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Johnny Burnette | |
|---|---|
 Burnette in 1964 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Joseph Burnette |
| Born | (1934-03-25)March 25, 1934 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1964(1964-08-14) (aged 30) Clear Lake, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Rockabilly,rock and roll |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1952–1964 |
| Labels | Capitol,Charly, Sahara,Liberty |
John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter ofrockabilly and pop music.[1] In 1952, Johnny, his brotherDorsey Burnette, and their mutual friendPaul Burlison, formed the band that became known asthe Rock and Roll Trio.[2] His career was cut short on August 14, 1964, when he drowned following a boat accident, aged 30.
He is the father of 1980s rockabilly singerRocky Burnette.
Johnny Burnette was born to Willie May and Dorsey Burnett Sr. inMemphis, Tennessee, United States.[2] (The "e" at the end of his name was added later.) Johnny grew up with his parents and Dorsey Jr. in a publichousing project in the Lauderdale Courts area of Memphis, which from 1948 until 1954 was also the home of Gladys and Vernon Presley and their son,Elvis.[citation needed]
Johnny attended Blessed Sacrament School, and after graduating from eighth grade he went toCatholic High School, in Memphis.[citation needed] He showed an aptitude for sports, being on the school baseball team and playing linebacker on the football team. Both he and Dorsey were also keen amateur boxers and later becameGolden Gloves champions.[1] After leaving high school, Burnette tried his hand at becoming a professional boxer, but after one fight with a sixty-dollar purse and a broken nose, he decided to quit boxing. He went to work onbarges traversing theMississippi River, where Dorsey also worked. Johnny worked mainly as a deck hand; Dorsey worked as an oiler. After work, they would go back to Memphis and perform songs in local bars with a varying array of sidemen, including another former Golden Gloves champion,Paul Burlison,[1] whom Dorsey had met at an amateur boxing tournament in Memphis in 1949.
In 1952, the Burnette brothers and Burlison formed a group called the Rhythm Rangers. Johnny sang and played acoustic guitar, Dorsey played bass and Paul Burlison played lead guitar. For economic reasons, the three moved to New York in 1956 and managed to get an audition forTed Mack'sOriginal Amateur Hour.[1] Winning the competition three times in a row gained them a place in the finals and a recording contract withCoral Records, and they renamed themselves theRock and Roll Trio. They also gained a manager, the bandleaderHenry Jerome, and a drummer, Tony Austin (a cousin ofCarl Perkins).[2]
Promotional appearances were arranged onDick Clark'sAmerican Bandstand,Steve Allen'sTonight Show andPerry Como'sKraft Music Hall, together with a summer tour withCarl Perkins andGene Vincent. On Sunday September 9, 1956, they appeared as finalists on theOriginal Amateur Hour atMadison Square Garden, singing "Hound Dog".[3] Despite this activity, the three singles this rock and roll trio had released over this period failed to reach any national hit parade. This might be due to a result of Elvis Presley who appeared on a CBS television program that was broadcast live from Los Angeles, CA at exactly the same time that this Burnette trio had performed on ABC televised "Original Amateur Hour" in New York. Furthermore, the CBS show that had broadcast Elvis in Los Angeles, had garnered an 82.6% share, or 60,710,000 viewers, whereas the ABC and NBC networks had garnered less than 5 million viewers each.[2]
In order to cover their living expenses, the Trio was forced to go on the road, for what seemed to be an endless stream of one-night stands.[citation needed] This exhausting regime led to squabbles, which were exacerbated in Dorsey's case by Jerome's use of the name Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio on records and live dates. Things finally came to a head at a gig inNiagara Falls in autumn 1956, when, as a result of a fight, Dorsey quit the group a week before they were to appear inAlan Freed's filmRock, Rock, Rock.[citation needed]
Johnny Black, the brother of Elvis's bassistBill Black, was rapidly recruited to fill Dorsey's place. Despite the film appearance and three more single releases and oneLP release, the group failed to achieve any chart success. The Rock and Roll Trio disbanded in autumn 1957.[2]
Now unemployed in Memphis, Burnette decided to try his luck in California. He and a friend, Joe Campbell, hitchhiked to the West Coast, where they joined Dorsey. With their past differences forgotten, the brothers attempted to resurrect the Rock and Roll Trio and sent for Paul Burlison. He joined them briefly but decided to return to Memphis and concentrate on his electrical business. Dorsey and Johnny continued with their songwriting, but Dorsey kept his day job as an electrician to pay the family expenses.[citation needed]
The Burnettes' brashness got them their first success in the music business in California. On arriving in Los Angeles, Joe Campbell bought a copy of "A Map to the Stars", which showed the location of the house of theteen idolRicky Nelson. In an effort to get their songs to him, the Burnettes and Campbell decided to sit on the steps of his house until they could get a meeting with him.[4] Their persistence worked, and Nelson was sufficiently impressed with their work that he eventually recorded several of their songs, including "Believe What You Say", "It's Late", "Waitin' in School", and "Just a Little Too Much", amongst others.[2] OtherImperial Records artists, such asRoy Brown, benefited from their songwriting. The success of his recording of the brothers' "Hip Shakin' Baby" led to a recording contract with Imperial Records as a duo. While in California, they metDoyle Holly, who played bass guitar for a short time with the band. Holly went on to become the bass player forBuck Owens and theBuckaroos and to record as a solo artist.
