Dorsey Burnette is the father of country musician and former Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette.
27 Facts About Dorsey Burnette
1.
2.
Dorsey Burnette's younger brother, John Joseph "Johnny" Burnett, was born on March 25,1934.
3.
Dorsey Burnette was a competent athlete with an interest in boxing.
4.
In 1949, Dorsey Burnette was introduced to another young boxing contender named Paul Burlison by Jimmy Denson, his boxing teacher, and they were to become friends.
5.
Dorsey Burnette 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.
6.
Johnny Dorsey Burnette 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.
7.
Johnny Burnette sang the vocals and played acoustic guitar, Dorsey played bass, and Paul Burlison played lead guitar.
8.
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 Burnette quit the group a week before they were to appear in Alan Freed's film Rock, Rock, Rock.
9.
Colin Escott of Showtime Magazine states that during or after his stint with his own trio, Dorsey Burnette recorded a demo session with Fabor Robinson.
10.
Once he had become settled, Dorsey Burnette sent for his family.
11.
Dorsey Burnette briefly joined them, but returned to Memphis and concentrated on his electrical business.
12.
Dorsey Burnette 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.
13.
Dorsey Burnette was looking for a singer to help him with "Bertha Lou", a new song.
14.
Babcock had Dorsey Burnette's voice overdubbed with that of Johnny Faire.
15.
In late 1959, Dorsey Burnette offered "Tall Oak Tree" to Ricky Nelson, who turned it down.
16.
Now signed to Era Records, Dorsey Burnette recorded the song himself, and it was released on January 11,1960, backed with "Juarez Town".
17.
Dorsey Burnette was the first of the Burnette Brothers to have a hit record.
18.
Dorsey Burnette had three singles released during his time with Dot.
19.
At Reprise, Dorsey Burnette worked with producer Jimmy Bowen and arranger Jack Nitzsche and had two single releases in 1962.
20.
Three months later Dorsey Burnette suffered a family tragedy from which, according to most sources, he never fully recovered.
21.
Dorsey Burnette was distraught, and he telephoned Paul Burlison, who immediately flew to comfort him.
22.
Dorsey Burnette was voted Most Promising Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1974, and in all, he had 15 country hits, but none made the top 20.
23.
Dorsey Burnette is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
24.
Dorsey Burnette last appeared in public on August 18,1979, at The Performing Arts Center in Oxnard, California.
25.
Dorsey Burnette played a half-hour show at a benefit for the Arthritis Foundation.
26.
Dorsey Burnette is a legendary figure in music and could command a hefty sum for his services but he's chosen to give, not to take.
27.
Dorsey Burnette's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.