Joseph Henry "
T-Bone"
Burnett (January 14, 1948) is an American songwriter, musician and producer. He was born in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
, and raised in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Located in and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant...
.
In addition to his solo work, Burnett has produced artists such as the
BoDeansThe BoDeans are a rock and roll and roots rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1983 by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas . In 1985, after adding a drummer and a bassist, the band signed a contract with Slash/Warner Records and recorded their first album...
,
Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubBlack Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American alternative rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for its brand of garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia, and often religiously inspired lyrics, and its influences are groups and musicians such as...
,
Counting CrowsCounting Crows is a rock band originating from Berkeley, California. The group gained popularity in 1994 following the release of its debut album August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones". The band's influences include Van Morrison, R.E.M., Mike & The Mechanics,...
,
Tony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
and K. D. Lang on the
A Wonderful WorldA Wonderful World is an album by Tony Bennett and k.d. lang, released in 2002.It later won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album...
album and
The WallflowersThe Wallflowers are a Grammy Award-winning rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
on
Bringing Down the HorseBringing Down the Horse is second album of The Wallflowers. It contains hits such as "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache," "Three Marlenas," and "The Difference." "One Headlight" was the band's most popular single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock, Modern Rock, and Adult top 40...
. Burnett won
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
s for the
O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning...
soundtrack and for his work with
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
and
Robert PlantRobert Anthony Plant CBE , is an English rock singer and songwriter, famous for his membership in the former rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist and lyricist, as well as for his successful solo career...
. He was nominated for an Oscar for his songwriting contribution to the film
Cold MountainCold Mountain is a 2003 film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the novel by Charles Frazier.- Plot :The movie opens depicting the events leading up to the American Civil War, and proceeds to a vivid recreation of the Battle of the Crater. Jude Law plays a Confederate...
. He founded the record label DMZ, an imprint of
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
, and was involved with
Mark HeardJohn Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia.Mark Heard released 16 records in his lifetime, and produced and performed with many other artists as well, such as Sam Phillips , Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Vigilantes of Love, Peter Buck of...
and
Tonio KTonio K. is an American singer/songwriter who has released eight albums. His songs have been recorded by Al Green, Aaron Neville, Burt Bacharach, Bonnie Raitt, Chicago, Wynonna Judd and Vanessa Williams...
in the short-lived
What? RecordsWhat? Records was a short-lived record label started by Word Records and A&M Records, intended to focus on creative and unusual rock 'n roll records with spiritual messages....
. He also oversaw the music for the films
Walk the LineWalk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film, directed by James Mangold and based on the life of country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash...
and
The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeffrey Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who refers to himself as "The Dude"....
.
Burnett's songs have been covered by such artists as
k.d. langk.d. lang OC is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter. The artist gives her name in lowercase letters, with the given names contracted to initials and no space between these initials.Lang has won both Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances...
("Till the Heart Caves In"),
Los LobosLos Lobos are an American Chicano rock band. They are 3-time Grammy Award winners. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños....
,
Sixpence None the RicherSixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their song "Kiss Me", and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is inspired by a passage from...
("Carry You"),
Tonio KTonio K. is an American singer/songwriter who has released eight albums. His songs have been recorded by Al Green, Aaron Neville, Burt Bacharach, Bonnie Raitt, Chicago, Wynonna Judd and Vanessa Williams...
,
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists.-...
,
Mark HeardJohn Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia.Mark Heard released 16 records in his lifetime, and produced and performed with many other artists as well, such as Sam Phillips , Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Vigilantes of Love, Peter Buck of...
("Power of Love"),
Arlo GuthrieArlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
,
Warren ZevonZevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
,
Peter CasePeter Case is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has had a wide-ranging career ranging from new wave music to folk rock to solo acoustic performance.-Early career:Case was born in Buffalo, New York...
,
B. J. ThomasBilly Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:http://bjthomas.net/Biography.html...
, Harrod & Funk and others.
Early musical career
Burnett released his first album,
The B-52 Band and the Fabulous Skylarks, in 1972. In 1975 and 1976, he toured with
Bob Dylan'sBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
Rolling Thunder RevueThe Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976. The January 1976 release of Dylan's album Desire fell between the two legs of the tour.Among those featured in the Revue were...
