James Burton - Guitar Man    Return to Oldies

Dale Hawkins - 1957
James Burton's 'lick'

Susie-Q

Bob Luman - 1957
and the Shadows

This Is The Night

'Ricky Nelson Years'
1958-1966

Just a Little Too Much

1958 James Burton
Lead Guitar!

Believe What You Say

Co-writers
Burton & Kirkland!

There Goes My Baby

1961 solo
by James Burton!

Hello Mary Lou

1962 Hit
written by Jerry Fuller

It's Up To You

1963 - Ricky Nelson
marries Kris Harmon

Fools Rush In

1968 Instrumental CD
with Ralph Mooney

Corn Pickin

'Elvis Years'
1969-1977

Wonder of You

Elvis always said
'Play it, James'

Johnny B Goode

TCB Band members
Drums - Ronnie Tutt (rt)
Piano - Glen Hardin (2nd)

Burnin Love

1974 Elvis version
of Chuck Berry's song

Promised Land

Emmylou Harris 1975
'Hot Band'

Ooh Las Vegas

'John Denver Years'
1977-1994

Dreamland Express

Black & White Night
Roy Orbison 1987
Roy, James & The Boss...

Ooby Dooby

SUSIE-Q performed by Dale Hawkins (lyrics) with James Burton and a few others creating the music. James was 15 and working for the radio show, Louisiana Hayride. The documents for music credit were doctored and at least 6 different names have claimed credit!
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT Bob Luman formed the Shadows with James Burton as lead guitar and James Kirkland as his bass player. He took them to California to make the movie, Carnival Rock.
Ricky got James Burton and bass player James Kirkland from Bob Luman. Burton lived his 1st two years with the Nelsons. Ricky would later be James Kirkland's best man at his wedding.
BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY was one of the earliest recordings with James on lead guitar. James was often see on the family TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
FOOLS RUSH IN Ricky Nelson and Kris begin a marriage which would become turbulent involving drugs and a tragic plane crash.
In the 60's James began working as a session guitarist for a group of studio musicians labeled later as the Wrecking Crew. He would often work 4-6 (3 hour) sessions, seven days a week. In 1968 he and Ralph Mooney put out an instrumental CD including Corn Pickin written by James. It refers to the James Burton style where he used 4 banjo strings to help him with his sound and style of pickin.
With his 1968 Comeback Special Elvis needed a band for concerts and recordings. James helped him create the TCB Band (Taking Care of Business) and stayed with Elvis to the end.
James was now able to continue working with other artists, in concert and in recording sessions. Emmylou Harris started up her own band and included James in 1975. Burton would always return to Elvis for concerts and recordings. He toured and recorded with Elvis Costello starting in 1986. In 1988 (still working with John Denvers), James was lead guitar in the special Roy Orbison concert, Black & White Night. It was filmed and recorded in Los Angeles with so many music legends.
In 1997 John Denver's plane went down off the California coast.

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