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Burnette comes by his rockabilly roots quite naturally. He was born in
Memphis, the son of the legendary rockabilly musician Dorsey Burnette. The
infusion of jazz, gospel, and R&B sounds that informed both his father's music
and that of another native son, Elvis, made an indelible impression on the
budding young star, who was soon styling up his pompadour and hitting the road
with Brenda Lee for his first USO tour of Japan at just the age of 13. Five
years later, a seasoned performer at only 18 years of age, he recorded with
Columbia Records.
Nashville took notice of his talents and he recorded for MCA/Curb in the '80s.
He also found instant success as a songwriter with top performers recording his
material, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Faith Hill, Tammy Wynette, Ringo Starr, Ray
Charles an Roy Orbison.
Nominated for Best New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music, he further
defied categories when he became part of the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac
in the late '80s. He toured and recorded with the band for eight years. Several
years later Burnette got an invitation for the "thrill of a lifetime" - an
Australian tour with Bob Dylan. The reputation of his talent continues, as
Burnette continues along his singular emergent path.
"Most of the record is rockabilly...basically what I do live, and it was a really fun record to make. I met Norman Chesky for dinner one night with my good
friend Del Bryant and Evander Holyfield, and we started talking about doing a
record for Chesky. The music we picked really is kind of Memphis music - it just
kind of reeks of Memphis, even though we did it in Manhattan." - Billy Burnette
"Doing it live brings out a certain energy in you, because you know you're under
the gun and you have to get it right, then and there. It was pretty wild. I had
a lot of fun recording this record...it was a great experience, and it's
something I'm really proud of overall." - Billy Burnette, on recording this
album
Selections:
1. Memphis Blues
2. My Love Will Not Change
3. Everything is Broken
4. Oh Well
5. Big Hunk of Love
6. Faded Love
7. Get Back Home
8. It's Late
9. Tryin' To Get Away
10. Tear it Up
11. Bye Bye Love
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