. When the Revue ended, Burnett and two other members of Dylan's band,
David MansfieldDavid Mansfield is an American violinist, mandolin player, guitarist, pedal steel guitar player, and composer....
and
Steven SolesSteven Soles is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and guitarist.Known also as J. Steven Soles, he was asked by Bob Dylan to join the band for his 1975-1976 "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour, and he also played with Dylan on Street Legal. When that tour ended, Soles and two other members of...
, formed
The Alpha BandThe Alpha Band was a rock band formed in July 1976 from the remnants of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. Band members were T-Bone Burnett , Steven Soles, and David Mansfield, plus sidemen who differed from record to record and included: David Kemper ; gospel great Andrae...
. The Alpha Band released three albums,
The Alpha Band in 1977,
Spark In The Dark in 1977, and
The Statue Makers of Hollywood in 1978.
Solo career
In 1980 he released his first post-Alpha Band solo album,
Truth DecayTruth Decay was an early to late 1990s artrock band from Houston, Texas. Bass guitarist/songwriter Ralf Armin, himself an essential contributor to several Houston Noise Bands and experimental hard-rock groups such as Culturcide, The Pain Teens, and a sometime member of Really Red, founded the band...
on the
Takoma RecordsTakoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by John Fahey in the late 1950s. It was named after Fahey's hometown, the Washington, D.C. suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland....
label. Truth Decay was a
roots rockRoots Rock is a term recently used to describe "a style of rock music that draws material from various American musical traditions including country, blues, and folk." The term is sometimes used in a broader sense to encompass other Americana, including early rock and roll, country rock, and other...
album described by the
Rolling Stone Record Guide as "mystic Christian blues."
In 1982 his
Trap Door EP, released on the Warner Brothers label, yielded the FM radio hit "I Wish You Could Have Seen Her Dance". Burnett toured after the release of
Trap Door, opening several dates for
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
and leading a band that featured
Mick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is most well known for his work with David Bowie from 1970 to 1973, Bowie's glam rock period, including being part of The Spiders from Mars band.He also had a solo career, the most notable...
on guitar.
His 1983 album
Proof Through the NightProof Through the Night is a 1983 album by T-Bone Burnett. Proof Through the Night was not available on CD for many years, though some tracks appeared on the 20/20 career compilation in May 2006. Rhino Handmade issued a CD version of the album on March 27, 2007, which also includes the Trap Door...
(whose song "When the Night Falls" got some FM airplay) and his 1987 album
The Talking Animals-Side one:#"The Wild Truth" – 3:38#"Monkey Dance" – 4:43#"Image" – 4:02#"Dance, Dance, Dance" – 2:45#"The Killer Moon" – 5:00-Side two:#"Relentless" – 3:24#"Euromad" – 4:21#"Purple Heart" – 4:36...
were more in the vein of 1980s
new wave musicNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
, while his self-titled 1986 album was an album of acoustic
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
. His 1992 album
The Criminal Under My Own Hat-Track listing:All tracks written by T-Bone Burnett; except where indicated# "Over You" – 2:20# "Tear This Building Down" – 4:37# "It's Not Too Late" – 4:26# "Humans from Earth" – 2:48# "Primitives" – 3:15...
tended toward
adult album alternativeAdult album alternative is a radio format broadcast mostly on FM. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots may have been established sometime during the 1960s from what was called freeform and later progressive...
music. All were critically acclaimed but not big sellers commercially.
Proof Through The Night was reissued by Rhino Records' Handmade Music in a limited edition of 5,000 on May 29, 2007, in an expanded version. The double CD also included the EPs
Trap Door and
Behind The Trap Door.
Burnett released two albums in 2006:
The True False Identity-Track listing:All tracks composed by T-Bone Burnett; except where indicated# "Zombieland" – 5:57# "Palestine Texas" – 4:47# "Seven Times Hotter Than Fire" – 4:41# "There Would Be Hell to Pay" – 5:10# "Every Time I Feel the Shift" – 6:52...
