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.

Background and early career

Dorsey William Burnett Jr. was born on December 28, 1932, to Willie Mae and Dorsey William Burnett Sr. in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

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".

The single "The Greatest Love"/"Thin Little, Simple Little, Plain Little Girl" (Liberty 56087) was released in late 1968 and was in "hitbound" status on some radio stations as of December 25, 1968.

Johnny Burnette's death

Three months later Dorsey Burnette suffered a family tragedy from which, according to most sources, he never fully recovered. On August 14, 1964, his brother Johnny had gone on a fishing trip on Clear Lake, California. After dark, his tiny, unlit fishing boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser, and the impact threw him into the lake where he drowned. Dorsey was distraught, and he telephoned Paul Burlison, who immediately flew to comfort him. The two men renewed their friendship, and Johnny Burnette was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His last two Mel-O-Dy singles, "Jimmy Brown"/"Everybody's Angel" (Mel-O-Dy 116) released October 1964 and "Long Long Time Ago"/"Ever Since the World Began" (Mel-O-Dy 118), released in November 1964, failed to make the charts. The label was discontinued in April 1965, and from then on, Dorsey recorded without luck on a series of labels, including Liberty, Merri, Happy Tiger, Music Factory, Smash (where he re-recorded "Tall Oak Tree"), Mercury, Hickory and Condor, which released "The Magnificent Sanctuary Band"/"Can't You See It Happening" (Condor FF-1005) on February 7, 1970. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Final public performance

Dorsey last appeared in public on August 18, 1979 (the day before he died), at The Performing Arts Center in Oxnard, California. He played a half-hour show at a benefit for the Arthritis Foundation.

Patrick Landreville, who played the final show with Dorsey, stated:<blockquote>Most people that play benefits for national or international charities get paid for their performances, at the least their expenses are paid. But Dorsey and I choose to play for free at these affairs, though neither one of us is well off financially. Dorsey is a legendary figure in music and could command a hefty sum for his services but he's chosen to give, not to take. I'm proud to know him and to have had the opportunity to make music with him and I'm especially proud that he considers me his peer.</blockquote>

Legacy

After his death, singer and friend Delaney Bramlett organized a benefit concert for Dorsey Burnette's widow at The Forum in Inglewood, California, where Kris Kristofferson, Hoyt Axton, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Edward James Olmos, Duane Eddy, Delaney & Bonnie, Gary Busey, Maureen McGovern and Roger Miller appeared. Burnette's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Discography

Albums

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Album

! US Country

! Label

| 1960

| Tall Oak Tree

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Era

| 1963

| Dorsey Burnette Sings

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Dot

| 1963

| Country Sound, City Sound

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Canadian Point

| 1969

| Dorsey Burnette's Greatest Hits

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Era

| 1972

| Here & Now

| style="text-align:center;" | 37

| rowspan="2" | Capitol

| 1973

| Dorsey Burnette

| style="text-align:center;" | 41

| 1974

| Comin' Back

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Trip

| 1976

| Dorsey

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Buckboard

| 1977

| This Is Dorsey Burnette

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| MC

| 1977

| Things I Treasure

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Calliope

| 1979

| Tall Oak Tree

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Koala

| 1979

| Golden Hits of Dorsey Burnette

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Gusto

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2" | Year

! rowspan="2" | Single

! colspan="4" | Chart Positions

! rowspan="2" | Album

! style="width:45px;" | US Country

! style="width:45px;" | US

! style="width:45px;" | CAN Country

! style="width:45px;" | CAN

| rowspan="4" | 1960

| "(There Was a) Tall Oak Tree"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 23

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="3" | Tall Oak Tree

| "Hey Little One"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 48

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 102

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "The Ghost of Billy Malloo"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 103

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| single only

| 1961

| "Feminine Touch"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 117

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| Dorsey Burnette Sings

| 1962

| "I'm A Waitin' For Ya Baby"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| single only

| 1962

| "Darling Jane"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| single only

| 1969

| "The Greatest Love"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 67

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 57

| single only

| rowspan="3" | 1972

| "In the Spring (The Roses Always Turn Red)"

| style="text-align:center;" | 21

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="3" | Here & Now

| "I Just Couldn't Let Her Walk Away"

| style="text-align:center;" | 40

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "Lonely to Be Alone"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="3" | 1973

| "I Let Another Good One Get Away"

| style="text-align:center;" | 42

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="4" | Dorsey Burnette

| "Keep Out of My Dreams"

| style="text-align:center;" | 53

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "Darlin' (Don't Come Back)" (with Sound Company)

| style="text-align:center;" | 26

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 31

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="4" | 1974

| "It Happens Every Time" (with Sound Company)

| style="text-align:center;" | 85

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "Bob, All the Playboys and Me" (with Sound Company)

| style="text-align:center;" | 69

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="6" | singles only

| "Daddy Loves You Honey"

| style="text-align:center;" | 62

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "What Ladies Can Do (When They Want To)"

| style="text-align:center;" | 71

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="2" | 1975

| "Molly (I Ain't Gettin' Any Younger)"

| style="text-align:center;" | 28

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 36

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| "Lyin' in Her Arms Again"

| style="text-align:center;" | 97

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| 1976

| "Ain't No Heartbreak"

| style="text-align:center;" | 74

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 45

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="2" | 1977

| "Things I Treasure"

| style="text-align:center;" | 31

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="2" | Things I Treasure

| "Soon as I Touched Her"

| style="text-align:center;" | 53

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| 1979

| "Here I Go Again"

| style="text-align:center;" | 77

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| rowspan="2" | singles only

| 1980

| "B.J. Kick-a-Beaux"

| style="text-align:center;" | —

References

External links

Johnny Burnette's Rock 'n' Roll Trio – general info.
Motown Records by LG Nilsson – For details of Mel-O-Dy Records and its artists
Survey of American Popular Music by Frank Hoffmann – Dorsey and Johnny Burnette