Cedric Burnside

Cedric O. Burnside (born August 26, 1978)^[2] is an American electric blues drummer, guitarist singer and songwriter. He is the grandson of R. L. Burnside on his mother's side,^[3] whilst his father was the blues drummer Calvin Jackson.^[4]

Amongst many others, Burnside has played drums, either live or on record, with R. L. Burnside, Jessie Mae Hemphill, John Hermann, Kenny Brown, Richard Johnston, Jimmy Buffett, T-Model Ford, Paul "Wine" Jones, Widespread Panic, Afrissippi, and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

Burnside won his fourth overall, and third consecutive Blues Music Award in May 2014, in the category of 'Instrumentalist - Drums'.^[10]

Life and musical career

He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States,^[3] to Calvin Jackson and Linda Burnside,^[11] and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi,^[12] in the house of his grandfather, R. L. Burnside, and the extended family. By the age of 13, he began to tour with his grandfather's band, as a drummer.^[12] He had overlapped his father's time in the band, and would eventually replace him on the drums.

In 2002, Burnside played on Richard Johnston's debut album, Foot Hill Stomp.^[13] Burnside followed this two years later by playing percussion on Johnston's Official Bootleg #1 album.^[14]

A short term partnership of Cedric with his uncle Garry Burnside in 2006, saw them record The Record, billed as Burnside Exploration.^[15] They have had tour dates as opening act and jam partners for Widespread Panic.^[16][17]

Later in 2006 in Clarksdale, Mississippi,^[18] Burnside teamed up with Lightnin' Malcolm, and they both toured and recorded the Juke Joint Duo album.^[12] In addition they released Two Man Wrecking Crew in 2008.^[19] Jason Ricci played harmonica and Etta Britt performed backing vocals on Two Man Wrecking Crew.^[20] It won a Blues Music Award for 'Best New Artist Debut' in 2009.^[19] The duo also toured with the Big Head Blues Club, a collaboration which led to them jointly recording the album, 100 Years Of Robert Johnson in 2011, to mark the centennial of the birth of Robert Johnson.^[19]

Another collaboration followed, this time with his younger sibling, Cody Burnside, plus his uncle, Garry Burnside, which created the Cedric Burnside Project. Since 2011 he has recorded and toured with Trenton Ayers. In 2011, The Way I Am album was released.^[21] Burnside's brother, Cody, died in 2012,^[12] and their father followed on 2015.^[22]

In late 2012 he recorded the album Allison Burnside Express with Bernard Allison, released in 2014.^[23]

Burnside's 2013's Hear Me When I Say,^[24] and the later Descendants of Hill Country (2015), were issued under the Cedric Burnside Project name and using the guitar playing of Ayers. The latter was funded using a Kickstarter campaign.^[25]

In 2013, Burnside won the Memphis Blues Award as 'Drummer of the Year' for the third time.^[12]

Burnside has had cameo appearances in three films to date; Tempted and Big Bad Love (both 2001), plus Black Snake Moan (2006).^[4][26]

The album Desendants of Hill Country, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Blues Album.^[27]

Festivals

Burnside has performed at the following festivals in recent years (all with Lightnin' Malcolm): Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival (2008), Memphis in May, Notodden Blues Festival (both 2009), and Voodoo Experience (2010).

Discography

^[12][28]

See also

• List of electric blues musicians

References

External links and further reading

• Official Website
• 2014 interview with Burnside
• Extended discography at CD Universe
• "Interview. Matthew Joseph with Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm, musicians". Clio.lib.olemiss.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• "Mississippi Hill Country Blues, The Next Generation", Living Blues. Issue 189, April 2007.
• Cedric Burnside coverage by WXPN Mississippi Blues Project