As the Burnette Brothers, they released one single, for Imperial, "Warm Love" backed with "My Honey" (Imperial X5509), on May 5, 1958. It did not make the charts.[1] After this failure, they continued to work together as songwriters but began to follow separate careers as performing artists.[2] In 1961, however, Johnny and Dorsey released two instrumental singles, credited to the Texans, for two small labels, Infinity and Gothic: "Green Grass of Texas" backed with "Bloody River" (Infinity INX-001), released on February 20, 1961, and "Rockin' Johnny Home" backed with "Ole Reb" (Gothic GOX-001), released on May 29, 1961. Another instrumental, "Lonely Island" backed with"Green Hills" (Liberty 55460), credited to the Shamrocks, was released byLiberty Records on June 6, 1962. "Green Grass of Texas" and "Bloody River" were to be re-released in February 1965 on the Vee Jay label (VJ 658), again credited to the Texans.
In the fall of 1958, Johnny Burnette obtained a recording contract as a solo artist withFreedom Records, an offshoot of Liberty Records. He released three singles on this label: "Kiss Me" backed with "I'm Restless" (44001), released on September 11, 1958; "Gumbo" backed with "Me and the Bear" (44011), released on March 6, 1959; and "Sweet Baby Doll" backed with "I'll Never Love Again" (44017), released on June 24, 1959. All of these songs except "Sweet Baby Doll" were written by Burnette. None of these records were hits.[1]
In mid-1959, the Freedom label was shut down, and Burnette moved to the parent Liberty label, under the direction of the producerSnuff Garrett. Liberty had better promotional capabilities than Freedom, so that Johnny's singles for Liberty stood a greater chance of succeeding. His first two singles for Liberty, "Settin' the Woods on Fire" backed with "Kentucky Waltz" (Liberty F-55222), released on November 10, 1959, and "Patrick Henry" backed with "Don't Do It" (Liberty F-55243), released on March 4, 1960, sold well regionally but were not national hits. However, his third single, "Dreamin'" backed with "Cincinnati Fireball" (Liberty F-55285), released on May 4, 1960, reached number 11 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 5 in Britain. It sold over one million copies and was awarded agold disc by theRIAA.[1]
His fourth Liberty single, "You're Sixteen" (written by theSherman Brothers) backed with "I Beg Your Pardon" (Liberty F-55285), released on October 5, 1960, did even better, reaching number 8 on the Hot 100 and number 3 in theUK Singles Chart,[2] and earned another gold record for him.[1] Burnette went back into the studio and underSnuff Garrett's direction recorded "Little Boy Sad".[2] This was released on January 3, 1961, backed with "(I Go) Down to the River" (Liberty F-55298). Shortly after its release, Burnette was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix, which kept him bedridden for several weeks. He was unable to undertake many personal appearances to promote the new record, and it reached only number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 in Britain. Frustrated by this prolonged inactivity he tried to return to work too early, and he promptly collapsed. This meant that his fifth Liberty single, "Big Big World" backed with "Ballad of the One Eyed Jacks" (Liberty F-55318), released on March 30, 1961, received no promotion at all and reached only number 58 on the Hot 100.
His sixth Liberty single, "I've Got a Lot of Things to Do" backed with "Girls" (Liberty F-55345), released June 14, 1961, was handled differently from his previous records. In Britain, the upbeat side, "Girls", was promoted as the topside and reached number 23 in the UK chart in September 1961. In the United States it was flipped over with "I've Got a Lot of Things to Do" as the topside, but despite heavy promotion it failed to become a hit, peaking just outside the Hot 100 at number 109.
