BILLY BURNETTE, WRITER OF HITS FOR RAY CHARLES, ROY ORBISON, EVERLY BROTHERS, BONNIE RAITT AND MORE

The ‘Billy’ of Rockabilly Inducted Into Rockabilly

Hall of Fame

On Heels of Album Release Rock N Roll With It

 First Studio Album By Burnette In A Decade

Billy Burnette recorded his first single at age 7, recorded a song with Herb Alpert at 11, toured Japan at 13, and started an album career at 18. He starred in movies, and wrote hit songs for Ray Charles & Bonnie Raitt, Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette, Faith Hill, Cher, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Loretta Lynn, Fleetwood Mac, Glen Campbell, George Strait (Strait's 44^th number one last year) and more. He recorded and toured as part of Fleetwood Mac for 8 years, was a guitarist in Bob Dylan’s band - and more recently with John Fogerty. But what Burnette really loves to do? Is making rockabilly music.

His just released his first studio album in a decade, filled with original songs and plenty of rockabilly. Rock N Roll With It, released digitally in June, is currently a featured release on iTunes for 3 weeks running, and was recently released to radio. And, on November 12, he will be inducted into the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, TN. He ought to be, the style was actually named after him.

Burnette is the “Billy” in the term “rockabilly.” Born in Memphis, along with cousin Rocky, the boys were the inspiration for “Rock Billy Boogie” recorded by his father and uncle known as “Johnny Burnette And The Rock And Roll Trio” in 1957. The Burnettes wrote monster hits like “Train Kept A-Rollin” “You’re Sixteen,” “It’s Late,” and influenced the careers of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Yardbirds and others. “Elvis used to spend many evenings jamming with the band,” recalls Billy. “I met Paul McCartney and he said that the Trio were one of his and John’s (Lennon’s) influences – nobody was making music like that back then.”

“My dad’s music seems to have an energy all its own, and this is the style I enjoy playing the most. And I thought it was time for me to do an album like this, and give people some real rockabilly,” shares Burnette. “This describes, for the first time in a long time, who I really am - all I can say is it's what I do and it's part of my DNA.”

“I wrote the title track, it says it all really. Just go with it, let it go. It should be easy to roll with some good music.” It’s also the name of the recording label he’s started, which is already meeting with success. The only ballad-type song on the record, “Only The River Knows,” is featured in the movie Blue Crush 2. “It’s kind of my tribute to Roy Orbison. It’s one of my favorite songs now.”

Burnette wrote “Hot Rod Hillbilly” with frequent collaborator Shawn Camp about Junior Johnson, the infamous moonshine runner and the first Nascar driver. “It’s a real hillbilly rockabilly.” He and Camp also wrote “My Love Will Not Change,” both a country and bluegrass hit for others.

In addition to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame induction, Burnette has Nashville shows lined up including The Americana Music Convention and 3^rd & Lindsley.

Watch Billy Burnette EPK on www.billyburnette.net