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Bob Dylan has called DORSEY BURNETTE one of the best songwriters ever.
And, with great compositions like "Tall Oak Tree," and "Hey Little One," both of which became major hits for Dorsey in 1960, it's easy to understand why. Born December 28th, 1932, in Memphis, Tennessee, young Dorsey Burnette was a Golden Gloves divisional boxing champion (like brother Johnny) when he met another top fighter, Paul Burlison. They discovered they also shared similar musical interests. Eventually, Dorsey introduced Paul to his younger brother, and the legend of the JOHNNY BURNETTE ROCK'n ROLL TRIO began shaking things up in pre-Elvis Memphis. Unfortunately, despite screaming girls and regional breakouts, the Trio didn't break nationally and Dorsey left the group prior to their being filmed for the Alan Freed movie, ROCK ROCK ROCK. When Johnny soon tired of driving all over the country playing nightclubs without the rewards of a national hit, the Burnette brothers decided to gather up their families and boldly head west to Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. After Johnny once spent over 2 hours waiting for young Ricky's return in front of the home Ozzie and Harriet Nelson had built, Dorsey soon found himself cashing in on his songwriting talents, as the Burnette brothers delivered an impressive string of classic songs and mega-hits that helped built the credibility of the young Ricky Nelson, a future Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer. While Johnny wrote such hits as "Just A Little Too Much," and the two of them co-wrote "Waiting In School," and Ricky's signature "Believe What You Say," Dorsey also individually provided "It's Late," "A Long Vacation," "Excuse Me Baby," "Mad Mad World," "My One Desire," "Gypsy Woman," "Everytime I See You Smiling" and others. It wasn't uncommon back then to find maybe half the songs on an Imperial album release by Ricky were from the Burnettes. Finally the Burnettes had a string of hits. But now it was time to strike again as performers and not just songwriters. 1960 became a major Burnette year. Dorsey climbed the charts first with his classic "Tall Oak Tree" in February, then quickly underlined his arrival with his haunting "Hey Little One" just before Johnny soared with his summer release of "Dreamin'," and the November launch of "You're Sixteen." Between the two of them, you couldn't be in a car that year without knowing the name Burnette meant wonderful musical expression. And, as usual, the public also continued to enjoy Burnette hits that didn't necessarily put the Burnette name up front. A 1961 instrumental hit called "Green Grass Of Texas" was actually a Burnette composition featuring the performances of both Dorsey and brother Johnny.
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| Dorsey was soon lured away from Era Records by Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records, where producer Jimmy Bowen and arranger Jack Nitzche sought to build on the magical success of "Hey Little One." They rightfully envisioned an important new popular singer of expressive ballads. And, Dorsey delivered with exceptionally memorable recordings like the thundering heart-throbber "One Of The Lonely," or the equally memorable "Where's The Girl?" But as good as these songs were, Dorsey wasn't singing his songs. Others, like Brenda Lee, were singing such Dorsey Burnette compositions as "Here Comes That Feeling." There was no Reprise album, only some great single sides. Then Dorsey decided to return to his country roots.
At this point, you would have thought Dorsey was at the zenith of his career. In true Burnette fashion, he had one of the finest, most distinctive voices anywhere --- he had written some of the most memorable songs ever. But, instead, Dorsey was soon suffering from two totally unexpected blows in the mid-Sixties, the most devastating of which was the sudden and tragic accidental death of his beloved brother and companion, Johnny, on August 14, 1964. He never truly recovered from this lost. Then, in an era just at the dawn of the peace-love spiritual awakening of the youth culture, Dorsey's wonderful songs of social and ecological harmony became awkwardly "corny" to some. He wasn't necessarily "cool," and he found himself playing "bars" again as he began to be cast as an "oldies" artist rather than a vital force in the industry. It's also unfortunate that whereas rock'n'rollers were soon thinking of this rockabilly pioneer as a "country singer," the Nashville establishment didn't fully accept Dorsey as one of their own. And, in those pre-Garth days, you didn't make much money as a "country" artist unless you achieved Grand Old Opry styled fame. And those doors weren't opening easily for him, despite his measurable talents and contributions. Beginning with Capitol Records, however, Dorsey went on to chart 10 country hits. But, that feeling that his work wasn't fully being appreciated by country music's elite hurt him and found expression in such songs as "If Nashville Lets You Down." However, the Nashville establishment started to warm up to this exceptional talent, and, in a rather ironic moment some 20 years after he decided to become a professional, The Academy Of Country Music named Dorsey Burnette The Year's Most Promising Newcomer in 1973. Unfortunately, while still a young man of only 47, Dorsey's heart betrayed him on August 19th, 1979. But this man who loved music so much and, like his brother, had helped countless others during his career, did not leave unnoticed nor forgotten. As Johnny had discovered Glenn Campbell and The Carpenters, Dorsey had taken Little Stevie Wonder into a studio for his first recording sessions after hearing him play his harmonica once on a beach. He had also helped Roger Miller get his first recording contract, and also worked with young Jimi Hendrix, Leon Russell and others. And, as the Burnettes grieved his sudden lost, those whom he had helped and otherwise touched, soon embraced the Burnettes with a memorable star-studded tribute concert at the Forum in Inglewood which included Tanya Tucker, Glenn Campbell, Edward James Olmos, Kris Kristofferson, Duane Eddy, Delaney and Bonnie, Gary Busey and Maureen McGovern. Other major artists like Willie Nelson expressed their strong desire to be there in remembrance of Dorsey. But, what really touched many in this night of celebration was when the new Burnette generation took the stage with performances from Dorsey's son Billy Burnette and Johnny's rockabilly heir, Rocky Burnette. The music lives on. And so does the legacy of this great musical family. By Hank Zevallos, 1998 |
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