James Burton
James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana, United States) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. He was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024. Critic Mark Deming writes that "Burton has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest guitar pickers in either country or rock ... Burton is one of the best guitar players to ever touch a fretboard." He is ranked number 24 in Rolling Stone list of 250 greatest guitarists of all time. Since the 1950s, Burton has recorded and performed with an array of singers, including Bob Luman, Dale Hawkins, Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley (and was leader of Presley's TCB Band), The Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Lee Hazlewood, Judy Collins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Claude King, Elvis Costello, Joe Osborn, Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, Hoyt Axton, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Young, Vince Gill, and Suzi Quatro. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Dubberly (village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1957 - 1968
Roles Represented in DAHR: lead guitar, guitar, Dobro, electric guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 139 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial | IM-1390 | 10-in. | 11/16/1957 | Have i told you lately that i love you | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1391 | 10-in. | 11/16/1957 | Be-bop baby | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1451 | 10-in. | 11/18/1957 | Stood up | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, lead guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1452 | 10-in. | 11/18/1957 | Waitin' in school | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, lead guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1508 | 10-in. | 2/17/1958 | My bucket's got a hole in it | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, lead guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1509 | 10-in. | 2/17/1958 | Believe what you say | Ricky Nelson | instrumentalist, lead guitar | ||
| Decca | L 13112 | 2/12/1963 | You don't love me anymore | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13113 | 2/12/1963 | I got a woman | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13131 | 3/7/1963 | What comes next? | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13132 | 3/7/1963 | Everytime I see you smiling | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13133 | 3/7/1963 | Everytime I think about you | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13134 | 3/7/1963 | For your sweet love | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13135 | 3/14/1963 | Gypsy woman-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13136 | 3/14/1963 | Little by little | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13137 | 3/14/1963 | I will follow you-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13138 | 3/21/1963 | Let's talk the whole thing over | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13139 | 3/21/1963 | One boy too late | Rick Nelson ; Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13150 | 3/20/1963 | I can't get started | Rick Nelson ; Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13194 | 4/2/1963 | Pick up the pieces | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13195 | 4/2/1963 | String along-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13233 | 7/16/1963 | You're free to go | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13234 | 7/16/1963 | Hello Mister Happiness-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13235 | 7/16/1963 | That same old feeling-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13236 | 7/30/1963 | Down home-1 | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |||
| Decca | L 13237 | 7/30/1963 | I rise, I fall | Rick Nelson | instrumentalist, electric guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Burton, James," accessed January 4, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201329.
Burton, James. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 4, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201329.
"Burton, James." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 4 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: James Burton
Discogs: James Burton
Allmusic: James Burton
IMDb: James Burton
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Burton, James, 1939- - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n90623790
Wikidata: James Burton - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q326937
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/100317221
MusicBrainz: James Burton - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/85234d2c-599e-46a3-b3f0-a349a5a7266e
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