Sonny Burns: 1959-1968

If That Ain't Country

In this week's episode we're turning the spotlight on Texan Sonny Burns' second attempt at recording success during the years 1959-1968. What little information there is on Burns' career usually centres on his association with George Jones while at Starday Records: it's country music folklore that Burns famously missed (what turned out to be) a hit duet session with The Possum and stymied his own career in favour of bourbon and women. However, after resurfacing in 1959 on TNT Records out of San Antonio, the early 60s saw a reunification with Pappy Daily at United Artists and Burns' lay down some of the finest honky tonk music of the decade, albeit with some added sheen as compared to his Starday material. '59-'68 produced some sensational sides for Sonny Burns and this week we run through a tonne of 'em, thirteen hardcore honky tonk nuggets in total. Dig it!