, his first album of new songs since 1992, and
Twenty Twenty - The Essential T-Bone BurnettTwenty Twenty is a 2006 compilation album by T-Bone Burnett, chronicling Burnett's entire career, including recordings by The Coward Brothers and The Alpha Band.-Disc 1:# Humans from Earth - 2:49...
, a 40 song career retrospective.
Production, film scoring, and other professional activities
Burnett has become best known as a music producer. Burnett began producing albums for artists like
Counting CrowsCounting Crows is a rock band originating from Berkeley, California. The group gained popularity in 1994 following the release of its debut album August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones". The band's influences include Van Morrison, R.E.M., Mike & The Mechanics,...
'
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially-released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
,
Los LobosLos Lobos are an American Chicano rock band. They are 3-time Grammy Award winners. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños....
'
How Will the Wolf Survive?How Will the Wolf Survive? is the major label debut album of Los Lobos. In 1989, it was ranked #30 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s...
,
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
's
King of AmericaKing of America is the tenth album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, billed as "the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates."...
and
SpikeSpike is an album by the Irish-English musician Elvis Costello released in 1989 on Warner Brothers records, his first album for the label.-Track listing:All songs written by Elvis Costello, except where noted.# "...This Town..." – 4:30...
,
the WallflowersThe Wallflowers are a Grammy Award-winning rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
'
Bringing Down the HorseBringing Down the Horse is second album of The Wallflowers. It contains hits such as "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache," "Three Marlenas," and "The Difference." "One Headlight" was the band's most popular single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock, Modern Rock, and Adult top 40...
,
Marshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan. Marshall graduated from Berkley High School in June of 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten...
's
Downtown,
Spinal TapSpinal Tap is a parody fictional heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
's
Break Like The WindBreak Like the Wind is an album by the semi-fictional band Spinal Tap. The title track refers to a euphemism for flatulence. The songs depict the range of genres that Spinal Tap endured, from the glam metal anthem "Bitch School" down to the skiffle satire of "All the Way Home".In the film, David St...
, the
BoDeansThe BoDeans are a rock and roll and roots rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1983 by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas . In 1985, after adding a drummer and a bassist, the band signed a contract with Slash/Warner Records and recorded their first album...
'
Love & Hope & Sex & DreamsLove & Hope & Sex & Dreams is a music album of BoDeans songs released in May 1986 on Slash/Warner Bros.. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett...
,
Gillian WelchGillian Howard Welch is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old-time string band music, and folk into a rustic style that she dubs "American Primitive". Her recordings feature the harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her...
's
RevivalRevival is the first album by Gillian Welch, released in 1996.The plant described in the song, "Acony Bell" appears to be Shortia galacifolia, also known as the Oconee bells...
and
Hell Among the YearlingsHell Among the Yearlings is the second album by Gillian Welch, released in 1998.-Track listing:*Disc - Total Time 38:31# Caleb Meyer – 3:05# Good Til Now – 3:56# The Devil Had a Hold of Me – 4:30# My Morphine – 5:53# One Morning – 2:41...
,
David PoeDavid Poe is an American songwriter, singer, musician, performer and composer for film, dance and theater.-Biography:David Poe was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he performed and recorded with local bands...
's self-titled debut, the
Roy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter and musician, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly / country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records...
tribute
A Black & White Night LiveA Black & White Night Live is a Roy Orbison music album made posthumously by Virgin Records from the HBO television broadcast, "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night". The album was released in 1989 and included the songs "Blue Bayou" and "Claudette" that because of time constraints had...
, two albums for
Bruce CockburnBruce Douglas Cockburn, OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His 29th album was released in summer 2006, and he has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, and nearly everything released by his former wife, Sam Phillips (previously known as Leslie Phillips).
In 1985, Burnett collaborated with Elvis Costello on a single called "The People's Limousine", under the moniker "The Coward Brothers."
In 1987, Burnett produced Roy Orbison's two-record album,
In Dreams: The Greatest HitsIn Dreams: The Greatest Hits is a music album of Roy Orbison songs released in 1987 on Virgin Records. The two-record set was produced by Roy Orbison and Mike Utley except for the song "In Dreams" which was produced by Orbison with T Bone Burnett and film director, David Lynch...
