Alvin Burroughs

Alvin Burroughs (November 21, 1911 – August 1, 1950) was an American swing jazz drummer.

Burroughs played in Kansas City with Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928–29 and then with Alphonse Trent's territory band in 1930.

Moving to Chicago, he played with Hal Draper's Arcadians (1935), Horace Henderson (July 1937–38), and Earl Hines (September 1938–40); with Hines he recorded extensively. In the early 1940s he worked with Milt Larkin's band at the Rhumboogie Club, Benny Carter (late 1942), and Red Allen (late 1944–April 46), in addition to leading his own band. He was in George Dixon's quartet in 1950 when he died of a heart attack. He never recorded as a leader.

Birth and Death Data: Born Mobile (county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States), Died August 1, 1950 (Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1944

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums, traps

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 38 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-038255 10-in. 7/12/1939 Indiana Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-038256 10-in. 7/12/1939 G. T. stomp Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-038257 10-in. 7/12/1939 Ridin' and jivin' Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-038258 10-in. 7/12/1939 Grand Terrace shuffle Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-038259 10-in. 7/12/1939 Father steps in Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-038260 10-in. 7/12/1939 Piano man Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040474 10-in. 10/6/1939 Riff medley Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040475 10-in. 10/6/1939 Me and Columbus Earl Hines Orchestra ; Laura Rucker Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040476 10-in. 10/6/1939 X Y Z Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040477 10-in. 10/6/1939 'Gator swing Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040478 10-in. 10/6/1939 After all I've been to you Earl Hines Orchestra ; Walter Fuller Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040479 10-in. 10/6/1939 Lightly and politely Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-040480 10-in. 10/6/1939 Rosetta Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with piano solo instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-047055 10-in. 2/13/1940 Boogie woogie on St. Louis blues Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-047056 10-in. 2/13/1940 Deep forest Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-047057 10-in. 2/13/1940 My heart beats for you Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-047058 10-in. 2/13/1940 Number 19 Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051521 10-in. 6/19/1940 Wait 'till it happens to you Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051522 10-in. 6/19/1940 Call me happy Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051523 10-in. 6/19/1940 Ann Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051524 10-in. 6/19/1940 Topsy-turvy Earl Hines Orchestra ; Walter Fuller Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051525 10-in. 6/19/1940 Blue because of you Earl Hines Orchestra ; Leroy Harris Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051526 10-in. 6/19/1940 You can depend on me Earl Hines Orchestra ; Walter Fuller Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-051527 10-in. 6/19/1940 Tantalizing a Cuban Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor PBS-055175 10-in. 12/2/1940 Easy rhythm Earl Hines Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 1-25 of 38 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Burroughs, Alvin," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107189.

Burroughs, Alvin. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107189.

"Burroughs, Alvin." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107189

External Sources

Wikipedia: Alvin Burroughs

Discogs: Alvin Burroughs

Allmusic: Alvin Burroughs

Grove: Alvin Burroughs

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Burroughs, Alvin - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94120288

Wikidata: Alvin Burroughs - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q449051

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/76505711

MusicBrainz: Alvin Burroughs - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8778a67e-3f54-4ac4-937e-db905cb76712

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