Burton Cummings

Biography

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1947, Burton Cummings started his rock and roll career in Winnipeg as a teenager with The Devrons. In the decades since he has enjoyed enormous success both with The Guess Who and as a solo artist.

Cummings joined the Guess Who in 1966 as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. Frontman Chad Allen soon quit, and the more dynamic Cummings assumed his rightful place as front man and one of two primary songwriters (along with guitarist Randy Bachman). In 1968, the band gained momentum by appearing on the popular CBC after-school music showcase Let's Go and releasing the album Wheatfield Soul, which included the song "These Eyes", their first million-selling single. The following year the band's single "American Woman" became thier first No. 1 hit in the United States, while the album of the same name went gold with sales over 500,000.

At the height of the Guess Who's fame, in 1970, Bachman left the band, leaving Cummings to take over the reigns himself. Hits like "Share The Land", "Hand Me Down World", "Hang On to Your Life" followed. In 1975, Cummings performed with the band at the Montreal Forum for what many believed would be the last time before officially leaving the group. Cummings embarked on his solo career in 1976 and promptly scored a hit with "Stand Tall".

There have been a number of Guess Who reunions since 1983, when the core lineup of Cummings, Bachman, Kale and drummer Garry Peterson reformed for a reunion tour, but it proved to be short-lived. On August 8, 1999, they got together again to play at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Performing in the driving rain they were seen by a crowd of 22,000; another 914,000 watched the performance on TV. A full reunion tour was launched in the spring of 2000. The tour was a huge success and was documented in December 2000 by the double-CD live album Runnin' Back Thru Canada.

Most recently, Cummings and the band joined Blue Rodeo, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush and others at the famous “SARSstock” concert in Toronto on July 30 2003, playing in front of nearly 500,000 fans in support of the city’s economy in the wake of a SARS outbreak earlier in the year.

The Guess Who's contributions to music have been well-recognized over the years. In 1987, they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of fame. Ten years later they were the first band named to the Prarie Music Hall of Fame. In 2001 members of The Guess Who were awarded doctorates from the University of Brandon (Manitoba) and the band was given its star Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. In 2002 the band received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award and were the first artists to be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, an honour normally reserved for music industry executives.

Burton Cummings' Solo Work

The split between Guess Who front man Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman was legendary, as their "musical differences" became well-aired dirty laundry for all to see. Yet both went on to further success. On his self-titled debut, Cummings even took a shot at his larger than life partner with a cocktail lounge version of "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet", stuttered lyrics and all. The album also featured the anthemic "Stand Tall", which served as the breakout smash that established Cummings as an artist in his own right.

Dream Of A Child, Cummings' third album, went on to win the Juno for the best selling record of the year (1978), and became the first triple platinum release by a Canadian artist. His string of hit singles and albums continued throughout the 70's and 80's. Even after the hits dried up, he continued to prove his worth as a songwriter with one solid release after another.

In 2001, Cummings received an honorary Doctorate of Music from The University of Guelph.

Most recently Cummings reunited with his old partner Randy Bachman to release The Bachman Cummings Songbook and embarked on the sold-out, 17-date First Time Around tour. Bachman & Cummings launched their reunion with a CBC TV special that showcased Randy and Burton in front of a small audience, performing classic hits and sharing the stories behind the songs with the audience.

Sources: Jam Music Canadian Music Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, the Allmusic Guide, The Canadain Enclopedia, CARAS official website

Relationship to Blue Rodeo

The members of Blue Rodeo have long been fans of Burton Cummings and The Guess Who. They have shared the stage with Burton Cummings and also performed at many of the same events:

Blue Rodeo performed at the Toronto Kumbaya Festival in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The 1995 Festival included a performance of "No Sugar Tonight" with Change of Heart and Anne Bourne, among other songs.
Both Blue Rodeo and Burton Cummings appear on 1996's Q107's Concerts in the Sky: The Campfire Versions. Burton Cummings played "Sour Suite" and Blue Rodeo played "Is It You."
The Guess Who and Blue Rodeo played Winnipeg's Pan Am games in 1999 on separate nights.
On September 11, 1999, CTV aired a TV special called Trail of Dreams: A Musical Celebration in support of the new Trans Canada Trail. The show featured numerous special guests including Blue Rodeo and Burton Cummings.
Blue Rodeo and Burton Cummings shared the stage in Windsor in 1999, playing "American Woman" and "Shakin' All Over together."
The Guess Who peformed at the “SARSstock” concert in Toronto on July 30, 2003. Blue Rodeo was also on the bill.

Quotes

"When we played with Burton I was shocked that his voice was so strong and still intact. We had to move back on the stage. Burton's voice is gigantic!" - Jim Cuddy

"Oh, he's the greatest! We played with him in Windsor about a year ago. We performed 'American Woman' and 'Shakin All Over' together. He was just incredible. Yeah, he's excellent!" - Greg Keelor

"I've always been a fan of Burton Cummings. I saw The Guess Who live at the CNE when they were still playing cover tunes. I saw them play 'Sunshine of Your Love' by The Cream. I was a fan all through the days as they became stars. Being Canadian, you get to see them a lot." - Bazil Donovan

"I have two older sisters. When I was about 12, one was dating a Vietnam Vet who had come home by then. There was quite a generation gap in our house, and a lot of discussions about war and politics. The main album in the house at the time was 1968's Wheatfield Soul." - Bob Egan

"Burton has one of the strongest voices I've ever heard. He sang into Jim's mike and monitor, and he was the loudest thing on stage. Man, I can see why he's so famous. He has a great presence." - Glenn Milchem

"I was briefly introduced to Burton Cummings when we played in Windsor last year. Playing together was a lot a fun. Burton has a big, powerful voice. His dynamic propelled The Guess Who ... I was heavily influenced by The Guess Who. I love their music. I saw them as a kid in their latter years. I missed out on seeing them with Randy Bachman. I would go see them yearly at the (CNE) Grandstand. Now, Burton is at the stage where he can just go and play all the hits. That's all he needs to do." - James Gray

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