Johnny Burnette

by Richie Unterberger
 
A contemporary of Elvis Presley in the Memphis scene of the mid-50s, Burnette played a similar brand of fiery, spare wildman rockabilly. With his brother Dorsey (on bass) and guitarist Paul Burlison forming his Rock N Roll Trio, he recorded a clutch of singles for Decca in 1956 and 1957 that achieved nothing more than regional success. Featuring the groundbreaking fuzzy tone of Burlisons guitar, Johnnys energetic vocals, and Dorseys slapping bass, these recordings — highlighted by the first rock & roll version of Train Kept a-Rollin — compare well to the classic Sun rockabilly of the same era. The trio disbanded in 1957, and Johnny found pop success as a teen idol in the early 60s with hits like Youre Sixteen and Dreamin. Burnette died in a boating accident in 1964. His brother, Dorsey, achieved modest success as a solo act in the early 60s, and Burlison recently resurfaced as a member of the Sun Rhythm Section.