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Dorsey Burnette
Dorsey William Burnett Jr. (December 28, 1932 – August 19, 1979) was an American early rockabilly singer. With his younger brother Johnny Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He is also the father of country musician and former Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette.
Dorsey William Burnett Jr. was born on December 28, 1932, to Willie Mae and Dorsey William Burnett Sr. in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The 'e' at the end of his surname was added later. His younger brother, John Joseph "Johnny" Burnett, was born on March 25, 1934. The family lived in a public housing project in the Lauderdale Courts area of Memphis, Tennessee.
Dorsey was a competent athlete with an interest in boxing. Both of the Burnette brothers turned out to be successful amateur boxers, becoming local Golden Gloves champions. In 1949, Dorsey was introduced to another young boxing contender named Paul Burlison by Jimmy Denson, his boxing teacher, and they were to become friends. Later, Burlison was introduced to Johnny Burnette, and they also became friends. All three men had a mutual interest in music. Burlison had begun to receive guitar lessons when he was eight years old. In 1939, Dorsey Sr. gave his two sons a pair of Gene Autry guitars. According to most sources, the brothers immediately broke them over each other's head. Dorsey Sr. then bought them two more guitars. Dorsey later recalled that their father had said "Learn to play those guitars. You can be like those folks on the Grand Ole Opry if you want to." Dorsey said that "he learned the G, C and E chords and when the strings broke, he would use baling wire".
After graduating from a Catholic high school in Memphis, Dorsey became a professional boxer before working at a number of daytime jobs, which included a cotton picker, an oiler on a Mississippi riverboat, a fisherman, a carpet layer. He was finally to work at the Crown Electric Company with Paul Burlison as an apprentice electrician and would spend six years studying for an electrician's license. Johnny Burnette also worked as a deck hand on barges, which traversed the Mississippi River and though they worked separately, each of them would bring his guitar on board and write songs during his spare time. After work, they would perform those and other songs together at local bars with a varying array of sidemen. Paul Burlison joined them after his discharge from the United States Armed Forces, and in 1952 or 1953, they formed a group, which may have been called The Rhythm Rangers at the time. Johnny Burnette sang the vocals and played acoustic guitar, Dorsey played bass, and Paul Burlison played lead guitar.
For economic reasons, in 1956, the three young men moved to New York City, where they got an audition with Ted Mack on The Original Amateur Hour. They won the competition three times in a row, which gained them a place in the finals and a recording contract with Coral Records and they officially became The Rock and Roll Trio. Promotional appearances were arranged on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Steve Allen's Tonight Show and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall, together with a summer tour with Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent. On September 9, 1956, they appeared as finalists in the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour at Madison Square Garden. Despite all of this activity, however, the three singles released over this period failed to make the national charts.[citation needed]
To cover their living expenses, the Trio was forced to go on the road. This exhausting regime led to squabbles, which were exacerbated in Dorsey's case by Johnny's use of the name Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio on records and live dates. Things finally came to a head at a gig in Niagara Falls in the fall of 1956, when as a result of a fight, Dorsey quit the group a week before they were to appear in Alan Freed's film Rock, Rock, Rock. Johnny Burnette and Paul Burlison recruited Johnny Black, the brother of Elvis Presley's bassist Bill Black, to fill Dorsey's place, and the Trio completed their spot in the film. Despite the film appearance and three more single releases and one LP release, the group failed to achieve any chart success, and the Trio officially disbanded in the fall of 1957. [citation needed]
Colin Escott of Showtime Magazine states that during or after his stint with his own trio, Dorsey recorded a demo session with Fabor Robinson (owner of Fabor Records, co-owner of Abbott Records and sometime manager of Johnny Horton and Jim Reeves). French researchers Giles Vignal and Marc Alesina place the demo session at the Sun Records Studio in November 1956, and they have Dorsey's being backed by Johnny Burnette and Paul Burlison. "Let's Fall in Love" and four other tracks were cut, but all are believed to be lost. On November 24, 1956, Dorsey went to a session at the Fabor Studio in Malibu, California, where he cut four tracks: "The Devil Queen", "Let's Fall in Love", "At a Distance" and "Jungle Magic". These tracks were released as two singles: "Let's Fall in Love/The Devil's Queen" (Abbott 188–45) on November 24, 1956, and "Jungle Magic/At a Distance" (Abbott 190–45) on February 23, 1957. Fabor Robinson offered to place Dorsey on either the Louisiana Hayride or the Town Hall Party (the West Coast's leading showcase for country music).
After moving to California, Dorsey found work as an electrician to make ends meet and began writing songs in his spare time. Once he had become settled, Dorsey sent for his family. By the fall of 1957, Johnny Burnette was unemployed, and he tried his luck on the West Coast. With a friend, Joe Campbell, he hitched a ride in a railroad boxcar to Los Angeles, where they joined Dorsey. With their past differences forgotten, the brothers attempted to resurrect The Rock and Roll Trio by sending for Paul Burlison. He briefly joined them, but returned to Memphis and concentrated on his electrical business. Dorsey continued with his day job as an electrician to pay the family expenses, and he and Johnny continued with their song-writing activities in their spare time.[citation needed]
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Dorsey Burnette
Dorsey William Burnett Jr. (December 28, 1932 – August 19, 1979) was an American early rockabilly singer. With his younger brother Johnny Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He is also the father of country musician and former Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette.
