Aron Burton (June 15, 1938 – February 29, 2016) was an American

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

and

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...

singer, bass guitarist and songwriter. In a long career as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...

he played with

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Mos ...

Albert Collins Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. ...

and

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song "Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album ''Hoodoo Man Blues'' ...

and released a number of solo albums, including ''Good Blues to You'' (

Delmark Records Delmark Records is an American jazz and blues independent record label. It was founded in 1958 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when then owner, and founder, Bob Koester released a recordi ...

, 1999). His recorded work was nominated four times for a

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

in the category Blues Instrumentalist—Bass.

Biography

Burton was born on June 15, 1938, in

Senatobia, Mississippi Senatobia is a city in, and the county seat of, Tate County, Mississippi, United States, and is the 16th largest municipality in the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The population was 8,165 at the 2010 census. Senatobia is the home of Northwest Miss ...

. He sang in several local churches and with his cousin founded a singing group, the Victory Travelers. Burton relocated to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, in 1955. His musical career commenced the following year, when he played the bass accompanying

. King purchased Burton's first

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

. Burton served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

between 1961 and 1965. Upon discharge he found employment playing with

Baby Huey & the Babysitters Baby Huey & the Babysitters was an American band formed in Gary, Indiana. The band, founded in 1963, was the idea of organist / trumpeter Melvyn Jones and guitarist Johnny Ross. James Ramey was their front man, and he adopted the stage name of " ...

(with whom Burton toured between 1969 and 1972) and

Fenton Robinson Fenton Lee Robinson (September 23, 1935 – November 25, 1997) was an American blues singer and exponent of the Chicago blues guitar. Biography Robinson was born near Greenwood, Mississippi. He left home at the age of 18 and moved to Memphis, ...

. He contributed to recording sessions with

George "Wild Child" Butler George "Wild Child" Butler (October 1, 1936 – March 1, 2005) was an American blues harmonica player, and vocalist. Career Butler was born October 1, 1936, in Autaugaville, Alabama, and began playing blues music in bands in the late 1950s, but ...

Jackie Ross Jackie Ross (born Jaculyn Bless Ross, 30 January 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States) is an American soul music, soul singer. Ross sang gospel music as a child, and performed on a radio show run by her parents, both preachers. After her f ...

Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon (April 12, 1926 – February 17, 1984) was an American Chicago blues bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. McMahon played bass guitar in Howlin' Wolf's backing ensemble for over a decade. He also backed a number of ...

and

Carey Bell Carey Bell Harrington (November 14, 1936 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues musician who played harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica and bass guitar for other blues musicians from the late 1950s to the early 1970s bef ...

(''Heartaches and Pain'', 1977). He also recorded a solo

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

, "Garbage Man", released by Cleartone Records. In 1978, Burton joined his brother, Larry, in

's backing band, the Icebreakers, and performed on Collins's

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

–nominated album ''

Ice Pickin' ''Ice Pickin is a studio album by Albert Collins, released in 1978. It was Collins's breakthrough album. ''Ice Pickin was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award. Production The album was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago. ''The Guardian'' wrote o ...

''. He also toured with Collins before leaving his ensemble in the early 1980s. In the meantime, he worked as a horticulturist for twenty years in

Garfield Park Conservatory Garfield Park Conservatory, located in Garfield Park in Chicago, is one of the largest greenhouse conservatories in the United States. Often referred to as "landscape art under glass", the Garfield Park Conservatory occupies approximately insi ...

, under the auspices of the

Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatories ...

. He found further work playing with

James Cotton James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career. ...

Johnny Littlejohn John Wesley Funchess (April 16, 1931 – February 1, 1994) known professionally as John (or Johnny) Littlejohn, was an American electric blues slide guitarist. He was active on the Chicago blues circuit from the 1950s to the 1980s. Biography ...

and Fenton Robinson (again), before relocating to Europe for a time in the late 1980s. While there, Burton recorded ''Usual Dangerous Guy'', with piano accompaniment by

Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orleans ...

