‘Orange Is The New Black’ Actor’s Punk Rock Past
Orange Is the New Black character Silent Norma, played by Annie Golden, wasn’t always so silent.
It has recently been revealed that Annie Golden had a rocking past in the 1970s. If you’ve ever watched the drama series Orange Is the New Black, you would know of Silent Norma, the mute Litchfield inmate, played by Annie Golden. She’s barely uttered a word in three seasons of Orange Is the New Black, but fans have been surprised to find out that Annie Goldman used to be the frontwoman for the 1970s rock band The Shirts.
the band was named “The Shirts” and here’s a song from them http://t.co/WAbmczRdIh
— Will (@w_butz) June 18, 2015
Orange Is the New Black has a reputation for shocking its audience by revealing seemingly surprising backgrounds of their characters, and this revelation of Annie Golden’s real past seems to be something right out of the show. Annie Golden performed as the lead singer in the punk rock band in the mid 1970s.
I love all of the background stories in #OITNB. It makes the characters seem so much more real. I actually love them all.
— DGC (@DGCsays) June 30, 2015
As reported by Loudwire, The Shirts regularly performed at iconic venues like the now closed CBGB night club in New York during its golden years of the 1970s. Annie had an incredible voice, much to the surprise of Orange Is the New Black fans and she moved confidently around the stage.
Those who remember seeing The Shirts perform claim that Annie had a wonderful stage presence, enthralling the excited crowd with her amazing voice and powerful charisma. Her performance, with her hiked-up jeans and the band’s t-shirt was in high contrast to her attire in Orange Is the New Black and it is the stark contrast between the actor’s two personas that has excited fans the most.
The band played alongside other bands like the Ramones and Blondie at the CBGB, along with other venues. The band also tasted moderate success with their pop-rock song “Tell Me Your Plans”, for which Annie performed as the lead vocalist.
Fun fact: #OITNB‘s Silent Norma was in a badass punk band in the ’70s http://t.co/lsNHf5sktq pic.twitter.com/OBLZvow9V8 — ArtsMic (@ArtsMic) June 24, 2015
The YouTube video shows the band giving a 1979 live performance of “Teenage Crush.”
After Annie split from the band, she tried her hand at a solo career and one of her songs, “Hang Up The Phone,” was also featured in the Sixteen Candles soundtrack. Later, she took up acting and was on Broadway for stage productions like Hair, On The Town and also played the title role in the musical adaptation of Stephen King‘s celebrated novel Carrie, reported Mic.
Annie Golden has become an iconic figure for her performance in the Orange Is the New Black’s three seasons, and fans are enjoying learning more about the actor’s past, as well as the character’s.
[Photo: YouTube, Ethan Miller / Getty Images]
