“I never bought a Ricky Nelson record, I bought a James Burton record,” declared Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards during the latter’s 2001 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
While this may sound like exorbitant praise from one of the most accomplished guitarists of all time, Burton — born near Minden, Louisiana, on this day (August 21) in 1939 — has more than earned it. His one-of-a-kind guitar-picking style has graced records from just about every artist you could possibly name. An abbreviated list includes Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Ricky Nelson.
Today, we’re honoring Burton — or, as he was once deemed by Richards, the “Master of the Telecaster” — on his 87th birthday.
James Burton Invented This Guitar-Playing Style
Adding to James Burton’s mythos, the Louisiana native has never had a single guitar lesson.
As a child growing up in Shreveport, he would beat on broomsticks and “pretty much everything else around the house” until his parents bought the 13-year-old his first guitar — a brand-new Fender Telecaster.
By age 14, Burton had taken his preternatural playing skills to the professional level, even receiving a special permit from police to play at local bars and clubs. Still a teen, he joined the staff band for the Louisiana Hayride radio show. The popular program launched the career of country music titans like Hank Williams.
Burton’s time on Louisiana Hayride helped him perfect his now-iconic “chicken-pickin’” playing style. To achieve the “clucking” staccato sound, he used a fingerpick slotted onto his middle finger, along with a normal flat pick.
Burton also replaced his first four strings with banjo strings, moving the A and D string up to D and E. This allowed him to bend the strings.
“The sound was so different… I loved it, man!” Burton told Guitar.com in 2019. “It became my sound. I guess I was probably one of the first to do that… or maybe the first, I don’t know.”
“Susie Q”
His star rising, James Burton played with various local artists on the Shreveport scene, including pioneering rockabilly star Dale Hawkins.
In 1957, Burton created “a little melody lick” that would become “Susie Q”. Hawkins wrote the lyrics to the single, which reached number seven on Billboard’s Hot R&B Sides chart. It also hit number 27 on the pop chart.
According to Burton, he originally composed “Susie Q” as an instrumental before Hawkins added lyrics. He never received credit or royalties for his contributions.
Leaving Louisiana
Around this time, James Burton also traded the swamps and bayous of his Louisiana hometown for the glittering sprawl of Los Angeles.
There, then up-and-coming rockabilly star Ricky Nelson hand-picked Burton for his band. Originally relegated to rhythm, Burton made his lead guitar debut on the 1958 single “Believe What You Say”.
In 1965, Burton joined the cast of a new musical variety show called Shindig at Johnny Cash’s request. This opened up still more opportunities for him, and soon, he was in the studio four to six times a day. His resume included work with Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
With Elvis Presley and More
In 1969, James Burton accepted an offer from the King himself to join Elvis Presley’s show in Las Vegas.
He organized and led the TCB Band, which backed the “Hound Dog” crooner until his untimely death in August 1977. During this time, he also toured with Emmylou Harris as part of her “Hot Band” after Gram Parsons died in 1973.
Following Presley’s death, Burton began a long-standing partnership with John Denver.
[RELATED: Remember When: Keith Richards Shocked the Crowd at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024]
A member of both the rock and roll and country music Hall of Fames, Burton won a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2009.
Along with Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, and Steve Wariner, he took home the award for the Brad Paisley track “Cluster Pluck”.
Featured image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The post Born 87 Years Ago Today in Louisiana, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist Keith Richards Once Declared the “Master of the Telecaster” appeared first on American Songwriter.
Go To Source | Author: Erinn Callahan