After recovering from his illness, Burnette returned to the road with a tour of Northern cities, culminating in a season at theBrooklyn Paramount Theatre, after which he undertook a tour of Australia withConnie Francis. Back in the limelight, his next release was scheduled to be aCarl Perkins song, "Fools Like Me", backed with "Honestly I Do" (Liberty 55377), but this was canceled in favor of "God, Country and My Baby" backed with "Honestly I Do" (Liberty 55379), which was released on September 27, 1961.[2] It reached number 18 on the Hot 100, but was to be Burnette's last major American hit.
In 1962, Burnette toured Britain for the first time, withGary U.S. Bonds andGene McDaniels, where he made an appearance on theNew Musical Express Poll Winners' Concert and several TV appearances. His next single "Clown Shoes" backed with "The Way I Am" (Liberty 55416) was released on January 26, 1962, but it failed to make the US Hot 100. It was more successful in Britain, where it reached number 35. "Clown Shoes" was written byP. J. Proby.
Burnette had two more single releases on Liberty Records. These were "The Fool of the Year" backed with "The Poorest Boy in Town" (Liberty 55448), which was released on April 13, 1962, and "Damn the Defiant" backed with "Lonesome Waters" (Liberty 55489), which was released on July 30, 1962. Neither of these singles was a hit, but "Damn the Defiant", aJohnny Horton–style naval saga, was Burnette's first self-penned A-side for Liberty, It was also his last single for the label.
Burnette moved toChancellor Records, which had had success withteen idols likeFabian Forte andFrankie Avalon. Chancellor released three singles by Burnette in 1962: "I Wanna Thank Your Folks" backed with "The Giant" (Chancellor C-1116), "Tag Along" backed with "Party Girl" (Chancellor C-1123) and "Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)" backed with "Time Is Not Enough" (Chancellor C-1129). None of these singles were hits.
Burnette moved on from Chancellor, briefly joining Dorsey onReprise Records for one single, "Hey Sue" backed with "It Don't Take Much" (20153), before signing a one-year contract withCapitol Records in the summer of 1963. Johnny's first recording session was held on July 23, 1963, at theCapitol Tower with Jim Economides and Jimmie Haskell overseeing the proceedings. A number of tracks were recorded: "It Isn't There", "Wish It Were Saturday Night", "I'll Give You Three Guesses", "All Week Long" and "Congratulations, You've Hurt Me Again". Of these "It Isn't There" backed with "Wish It Were Saturday Night" (Capitol 5023) were issued on August 19, 1963, as his first American single. In Britain, the flipside was changed to "All Week Long", but neither single made the charts. On December 13, 1963, a second session was held, with the same two men in charge. Four more songs were recorded, of which "The Opposite" backed with "You Taught Me the Way to Love You" (Capitol 5114) was released as a single on January 20, 1964. Again it failed to find chart success. A third session was held on February 14, 1964, which produced four songs: "Aunt Marie", "Two Feet in Front of Me", "If I Were An Artist", and "And Her Name Is Scarlett". None of these songs were deemed fit for release and remained in the can for thirty years. A fourth session was held on March 16, 1964, which was overseen byDavid Gates, who later went on to fame with the bandBread. This session produced "Sweet Suzie, I Think She Knows" and "It All Depends on Linda", which was written byBobby Bare. Of these songs, "Sweet Suzie" backed with "Walkin' Talkin' Doll", which had been held back from the December 1963 session, were released as Capitol single (Capitol 5176) on April 5, 1964. This single also failed to make the charts.
When his Capitol contract ran out, Burnette decided to take charge of his own affairs on his own terms. He formed his own label Sahara and in July 1964 released the single "Fountain of Love" backed with "What a Summer Day" (Sahara 512). When he was informed that the name Sahara had already been taken, he renamed the label Magic Lamp and a different single, "Bigger Man" backed with "Less Than a Heartbeat" (Magic Lamp 515) was released.[2]
On August 14, 1964, Burnette's unlit fishing boat was struck by an unawarecabin cruiser inClear Lake, California. The impact threw him off the boat, and he drowned.[5] When he received the news, Dorsey Burnette called Paul Burlison, who flew out to comfort him and attend Johnny's funeral. The two men were to keep in touch until Dorsey's death of aheart attack in 1979. Johnny Burnette is interred atForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California.[6][7]
Burnette gained renewed prominence in 1973 thanks toRingo Starr's version of "You're Sixteen". In addition, Burnette's original song was recognized by theRockabilly Hall of Fame.[8] One of his songs, "Train Kept A-Rollin'" byTiny Bradshaw, would later be recorded bythe Yardbirds,Aerosmith andMotörhead. Early British rock and rollpower trio andproto punk garage bandJohnny Kidd and the Pirates andpsychobilly bandThe Meteors both covered "Lonesome Train."