. After that, he was the musical director and a guitarist for Orbison's
HBOHBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
television special,
Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White NightRoy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night is an acclaimed 1988 Cinemax television special originally broadcast on January 3, 1988 on HBO starring Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Roy Orbison. The special was filmed entirely in black and white...
.
In 1992, he worked some songs with his friend
River PhoenixRiver Jude Phoenix was an American film actor. He was listed on John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 38 as one of twelve "promising new actors of 1986," and was hailed as highly talented by such critics as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. He was also well known for his animal rights activism...
for the movie
The Thing Called LoveThe Thing Called Love is a Peter Bogdanovich comedy-drama movie released in 1993. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."The movie stars Samantha Mathis as Miranda Presley , who comes from New York City to Nashville, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe. She is not invited to perform, but...
. He was the coach of
Samantha MathisSamantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume .-Early life:...
.
In 1997, Burnett created new songs for the
Sam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play, Buried Child...
play
The Tooth of CrimeThe Tooth of Crime is a musical play written by Sam Shepard which made its premiere in London's Open Space theater on July 17,1972. It tells the story of aging rock singer Hoss, doing battle with rival Crow.-Plot:...
: Second Dance, which premiered in New York City the same year in an off-Broadway production that featured
Vincent D'OnofrioVincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor and film producer. He first gained attention for his role as "Private Leonard 'Gomer Pyle' Lawrence" in Full Metal Jacket, and more currently for his role as Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:D'Onofrio was born in the...
and
Kirk AcevedoKirk Acevedo is an American actor of Puerto Rican and Chinese descent. Notable is his portrayal of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz.- Early years :...
. A CD of these songs,
Tooth of CrimeTooth of Crime is a 2008 album by T-Bone Burnett. The album is a selection of music written by Burnett for the 1997 production of Sam Shepard's play The Tooth of Crime.-Track listing:# "Anything I Say Can and Will Be Used Against You" - 4:02...
, was released in May 2008, featuring guitarist
Marc RibotMarc Ribot is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music...
and backing vocals by Sam Phillips and singer/songwriter
David PoeDavid Poe is an American songwriter, singer, musician, performer and composer for film, dance and theater.-Biography:David Poe was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he performed and recorded with local bands...
, whose self-titled debut Burnett also produced that year. According to Burnett, he was inspired by the music of
Skip JamesNehemiah Curtis "Skip" James was an American delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter.-Early years:James was born near Bentonia, Mississippi. His father was a converted bootlegger turned preacher...
while composing the songs for the updated version of Shepard's play.
In 2000, Burnett produced the
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
and wrote the score for the
Coen BrothersJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies to hardboiled thrillers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together...
film,
O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning...
. The award-winning soundtrack featured music from
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists.-...
,
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
,
Ralph StanleyRalph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:...
,
Gillian WelchGillian Howard Welch is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old-time string band music, and folk into a rustic style that she dubs "American Primitive". Her recordings feature the harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her...
, and others performing traditional American
folk musicThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
,
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre created within the African-American communities in the Deep South of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and
bluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has roots in Irish, West African, Scottish, Welsh and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland , and African-Americans, particularly...
— reminiscent of Burnett's 1986 self-titled release. The album was a smash, garnering numerous industry awards from the Grammys,
Academy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association founded in 1958 was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the founding...
, and the
Country Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
. The album was as much a commercial success as a critical one and has sold over seven million copies according to the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a group which represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA say "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings...
. A
documentary filmDocumentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
,
Down from the MountainDown from the Mountain is a 2000 documentary and concert film featuring a live performance by country and traditional music artists who participated in the Grammy-winning soundtrack recording for the Joel and Ethan Coen film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The concert, held on May 24, 2000 at the Ryman...
, was made of a benefit concert of the soundtrack performed by the artists on the album; Burnett figures prominently in the film. His production on the soundtrack albums for these two films, plus his wife
Sam PhillipsLeslie Ann Phillips, aka Sam Phillips is an American singer and a songwriter.-Biography:Philips, who was born in Glendale, California, began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill and others...
