From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Mar 28, 2002  6:15 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Johnny Burnette
 
JOHNNY BURNETTE (By Shaun Mather)

Born 28 March 1934, Memphis, Tennessee
Died 14 August 1964, Clear Lake, California

Although his chart successes came with his early '60's pop singles for
Liberty Records, it is his work with the legendary Rock 'n' Roll Trio for which
Johnny Burnette will be forever remembered and revered. Some of the
two-dozen sides they cut for Coral records were the most savage rockabilly
ever committed to wax. Johnny was born in Memphis, fourteen months after
his elder brother Dorsey. Both brothers showed an interest in boxing, with
Johnny becoming Memphis City boxing champion and the winner of a mid-South
division title. They both worked for the Crown Electric Company, alongside
work-mates Elvis Presley and guitarist Paul Burlison. The brothers together
with Burlison formed a trio and in late '54 cut a single for Von Records.
In March 1956 they auditioned for Ted Mack's Amateur Hour in New York where
they won three weeks running, resulting in a contract with Coral Records.
Over the next twelve months they cut a series of blasting rockabilly
classics like Tear It Up, Rockabilly Boogie, Lonesome Train, but amazingly
failed to register a hit record, despite an appearance in the Alan Freed
movie, Rock, Rock, Rock! After the Trio split, Johnny and Dorsey tried their
hand at songwriting out in California, where they saw Ricky Nelson cut
Waitin' In School, Believe What You Say and It's Late. In September 1960
Johnny, now on Liberty Records, finally cracked the charts with Dreamin'
(No.11-US, No.5-UK), followed by You're Sixteen (No.8-US, No.3-UK).
Following a few more successes (Little Boy Sad, Girls, Clown Shoes, God
Country And My Baby) he left Liberty and switched to Chancellor, Capitol and
formed his own labels Sahara and Magic Lamp. On August 14, 1964 he was
tragically killed in a fishing accident at Clear Lake, California, at the age
of 30.

Recommended listening:
The Johnny Burnette Trio - Bear Family
25 Greatest Hits - Music For Pleasure
We're Havin' A Party - Rockstar (LP)