The Cramps covered his song "Tear it Up",Poison Ivy heavily influenced by Burnette's raw guitar style andLux Interior borrowing Burnette's vocal approach, and fellowrockabilly bandTav Falco's Panther Burns did a cover of "You're Undecided", both songs from Burnette's first album and again, heavily indebted to Burnette quivering, emotional vocal delivery.
The Beatles, withJohn Lennon on vocal, performed "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes" at the BBC on July 10, 1963, for broadcast airing on July 23, 1963. During the airing Lennon introduced the song, originally recorded by Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio on July 3, 1956, and released in March 1957, joking, "This is a Dorsey Burnette number, brother of Johnny Burnette, called 'Lonesome Tears in My Eyes', recorded on their very first LP in 1822!" The song also influenced a later Beatles song, "The Ballad of John and Yoko" in that the outro guitar riff to that song was inspired by the corresponding intro guitar riff on "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes". This live in-studio recording of "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes" (including Lennon's spoken intro) was later included on the Beatles' 1994 two-CD set,Live at the BBC.
My brother Dorsey and I first got to know Elvis Presley when he went to Humes High and we went to the Catholic High... Elvis would tote his guitar on his back when he rode past on his motor-cycle on his way to school. He would see us and always wave.
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio | Coral Records |
| 1960 | Dreamin' | Liberty Records |
| 1961 | Johnny Burnette | |
| Sings | ||
| 1962 | Roses Are Red | |
| Johnny Burnette's Hits and Other Favorites |
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Complete Recordings 1955–1964 | Bear Family Records |
Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n' Roll Trio
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | B-side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | ||||
| 1956 | "Tear It Up" | – | – | Coral Records | "You're Undecided" |
The Johnny Burnette Trio
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | B-side | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | |||||
| 1956 | "Oh Baby Babe" | – | – | Coral Records | "Midnight Train" | |
| "The Train Kept a-Rollin'" | – | – | "Honey Hush" | Rock 'n Roll Trio | ||
| 1957 | "Lonesome Train (On a Lonesome Track)" | – | – | "I Just Found Out" | ||
Johnny Burnette
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | B-side | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | |||||
| 1955 | "You're Undecided" | – | – | Von Records | "Go Mule Go" | |
| 1957 | "Eager Beaver Baby" | – | – | Coral Records | "Touch Me" | |
| "Butterfingers" | – | – | "Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, Drinking Wine" | |||
| "Rock Billy Boogie" | – | – | "If You Want It Enough" | |||
| 1958 | "Kiss Me" | – | – | Freedom Records | "I'm Restless" | |
| 1959 | "Me and the Bear" | – | – | "Gumbo" | ||
| "I'll Never Love Again" | – | – | "Sweet Baby Doll" | |||
| "Settin' the Woods on Fire" | – | – | Liberty Records | "Kentucky Waltz" | Dreamin' | |
| 1960 | "Patrick Henry" | – | – | "Don't Do It" | ||
| "Dreamin'" | 11 | 5 | "Cincinnati Fireball" | Dreamin' | ||
| "You're Sixteen" | 8 | 3 | "I Beg Your Pardon" | Johnny Burnette | ||
| 1961 | "Little Boy Sad" | 17 | 12 | "(I Go) Down to the River" | Sings | |
| "Big Big World" | 58 | – | "Ballad of the One Eyed Jacks" | |||
| "Girls" | – | 37 | "I've Got a Lot of Things to Do" (#109 BB) | Roses Are Red | ||
| "Fools Like Me" | – | – | "Honestly I Do" | |||
| "God, Country and My Baby" | 18 | – | "Honestly I Do" | Johnny Burnette's Hits and Other Favorites | ||
| 1962 | "Clown Shoes" | 113 | 35 | "The Way I Am" | Roses Are Red | |
| "The Fool of the Year" | 113 | – | "The Poorest Boy in Town" | |||
| "I Wanna Thank Your Folks" | 117 | – | Chancellor Records | "The Giant" | ||
| "Damn the Defiant" | – | – | Liberty Records | "Lonesome Waters" | ||
| "Tag-Along" | – | – | Chancellor Records | "Party Girl" | ||
| "(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You" | – | – | "Time is Not Enough" | |||
| 1963 | "It Isn't There" | – | – | Capitol Records | "(Wish It Were Saturday Night) All Week Long" | |
| 1964 | "You Taught Me the Way to Love You" | – | – | "The Opposite" | ||
| "Sweet Suzie" | – | – | "Walkin', Talkin' Doll" | |||
| "What a Summer Day" | – | – | Sahara Records | "Fountain of Love" | ||
| "Bigger Man" | – | – | Magic Lamp Records | "Less Than a Heartbeat" | ||
