James Burton (guitarist)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Burton (2009)

James Burton (born August 21, 1939 in Minden , Louisiana ) is an American guitarist .

Life

James Burton shaped the history of country and rock'n roll music and became a role model for a whole generation of country and rock guitarists. He was influenced u. a. by Bo Diddley , Chet Atkins , Chuck Berry, and Merle Travis . At the age of 13 he got his first guitar, at 14 he made his first appearance on the radio show Louisiana Hayride . At 15 he played the famous Susie Q- Lick for Dale Hawkins . In 1955 he signed a contract with the label "Chess Records". Together with James Kirkland and Bob Luman , he had the hit My Gal Is Red Hot . From 1958 to 1964 he played in the band of Rick Nelson with the hit Hello Mary Lou . Burton became one of the most sought-after session guitarists in the American music business. Not least, his sound helped Elvis Presley make his 1970s comeback. He has also worked with Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Jerry Lee Lewis , Roy Orbison , Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash . In collaboration with Merle Haggard he was involved in the development of the “Bakersfield Sound”. In 1968 the artist was nominated for the Country Music Award as "Best Lead Guitar". Seven more nominations followed before he received the award. Burton played a key role in Elvis Presley's success in the early 1970s. This also made him known to a wide audience: on almost every live recording of Presley you can hear the phrase “Play it, James!” As a request from Presley to Burton to play a solo. The phrase became something of a trademark for both Presley and Burton. He later worked with John Denver and Elvis Costello , with whom he produced a total of four albums. Burton is considered the perfect representative of the American melting pot of different musical styles from blues to country to jazz and rock 'n' roll . His preferred instrument is the Fender Telecaster . The special characteristics of this model favor certain playing techniques and the sounds resulting from these techniques (e.g. " B-bending " or "chicken-picking"). In 2001 James Burton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Sidemen category .

Services

James Burton statue in front of the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium

James Burton developed his own sounds based on older styles of country and western music, which have had and continue to have a strong influence on the guitarist scene. Characteristic are u. a. the so-called hybrid flat picking and “chicken picking”. When performing hybrid flat picking, the artist uses an opening pick that is held between the thumb and forefinger and a "finger pick" on the middle finger. The pick strikes the string with the downstroke, the fingerpick with the upstroke. This execution technique allows a very fast style of play. In "chicken-picking" the strings are struck so quickly with the picks that they are muted immediately after being struck. Burton's style is also known as "hot tele sound".

In 2011, Rolling Stone listed Burton as 19th of the 100 best guitarists of all time . In a list from 2003 he was ranked 20th.

Discography (selection)

James Burton (Solo):

  • Corn Pickin and Slick Slidin '(See for Miles 1969)
  • The Guitar Sounds of James Burton (A&M 1971)

Dale Hawkins

  • Fool's Paradise (Beveric 2000)

Rick Nelson:

  • Songs by Rick (Imperial 1959)
  • Rick Sings Again (Imperial 1959)
  • More Songs by Rick (1960)
  • Rick is 21 (Imperial 1961)
  • Album Seven by Rick (Imperial 1962)
  • Rick Nelson Sings For You (Decca 1963)

Gram Parsons:

Elvis Presley:

  • On Stage: February 1970 (RCA 1970)
  • Elvis in Person at the International Hotel: Las Vegas, Nevada (RCA Victor 1970)
  • Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (RCA Victor 1974)
  • Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition 2001 (DVD Warner)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 18, 2015, accessed August 8, 2017 .
  2. ↑ 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time - David Fricke's Picks. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 8, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Burton, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH August 21, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Minden , Louisiana