon he was lounging around his apartment watching TV when Porter Wagoner's country variety show came on. Halfway through every episode, Wagoner would perform a gospel number, and something about that combination clicked for Greenbaum. He grabbed a pen and knocked out the lyrics to "Spirit in the Sky" in 15 minutes. He brought his basic folk demo to producer Erik Jacobsen, who completely reimagined it. He added gospel backup singers, a driving electric rhythm, and most importantly, a homemade fuzzbox that Greenbaum's lead guitarist had built in his garage. The distorted guitar sound was unlike anything on the radio. As he put it years later, "it's a heck of a hit" and probably the best Jesus song ever written by a Jewish kid.