'
Fan DanceFan Dance is the ninth album from American singer-songwriter Sam Phillips.-Track listing:All songs by Sam Phillips, except "Say What You Mean" by Sam Phillips and T-Bone Burnett# "The Fan Dance" – 3:46# "Edge Of The World" – 3:01...
album, led to his winning the 2002
Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-ClassicalThe Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*From 1975 to 1977 the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
. Burnett went on to produce the less popular gospel soundtrack to the Coen's
The LadykillersThe Ladykillers is a remake of the Ealing comedy of the same name. The remake was by the Coen brothers and starred Tom Hanks. The film also co-starred J. K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst and Irma P...
.
In 2004, under his name "Henry Burnett", he wrote "I Wish My Baby Was Born", "Like a Songbird That Has Fallen", and "The Scarlet Tide" for the movie
Cold MountainCold Mountain is a 2003 film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the novel by Charles Frazier.- Plot :The movie opens depicting the events leading up to the American Civil War, and proceeds to a vivid recreation of the Battle of the Crater. Jude Law plays a Confederate...
. "The Scarlet Tide," co-written with
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
and performed by
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song and won the
BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film MusicThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation...
.
In 2005, he composed the score for
Wim WendersErnst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
' film
Don't Come KnockingDon't Come Knocking is a 2005 film, a comedy-drama road movie directed by German director Wim Wenders and written by Wenders and actor/playwright Sam Shepard...
. He also produced
OllabelleOllabelle is self-titled debut album from 2004 by New York act Ollabelle. It was produced by T-Bone Burnett.- Track Listing :#"Before This Time"#"Soul Of A Man"#"Elijah Rock"#"Jesus On The Mainline"#"Get Back Temptation"#"I Am Waiting"...
.
In 2005, he worked with
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s
Joaquin PhoenixJoaquin Rafael Phoenix, , , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a film actor, musician, and occasional rapper. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he lived for the first 4 years of his childhood. His family then moved to the continental United States, where he was raised...
and
Reese WitherspoonLaura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. In 1998 she appeared in three major movies: Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville, and Twilight. The following year, Witherspoon appeared in the critically acclaimed Election, which earned her...
for their singing roles as
Johnny CashJohnny Cash , born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and
June Carter CashValerie June Carter Cash was a singer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. She played the guitar, banjo, harmonica, and autoharp; and acted in several films and television shows.-Early life:June Carter Cash was...
in the film
Walk the LineWalk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film, directed by James Mangold and based on the life of country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash...
. He also produced that film's soundtrack album and wrote its score.
In 2006, he was nominated for the
BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film MusicThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation...
. In April, 2006, he announced that his first concert tour in nearly two decades would begin on May 16 in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
at
The Vic TheaterThe Victoria Theatre, most well known as The Vic Theatre is a musical venue located in Chicago, Illinois.The Vic Theatre, designed by architect John E.O. Pridmore, opened in 1912 as the Victoria Theatre. It took three years to build the luxurious five-story vaudeville house...
. Around the same time,
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
singer
Cassandra WilsonCassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She has won two Grammy Awards.-Family and Early Life:...
released an album of blues songs,
ThunderbirdThunderbird is an album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. It was released on the Blue Note label in 2006.-Track listing:# "Go to Mexico" — 4:14# "Closer to You" — 5:49# "Easy Rider" — 7:03# "It Would Be So Easy" Thunderbird is an album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. It was...
(2006), which was produced by Burnett. He also wrote one of the album's songs and co-wrote another with Ethan Coen. Burnett also produced music for the remake of the film
All the King's MenAll the King's Men is a 2006 film adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. It was directed by Steven Zaillian, who also produced and scripted the film...
.
In 2006, Burnett produced
Brandi CarlileBrandi Carlile is an American singer and songwriter. Carlile's music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie and folk.-Early life:...
's
The StoryThe Story is the second album by folk rock singer Brandi Carlile, and was released on April 3, 2007. The album peaked at #58 in the Billboard 200 on May 5, 2007....
album, the title song of which became a minor hit and was featured on a special broadcast of ABC-TV's
Grey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series. It follows the lives of five surgical interns, later residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. The pilot episode, "A Hard Day's Night" premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC...
. Carlile's guitarist and bassist, twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, respectively, used instruments from Burnett's private collection during the unique "live" recordings in Vancouver, B.C.
