Billy Barnette arrived in Hollywood in August, 1964. He had an appointment with Johnny Burnette, who had just started his own label. Remembered mainly as the crooner of hits like “Dreamin'” and “You're Sixteen,” Johnny, along with his brother Dorsey is more admired for earlier Rockabilly records. Flops at the time, they are now considered the best of the ilk. “You look enough like me to be my brother,” were Burnette's first words to Barnette. And so a plan developed to record the youngest “brother”, and on that day Billy Joe Burnette was born. Johnny was to go on a fishing trip the next day and upon his return the work would begin. On that trip Johnny Burnette died. A larger vessel hit his boat in Clear Lake, CA and he fell overboard and drowned. But the new family member got to do a record. Dorsey saw that Johnny's promise was kept. Magic Lamp Records then became dormant, leaving nobody to push the first release by Billy Joe Burnette. But this was not the young man's first record. There had nearly been a hit under his real name.

Born in Richmond, VA in 1940 Billy Barnette was given up for adoption as an infant. Ending up in Roanoke, VA he traveled between foster homes and was a bit of a
delinquent. A background in boxing (something that the Burnette brothers shared)
began when the police drew him into the sport to try and keep him out of mischief. The skill came in handy over the years when he entered the rough and tumble world of music. Influenced by C&W and R&B, Billy began singing around Roanoke at spots that included the infamous Papa Joe's. His day gig in a clothing store led to his first recording. The shop's owner had a cousin at the Parkway label and off went a 20-year old Billy to record in Philly. American Bandstand was also based in the city and
Parkway had a close affiliation with Dick Clark, the show's host. Played for teenage judges, Billy's composition “Marlene” scored in the high 90s on the show's Rate A Record segment. Soon thereafter he received a call from Clark, who predicted that the tune would go big. But then shots rang out “the kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol” Parkway had a breakout hit; “The Bristol Stomp,” the next release after “Marlene.” Not having the resources to push two records heavily at the same time, the company went with The Dovells. But back in Roanoke Billy rocked on, recording the fabulous “Stomp Shout And Twist,” followed by the novelty “Billy The Kid” for MT. Vernon. Then came a stint in the U.S. Navy. Returning to dry land, the lad was snapped up by The Legends with a release on Warner Brothers in 1964.

That brings us - or shall we say him - to Hollywood. Although the Magic Lamp disc went nowhere, Dorsey Burnette paved the way for his younger “brother” to headline at a true Hollywood hot spot - The Red Velvet. Backed by The Stingers, remembered as “Four Blacks and 4 Mexicans,” Billy secured a reputation as a great Blue Eyed Soul singer and showman. “Somebody must've shot you up with black ink,” James Brown told him one night. Some of the records Billy recorded in the mid-Sixties verify this. Hollywood's Deville label, released the incredible “Blue Misery.” Though recorded in Tinsel Town a couple of other offerings ended up on Gold Standard out of Nashville. And soon Billy Joe was Nashville bound.

That's where we'll pick it up next time,
with Billy Joe Burnette in Music City.

by Brent Hosier

“I’m riding off with the stars, not to the rest home. I’ll never quit.” So says the ever-energetic Billy Joe Burnette, who is still lit up more then fifty years after cutting his first record. Never having that big hit himself, he’s certainly helped other get theirs. Arriving in Nashville when the Hollywood club scene was going through the changes brought about by the aftermath of the Beatles and the 1964 “British Invasion,” Billy signed on with Cedarwood Music as a song pusher. “In those days the stars hung out in the bars… and so did I,” he says with a laugh and a singer’s sense of timing. Mixing business with drinks helped to sweeten some deals, but soon he got into the bad habit of mixing things up in another way. As a trained boxer, with one drink too many - BOOM - he was often delivering the wrong kind of hits. Billy the brawler was soon banned from the bistros he needed access to in order to interact with potential clients. “At one time I could only drink in a phone booth.” From the ale house to the jail house, Billy spent so much time behind the bars in jail that he befriended his keepers and was eventually trained and deputized, working for the Sherriff’s Department of Nashville.

By the late Sixties Billy Joe needed a vacation from his life-style. Moving back to Virginia, he managed a furniture store in Richmond, while gigging at The Black Cat and Piggy’s Attache. In Roanoke he returned to his old turf at Poppa Joe’s and Sammy’s. But with the music biz still in his blood, Music City pulled him back and has been his base of operations since the Seventies. This time around however, he was able to keep his blood alcohol level down. Back at Cedarwood, “Teddy Bear” was one of many unfinished songs Billy Joe came upon. In this case it was a lyric written by Dale Royal. Here was the tale of a young handicapped boy who wanted to ride in a big rig, just like he’d done with his dear departed daddy. Billy Joe Burnette, put the words to music and all that was needed was The King of the Narrations - Red Sovine. “He’s too old,” said Bill Denny, Cedarwood’s owner. It was Bill’s daddy who’d told a certain Memphis truck driver to stick with driving and forget about a music career. Among his million sellers, that singer gave us a different “Teddy Bear.” But in no way is this meant to question the insight of the Denny clan. In any game there are a lot more misses then hits. And remember; Bill Denny did not miss when he hired Billy Joe Burnette.

A largely forgotten Red Sovine was at home mowing his lawn when Billy came by. It didn’t take a lot of persuasion. “Teddy Bear” went to #1 in 1976 and “Teddy Bear’s Last Ride” which Billy wrote for Dianna Williams, hit as well. Such success soon allowed Billy the chance to record his first LP. “Welcome Home Elvis” is a tribute to another singer (and trucker) who had gone on to Heaven.

Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, though not really Billy Joe’s brothers, were brotherly to him. They saw a kindred spirit and helped it along. That energy that got him into more then a few youthful scraps has been distilled (no pun or punch intended) into a role much like that which the Burnette brothers took on. One of the most dynamic singers you’ll ever hear, but without the big hit for himself, today Billy Joe is happy assisting other talent at his Ross Agency. Teddy Bear didn’t quit… and neither will Billy Joe Burnette.

www.myspace.com/BillyJoeBurnette