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James Burton
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James Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Minden, Louisiana) is an American guitarist.
A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Critic Mark Demming writes that "Burton has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest guitar pickers in either country or rock ... [Burton is] one of the best guitar players to ever touch a fretboard"
Since the 1950s, Burton has recorded and performed with an array of notable singers, including Bob Luman, Dale Hawkins, Rick Nelson, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, John Denver, Gram Parsons, Jerry Lee Lewis, Claude King, Elvis Costello, Joe Osborn, Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, and Allen "Puddler" Harris.
in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, Louisiana, Burton moved to Shreveport with his family in 1949.
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Encyclopedia
James Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Minden, Louisiana) is an American guitarist.
A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Critic Mark Demming writes that "Burton has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest guitar pickers in either country or rock ... [Burton is] one of the best guitar players to ever touch a fretboard"
Since the 1950s, Burton has recorded and performed with an array of notable singers, including Bob Luman, Dale Hawkins, Rick Nelson, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, John Denver, Gram Parsons, Jerry Lee Lewis, Claude King, Elvis Costello, Joe Osborn, Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, and Allen "Puddler" Harris.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, Louisiana, Burton moved to Shreveport with his family in 1949. He is self-taught, and was playing guitar from his childhood.
By the time he was thirteen years old, Burton was playing guitar semi-professionally. A year later he was hired to be part of the staff band for the enormously popular Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport. Burton left Shreveport for Los Angeles while in his teens after joining Ricky Nelson's band. In L.A., he made numerous recordings as a session musician. Burton moved back to Shreveport permanently in 1990.
Burton created and played the guitar solo on Dale Hawkins 1957 hit song "Susie Q," a record that would become one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
With Rick Nelson
Burton played lead guitar on all of Rick Nelson's recordings between 1958 and 1967. In 1965 he started working on the television program Shindig! and eventually left Nelson's band two years later. The television exposure led to continuous recording session work with a huge variety of artists, mostly as an unattributed sideman. Due to the volume of work, Burton turned down an offer to join Bob Dylan's first touring band, and another offer to play on Elvis Presley's 1968 comeback TV special Elvis.
With Elvis Presley
In 1969, Presley again asked Burton to join his show in Las Vegas, and this time Burton agreed. He joined the TCB Band and backed Presley from 1969 until Presley's death in 1977 without missing even a single show. A hallmark of Elvis' live shows in this period was his exhortation, "Play it, James," as a cue for the guitarist's solos.
Since 1998, Burton has played lead guitar in Elvis: The Concert which reunited some of Elvis' former TCB bandmates, background singers and Elvis' orchestral conductor (mostly from the "concert years" 1969-1977) live on stage with a state of the art video-projected Elvis.
With John Denver
During 1975 and 1976, while still touring with Presley, Burton also recorded and toured with Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band. Just before Presley died in 1977, Burton was called to play on a John Denver television special. During the taping, Denver asked if Burton would consider going on a European tour. Burton said he was working with Elvis, but if scheduling permitted, he would be glad to go. Shortly after Elvis' death, Burton began a regular collaboration with Denver. The first album they recorded was I Want to Live.
During the sessions, Burton and Denver talked about a band. Glen Hardin and Jerry Scheff, two other Elvis Presley band members, joined the band too. Burton remained a member of Denver's band until 1994, but often toured in parallel with other artists including Jerry Lee Lewis. In the 16 years Burton worked with Denver, they recorded 12 albums and toured around the world. While touring with Denver, Burton carried several instruments, including backup Dobros and a spare 1969 Paisley Red model (popularly known as Pink Paisley) Fender Telecaster he had used as a touring guitarist with Elvis Presley during the 1970s.
He rejoined Denver in 1995 for the Wildlife Concert. When Denver died in 1997, Burton spoke at his memorial service in Aspen, Colorado.
Recent career
Burton's later career included work with Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley, John Denver, Merle Haggard, Gram Parsons, and Emmylou Harris, among others. Beginning with King of America (1986), Burton recorded and toured with Elvis Costello intermittently for about a decade. In 1988, he was a prominent part of the acclaimed Cinemax special, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night.
In the fall of 2004, Burton recorded Matt Lucas-Back in the Saddle Again, a sequel to the Matt Lucas album The Chicago Sessions. The album features rockabilly and country music, and was released in May 2006 by Ten O Nine Records. In 2005, Burton started the annual to raise money for his charitable foundation. The festival is held in the Red River District of Shreveport. In 2007 he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville as a member of the L.A. session player group known as The Wrecking Crew.
Equipment
Burton works with a variety of amplifiers to provide flexibility and a wide range of sounds. He has used a Music Man 210-150, an old Fender Twin with K model Lansing speakers, and a 1964 Fender Deluxe. His primary guitar has always been a Fender Telecaster, beginning with an early blonde model his parents bought for him around 1951 or 1952. His 1969 Paisley Red (better known as Pink Paisley) Telecaster became the model for a Fender Artist Signature model in 1991, with Lace Sensor pickups and a TBX tone circuit. Five years later his 1953 Candy Apple Red Telecaster was the inspiration for a standard version Artist Signature model featuring two Fender Texas Special Tele single coil pickups and a vintage-style 6-saddle bridge. In 2006, the Signature Paisley model was redesigned with a red paisley flame design over a black body, plus three specially designed blade pickups, a no-load tone control and S-1 switching system.
See also
External links
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