norman was born in augusta, georgia, to silas norman, an insurance salesman, and janie king-norman, a schoolteacher. she was one of five children in a family of amateur musicians; her mother and grandmother were both pianists, and her father sang in a local choir. norman's mother insisted that she start piano lessons at an early age. norman attended charles t. walker elementary school, and proved to be a talented singer as a young child, singing gospel songs at mount calvary baptist church at the age of four. there she was greatly influenced by the singing of two women, mrs. golden and sister childs. at the age of seven she entered her first vocal competition, placing third only because of a memory slip in the second stanza of the hymn "god will take care of you". she later said in interviews, "i guess he has taken care of me. that was my last memory slip in public."