In early 2007, Burnett earned nominations for two 2006 Grammy Awards, one as Producer Of The Year for his work on Cassandra Wilson's
Thunderbird album, the soundtrack to
Walk the Line and his own
The True False Identity.
Walk the Line was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Burnett earned another nomination for his efforts as Executive Music Producer and Album Producer on that soundtrack.
October 2007 saw the release of the Grammy winning, Burnett-produced
Raising SandRaising Sand is a collaboration album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released on October 23, 2007 by Rounder Records...
, a collaborative album featuring
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
and
Robert PlantRobert Anthony Plant CBE , is an English rock singer and songwriter, famous for his membership in the former rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist and lyricist, as well as for his successful solo career...
. Burnett plays guitar on 10 of the 13 tracks.
In early 2008,
Pete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
announced that Burnett was to go into the studio that fall to help produce an all covers album for
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
.. However, on a May 15, 2008, episode of the NPR radio show,
All Songs Considered, Burnett threw that project into question. He stated that in a blog, Townshend had indicated that he was putting all his projects on hold.
In 2008, it was reported that Burnett "started a new venture called Code, which aims to do for music what THX did for movie-theater sound: set standards that ensure the best possible quality." He is opposed to the trend of brighter and more
compressedAudio compression can mean two things:* Audio data compression - in which the amount of data in a recorded waveform is reduced for transmission. This is used in CD and MP3 encoding, internet radio, and the like....
processing, sufficiently so that he essentially retired from the music business in 1995-96 and took up an opportunity to work in theater with
Sam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play, Buried Child...
, leading to his work on several films. Code involves the simultaneous release of multiple sound formats, thus avoiding much of the processing which happens when sound is converted from one format to another. Burnett produced
John MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is a Grammy-winning American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his rootsy, organic brand of heartland rock that is infused with catchy pop hooks and...
's album
Life, Death, Love and FreedomLife, Death, Love and Freedom is a Folk rock album by singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and produced by T-Bone Burnett. It was released on July 15, 2008. At the end of 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named Life, Death, Love and Freedom No. 5 on its list of the 50 best albums of the year...
, which was the first Code album when it was released on July 15, 2008. Burnett is also producing Mellencamp's follow-up to
Life, Death, Love and FreedomLife, Death, Love and Freedom is a Folk rock album by singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and produced by T-Bone Burnett. It was released on July 15, 2008. At the end of 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named Life, Death, Love and Freedom No. 5 on its list of the 50 best albums of the year...
-- tentatively titled
No Better Than ThisNo Better Than This is an upcoming album by John Mellencamp, produced by T Bone Burnett. The album was recorded at several historic locations throughout the United States...
.
Burnett is listed as Producer and Composer for the movie
Crazy Heart, filming in 2008 for 2009 release starring
Jeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. His most notable films include The Last Picture Show, Tron, Starman, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Fisher King, Fearless, The Big Lebowski, The Contender, and Iron Man.-Personal life:Jeffrey Bridges was born in Los Angeles, California,...
,
Maggie GyllenhaalMargaret Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal is an American stage and screen actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father's films...
,
Robert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards....
and
Colin FarrellColin James Farrell is a Golden Globe-winning Irish actor, who has appeared in Hollywood films including Tigerland, Daredevil, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, Alexander, In Bruges and S.W.A.T....
. Also in 2009, Burnett produced albums for
MoonaliceMoonalice is the band that formed from previous members of the Flying Other Brothers. The band has been touring since May, 2007, and has come to the attention of music critics. The band is made up of seven bass players, six coming from The Flying Other Brothers band, with Jack Casady of Jefferson...
and
Grace Potter and the NocturnalsGrace Potter and the Nocturnals is a Vermont-based band that has recently gained national attention with its newest album,This Is Somewhere. The band blends funky blues, soul and rock from the sixties and early seventies....
.
In that same year, he has also produced
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
's album,
Secret, Profane and Sugarcane as well as co-writing the song "Sulfur to Sugarcane" with Costello.
Discography
- The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks
The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks is an album by T-Bone Burnett, released in 1972 as J. Henry Burnett. It would be eight years before he released his first solo album as T-Bone Burnett...
