Burton Cummings is that rare artist who transcends time, genres, and generations with a body of work that continues to resonate with fans both old and new. His voice has been rated among the finest in rock music. Burton continues at the top of his game as a performer, singer, songwriter, and recording artist.
With a Winnipeg Community Centre and Performing Arts Centre named in his honor, Burton is a candidate for Canada’s most beloved rock ‘n’ roll son, yet he also enjoys a level of world-wide stature shared by only a handful of other Canadian artists.
As lead singer and songwriter for Canada’s original rock ‘n’ roll superstars, The Guess Who, Burton scored an unprecedented string of international hit singles and albums including “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “No Time,” “Share the Land,” “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature,” “Clap for the Wolfman”, “Albert Flasher” and others, all written or co-written by Burton. By 1970, The Guess Who had sold more records than the entire Canadian music industry combined before breaking up in 1975.
The group achieved a long list of firsts including first Canadian group to reach #1 on Billboard charts — holding that spot for three weeks — and the first to earn a platinum album for U.S. sales of more than one million copies. Rolling Stone magazine hailed The Guess Who as “one of rock’s most consistently fascinating maverick bands” with a succession of songs “that has few equals among contemporary North American groups.” Dick Clark described the group as rock innovators and ambassadors of Canadian music.
The vast Guess Who catalog endures today with staples of classic rock and oldies radio as well as in feature films including American Beauty, Almost Famous, Cable Guy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Jackie Brown. “When I think back on having five million-selling records in the Top 10, one after the other, I can hardly believe it,” says Burton with justifiable pride, “I was just twenty years old and every time I turned around, I was getting a gold record. The scope and magnitude of our success escaped all of us. It really didn’t sink in until years later.”
Beginning his career as a solo artist in 1976, Burton continued his winning streak with a gold record for his solo debut single “Stand Tall,” produced by legendary hitmaker Richard Perry who numbered among his clients Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and Ringo Starr. The choice of producer was evidence of Burton’s star power in the music industry. He followed his inaugural solo success with more than a dozen hit singles and albums including “I’m Scared,” “My Own Way to Rock,” “I Will Play a Rhapsody,” “Timeless Love,” “Break It to Them Gently,” “Dream of a Child,” and “You Saved My Soul.” Sold-out tours across Canada and the United States solidified Burton’s stature as a top entertainer. He starred in several highly rated television specials and, between 1977 and 1980, earned five Juno Awards for Best Male Vocalist and Best Album, serving as host of the annual Juno gala a record four times. Burton’s 1978 album Dream of a Child became the first quadruple platinum-selling album by a Canadian artist.
Through the ‘80s and ‘90s, Burton continued to tour and joined Beatles drummer Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band. In 1980, a starring role in the feature film Melanie with Miami Vice star Don Johnson earned Burton a Genie Award for Best Original Song as well as praise for his acting ability.
He also launched his acclaimed Up Close and Alone solo concert series featuring Burton alone onstage recounting stories behind his best-known songs and sharing personal moments from his career. A live album of the same name followed. The success of Lenny Kravitz’ cover of “American Woman” in the hit feature film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me brought renewed attention to the original Guess Who. The group reunited in 1999 for the closing ceremonies of the Pan-American Games with a television audience numbering in the tens of millions. Several high-profile North American tours followed.
As the VOICE of all the classic Guess Who hit songs, Burton has toured with his long-time band, for the past twenty-three years across North America as well as joining Randy Bachman onstage as Bachman Cummings, performing the songs from the original The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Burton’s solo career.
Described as Canadian rock ‘n’ roll royalty, a national treasure, and a living legend, for Burton Cummings, there has always been one constant: he remains true to himself and his own way to rock…and continuing to perform the songs the way they were originally conceived by the artist who sang and wrote/co-wrote them.
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