I've always known that i was very fortunate to have been around in the early days of rock-a-billy and to have got to know some of the people i did. among my dearest friends i'll always remember are the burnette brothers. this is the first opportunity i have ever had to say publicly that i loved those boys and think that they were two of the most talented rock-a-billys that i've ever known.

the Johnny Burnette Trio thrilled me to the bone one night on the ted mack amateur hour when they were going for their third win. i remember i was on the road in a hotel somewhere and they did blue suede shoes and won. it was something i knew they could do. it never surprised me that they reached the heights in the music business that they did.

both of the boys were the kind of talent and the kind of men that you don't find every day. they lived their lives the way they wanted to live them. they didn't copy anybody, and nobody pushed them around. if they wanted to say something, they said it; if they wanted to fight, they fought; and if they wanted to love, they loved. they loved as deeply as anybody i've ever known, and for that they will never be forgotten.

the world suffered a loss when both of these boys had to go. but somehow, i feel that somewhere they are making their own type of music, because when the burnette boys were around they were always doing it their way.

- Carl Perkins, 1982

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