Dorsey William Burnett Jr. was born on December 28, 1932, to Willie Mae and Dorsey William Burnett Sr. in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The 'e' at the end of his surname was added later. His younger brother, John Joseph "Johnny" Burnett, was born on March 25, 1934. The family lived in a public housing project in the Lauderdale Courts area of Memphis, Tennessee.
Dorsey was a competent athlete with an interest in boxing. Both of the Burnette brothers turned out to be successful amateur boxers, becoming local Golden Gloves champions. In 1949, Dorsey was introduced to another young boxing contender named Paul Burlison by Jimmy Denson, his boxing teacher, and they were to become friends. Later, Burlison was introduced to Johnny Burnette, and they also became friends. All three men had a mutual interest in music. Burlison had begun to receive guitar lessons when he was eight years old. In 1939, Dorsey Sr. gave his two sons a pair of Gene Autry guitars. According to most sources, the brothers immediately broke them over each other's head. Dorsey Sr. then bought them two more guitars. Dorsey later recalled that their father had said "Learn to play those guitars. You can be like those folks on the Grand Ole Opry if you want to." Dorsey said that "he learned the G, C and E chords and when the strings broke, he would use baling wire".
After graduating from a Catholic high school in Memphis, Dorsey became a professional boxer before working at a number of daytime jobs, which included a cotton picker, an oiler on a Mississippi riverboat, a fisherman, a carpet layer. He was finally to work at the Crown Electric Company with Paul Burlison as an apprentice electrician and would spend six years studying for an electrician's license. Johnny Burnette also worked as a deck hand on barges, which traversed the Mississippi River and though they worked separately, each of them would bring his guitar on board and write songs during his spare time. After work, they would perform those and other songs together at local bars with a varying array of sidemen. Paul Burlison joined them after his discharge from the United States Armed Forces, and in 1952 or 1953, they formed a group, which may have been called The Rhythm Rangers at the time. Johnny Burnette sang the vocals and played acoustic guitar, Dorsey played bass, and Paul Burlison played lead guitar.
For economic reasons, in 1956, the three young men moved to New York City, where they got an audition with Ted Mack on The Original Amateur Hour. They won the competition three times in a row, which gained them a place in the finals and a recording contract with Coral Records and they officially became The Rock and Roll Trio. Promotional appearances were arranged on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Steve Allen's Tonight Show and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall, together with a summer tour with Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent. On September 9, 1956, they appeared as finalists in the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour at Madison Square Garden. Despite all of this activity, however, the three singles released over this period failed to make the national charts.[citation needed]
To cover their living expenses, the Trio was forced to go on the road. This exhausting regime led to squabbles, which were exacerbated in Dorsey's case by Johnny's use of the name Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio on records and live dates. Things finally came to a head at a gig in Niagara Falls in the fall of 1956, when as a result of a fight, Dorsey quit the group a week before they were to appear in Alan Freed's film Rock, Rock, Rock. Johnny Burnette and Paul Burlison recruited Johnny Black, the brother of Elvis Presley's bassist Bill Black, to fill Dorsey's place, and the Trio completed their spot in the film. Despite the film appearance and three more single releases and one LP release, the group failed to achieve any chart success, and the Trio officially disbanded in the fall of 1957. [citation needed]
Colin Escott of Showtime Magazine states that during or after his stint with his own trio, Dorsey recorded a demo session with Fabor Robinson (owner of Fabor Records, co-owner of Abbott Records and sometime manager of Johnny Horton and Jim Reeves). French researchers Giles Vignal and Marc Alesina place the demo session at the Sun Records Studio in November 1956, and they have Dorsey's being backed by Johnny Burnette and Paul Burlison. "Let's Fall in Love" and four other tracks were cut, but all are believed to be lost. On November 24, 1956, Dorsey went to a session at the Fabor Studio in Malibu, California, where he cut four tracks: "The Devil Queen", "Let's Fall in Love", "At a Distance" and "Jungle Magic". These tracks were released as two singles: "Let's Fall in Love/The Devil's Queen" (Abbott 188–45) on November 24, 1956, and "Jungle Magic/At a Distance" (Abbott 190–45) on February 23, 1957. Fabor Robinson offered to place Dorsey on either the Louisiana Hayride or the Town Hall Party (the West Coast's leading showcase for country music).
After moving to California, Dorsey found work as an electrician to make ends meet and began writing songs in his spare time. Once he had become settled, Dorsey sent for his family. By the fall of 1957, Johnny Burnette was unemployed, and he tried his luck on the West Coast. With a friend, Joe Campbell, he hitched a ride in a railroad boxcar to Los Angeles, where they joined Dorsey. With their past differences forgotten, the brothers attempted to resurrect The Rock and Roll Trio by sending for Paul Burlison. He briefly joined them, but returned to Memphis and concentrated on his electrical business. Dorsey continued with his day job as an electrician to pay the family expenses, and he and Johnny continued with their song-writing activities in their spare time.[citation needed]