Norman Connors was born March1, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennysylvannia. Connors took up drums and was writing his own music from the age of five.

After graduating from the Julliard School of Music he pursued a career as a sideman, working with Billy Paul, Jack McDuff, Archie Shepp, and Charles Earland. He moved to New York in 1971 and was immediately hired by Pharoah Sanders, touring the world with his band and appearing on five of his albums.

In 1972, he signed as a solo artist with the Buddah Records subsidiary Cobblestone, recording his first album, Dance Of Magic, that same year. After recording a follow-up, Dark Of Light, Cobblestone Records folded and Connors was switched to the main Buddah label.

After two albums (Love From The Sun and Slewfoot) had enhanced his reputation on the jazz fusion scene, he began to achieve major success on the R&B charts, owing to his championing the talents of vocalists such as Michael Henderson, Jean Carne and Phyllis Hyman. He collaborated with singer-songwriter Henderson on "Valentine Love" from Saturday Night Special, a Top 100 hit in January 1976 and then, later in the year, broke into the US Top 30 with the title track of You Are My Starship (incidentally, the boat used on the cover of this album belonged to the actor John Wayne).

Connors recorded five more albums for Buddah in a similar vein, showcasing the talents of Eleanor Mills, Prince Philip Mitchell, Glenn Jones, the Jones Girls and Beau Williams (and featuring Henry Fonda's aeroplane on the cover of Romantic Journey), although without breaking back into the pop charts. He also successfully developed a career as an outside producer, forming and guiding the Starship Orchestra and producing Aquarian Dream, Pharaoh Sanders, Al Johnson, Phyllis Hyman and Jean Carne.

In 1988, he signed as a solo artist with Capitol Records, releasing one album, Passion, and producing Angela Bofill for the label. Connors was then chosen to spearhead Motown Records' jazz launch, Mojazz, recording Remember Who You Are in 1993 and Easy Living in 1996. Connors launched his own Starship label with his first new album in four years, Eternity. .

Discography

• Dance of Magic (Cobblestone 1972)
  
• Dark of Light (Buddah 1973)
  
• Love from the Sun (Buddah 1974)
  
• Slewfoot (Buddah 1974)
  
• Saturday Night Special (Sequel 1975)
  
• You Are My Starship (Buddah 1976)
  
• Romantic Journey (Buddah 1977)
  
• This Is Your Life (Buddah 1978)
  
• Invitation (Buddah 1979)
  
• Take It To The Limit (Arista 1980)
  
• Mr C (Arista 1981)
  
• Passion (Capitol 1988)
  
• Remember Who You Are (Motown 1993)
  
• Easy Living (Motown 1996)
  
• Eternity (EMD/Right Stuff 2000)