. By the early 1990s, Burton had returned to Chicago. Earwig Records issued the

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

''Past, Present, & Future'' (1993), a collection of recordings made between 1986 and 1993, in Europe and the United States, which established him as a

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

rather than a supporting musician. He appeared at the

Chicago Blues Festival The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June, that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the Chicago, Illinois, City of Chicago Department of Cu ...

in 1994, where he was joined on stage by Liz Mandeville. She also sang on a couple of tracks of Burton's

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''Aron Burton Live'' (1996), recorded at

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray V ...

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

. The following year, Burton and his brother played at the Chicago Blues Festival. This led to the album ''Good Blues to You'', released by

in 1999. Burton co-wrote a song recorded by

Too Slim and the Taildraggers Too Slim and the Taildraggers is an American blues rock band formed in 1986 in Spokane, Washington, United States. The band has had six albums peak in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Top Blues Albums. Members currently consist of Tim "Too Slim" L ...

on the 2000 album ''King Size Troublemakers''. Aron Burton died in Chicago on February 29, 2016, of heart disease and diabetes.

Discography

Albums

Selected work with other musicians

*''Lickin' Gravy'',

, 1976 *''

Heartaches and Pain ''Heartaches and Pain'' is an album by the American blues musician Carey Bell, recorded in Chicago in 1977, but not released by the Delmark label until 1994.Carey Bell Carey Bell Harrington (November 14, 1936 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues musician who played harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica and bass guitar for other blues musicians from the late 1950s to the early 1970s bef ...

(Delmark, 1977

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

*''

'',

, 1978 *''High Compression'',

, 1984 *''Nightflight'',

, 1984 *''Million Dollar '',

Valerie Wellington Valerie Wellington (November 14, 1959 – January 2, 1993) was an American singer who, in her short career, switched from singing opera to singing Chicago blues and electric blues. On her 1984 album, ''Million Dollar Secret'', she worked wit ...

, 1984 *''Daddy, When Is Mama Comin' Home'',

Big Jack Johnson Jack N. Johnson, known as Big Jack Johnson (July 30, 1939 or 1940 – March 14, 2011) was an American electric blues musician, one of the "present-day exponents of an edgier, electrified version of the raw, uncut Delta blues sound." He was one ...

, 1991 *''Delta Bluesman'',

David "Honeyboy" Edwards David "Honeyboy" Edwards (June 28, 1915 – August 29, 2011) was a Delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi. Biography Edwards was born in Shaw, Mississippi.

, 1992 *''Boogie My Blues Away'',

Eddy Clearwater Edward Harrington (January 10, 1935 – June 1, 2018), better known by his stage name Eddy Clearwater, was an American blues musician who specialized in Chicago blues. ''Blues Revue'' said he plays "joyous rave-ups…he testifies with stunning ...

, 1995 *''Chicago Blues Session!'',

Willie Mabon Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

, 1995 *''Dream'',

John Littlejohn John Wesley Funchess (April 16, 1931 – February 1, 1994) known professionally as John (or Johnny) Littlejohn, was an American electric blues slide guitarist. He was active on the Chicago blues circuit from the 1950s to the 1980s. Biography ...

, 1995 *''You're Gonna Miss Me'',

Ann Sexton Ann Sexton (born Mary Ann Sexton, February 5, 1950) is an American soul singer who recorded mainly in the 1970s. Her biggest hit, "You're Gonna Miss Me", reached the R&B chart in 1973. Biography She was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and ...

, 1995 *''Look at Me'', Liz Mandeville, 1996 *''Live in Chicago'',

, 1997 *''Cool Blue'', Christian Rannenberg, 2000 *''Way Things Go'', Cleveland Fats, 2006

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Aron 1938 births 2016 deaths African-American guitarists American blues guitarists American male bass guitarists American blues singers Songwriters from Mississippi Blues musicians from Mississippi Electric blues musicians Chicago blues musicians People from Senatobia, Mississippi Songwriters from Illinois Guitarists from Illinois Guitarists from Mississippi Deaths from diabetes 20th-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Earwig Music artists African-American songwriters 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people American male songwriters

Biography

Discography

Albums

Selected work with other musicians

See also

References