(as J. Henry Burnett), 1972
- Truth Decay, 1980
- Trap Door
Trap Door is an EP by T-Bone Burnett, released in 1982. It was his first release on the Warner Bros. label after leaving Takoma Records.Although the EP is out of print, all the songs were reissued on CD by Rhino Handmade on March 27, 2007. The double CD also includes the Beyond The Trap Door EP and...
(EP), 1982
- Proof Through the Night
Proof Through the Night is a 1983 album by T-Bone Burnett. Proof Through the Night was not available on CD for many years, though some tracks appeared on the 20/20 career compilation in May 2006. Rhino Handmade issued a CD version of the album on March 27, 2007, which also includes the Trap Door...
, 1983 - Photography by Frank Gargani
- Behind the Trap Door
Behind the Trap Door is an EP by T-Bone Burnett, released in 1984.Behind the Trap Door features collaborations with Bono, Bob Neuwirth, and Richard Thompson. In the liner notes, Burnett states: "I was just starting to come out of a dark personal time, and was working these things out of my system....
(EP), 1984
- T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett is an album by T-Bone Burnett, released in 1986. It was his only release on the Dot label.T-Bone Burnett was reissued in 1995 by Universal Special.-Track listing:All tracks written by T-Bone Burnett; except where indicated...
, 1986
- The Talking Animals
-Side one:#"The Wild Truth" – 3:38#"Monkey Dance" – 4:43#"Image" – 4:02#"Dance, Dance, Dance" – 2:45#"The Killer Moon" – 5:00-Side two:#"Relentless" – 3:24#"Euromad" – 4:21#"Purple Heart" – 4:36...
, 1987
- The Criminal Under My Own Hat
-Track listing:All tracks written by T-Bone Burnett; except where indicated# "Over You" – 2:20# "Tear This Building Down" – 4:37# "It's Not Too Late" – 4:26# "Humans from Earth" – 2:48# "Primitives" – 3:15...
, 1992
- The True False Identity
-Track listing:All tracks composed by T-Bone Burnett; except where indicated# "Zombieland" – 5:57# "Palestine Texas" – 4:47# "Seven Times Hotter Than Fire" – 4:41# "There Would Be Hell to Pay" – 5:10# "Every Time I Feel the Shift" – 6:52...
, 2006
- Twenty Twenty - The Essential T-Bone Burnett
Twenty Twenty is a 2006 compilation album by T-Bone Burnett, chronicling Burnett's entire career, including recordings by The Coward Brothers and The Alpha Band.-Disc 1:# Humans from Earth - 2:49...
, 2006
- Tooth of Crime
Tooth of Crime is a 2008 album by T-Bone Burnett. The album is a selection of music written by Burnett for the 1997 production of Sam Shepard's play The Tooth of Crime.-Track listing:# "Anything I Say Can and Will Be Used Against You" - 4:02...
, 2008
With
The Alpha BandThe Alpha Band was a rock band formed in July 1976 from the remnants of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. Band members were T-Bone Burnett , Steven Soles, and David Mansfield, plus sidemen who differed from record to record and included: David Kemper ; gospel great Andrae...
:
- Alpha Band
Alpha Band is the debut album by the rock band The Alpha Band, released in 1976. The band was formed in 1976 from the remnants of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. The core band members were T-Bone Burnett, Steven Soles and David Mansfield....
, 1977
- Spark in the Dark
Spark in the Dark is the second album by the rock band The Alpha Band, released in 1977. The core band members remained T-Bone Burnett, Steven Soles and David Mansfield. No less than five drummers were used on the recording, including guest Ringo Starr....
, 1977
- The Statue Makers of Hollywood
The Statue Makers of Hollywood is the third and final album by the rock band The Alpha Band, released in 1978.- Track listing :# "Tick Tock" # "Rich Man" # "Mighty Man"...
, 1978
Compilations
- Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye - Tribute to Roky Erickson Song Title - "Nothing In Return" - 1990
- Until the End of the World
Until the End of the World is a soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released in 1991 on Warner Bros. One song on the album, U2's "Until the End of the World", had been previously released on that band's 1991 album Achtung Baby — all of the other songs were original contributions,...
Song Title - "Humans from Earth" - 1991