Aron Burton (born June 15, 1938) is an
American electric and Chicago blues singer, bass guitarist and songwriter.
In a long career as a sideman he has played with Freddie King, Albert
Collins and Junior Wells, and has released a number of solo albums,
including Good Blues to You (1999, Delmark). His own recorded work has been
nominated four times for a Blues Music Award in the 'Blues Instrumentalist -
Bass' category.
Biography
Burton was born in Senatobia, Mississippi, United States. He sang in a
number of local churches, and was a co-founder with his cousin of the group,
the Victory Travelers. Burton relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. His
musical career commenced the following year, playing the bass backing for
Freddie King. King purchased Burton's first bass guitar.
Burton served in the United States Army between 1961 and 1965, but upon
discharge found employment variously playing with Baby Huey & the
Babysitters, Junior Wells (with whom Burton toured between 1969 and 1972)
and Fenton Robinson. Burton also
undertook recording sessions with George 'Wild
Child' Butler, Jackie Ross and Carey Bell
(Heartaches and Pain, 1977). Burton also recorded a solo single, 'Garbage
Man', which was released by Cleartone Records.
In 1978, Burton joined his brother, Larry, in
Albert Collins' backing band, the Icebreakers, and Burton appeared on
Collins's Grammy Award nominated album, Ice Pickin'. He also toured with
Collins before leaving his ensemble in the early 1980s. In the meantime,
Burton worked as a horticulturist for twenty years in Garfield Park
Conservatory, under the auspices of the Chicago Park District. Burton found
further work playing with James Cotton, Johnny Littlejohn and Fenton
Robinson (again), before relocating to Europe for a time in the late 1980s.
Whilst there, Burton recorded Usual Dangerous Guy, with
Champion Jack Dupree playing the
piano accompaniment.
By the early 1990s, Burton had returned to Chicago, and Earwig Records
issued the compilation album, Past, Present, & Future (1993). It included
material recorded between 1986 and 1993, both in Europe and the United
States, and established Burton as a frontman rather than supporting
musician. Burton appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1994, where he
was joined on stage by Liz Mandville Greeson. She also sang on a couple of
tracks of Burton's live album, Aron Burton Live in 1996, which was recorded
at Buddy Guy's club, 'Legends'. The following year, Burton and his brother
played at the Chicago Blues Festival. This led on to Delmark Records
releasing Good Blues to You in 1999.
Burton co-wrote a track on Too Slim and the
Taildraggers' 2000 album, King Size Troublemakers.
