Born on May 8, 1953, in Memphis, Billy Burnette launched his country music path at age seven. Thanks to the rockabilly prominence of his father Dorsey and the stature of his uncle Johnny, he cut the Dot Records single "Hey Daddy (I'm Gonna Tell Santa on You)" backed by Ricky Nelson's band in 1960. A follow-up session arrived in 1964, after which he joined Brenda Lee on tour. Relocating to Memphis in 1969, he took up guitar and production duties before issuing his Entrance Records debut, a self-titled solo album, three years later.
Throughout the 1970s Burnette fronted his father's touring group as his songwriting profile rose via recordings by Dolly Parton and Kin Vassy. He joined Polydor in 1979 for another self-titled album whose track "What's a Little Love Between Friends" registered modestly on the charts. Between Friends appeared the next year; after moving to Columbia he delivered a third album also titled Billy Burnette, followed by Gimme You in 1981.
Eddy Raven and Ray Charles both reached the charts with Burnette compositions in 1985, while he himself scored with "Ain't It Just Like Love" and "Try Me," earning the Academy of Country Music's Best New Male Vocalist trophy. He stepped away from country when Fleetwood Mac recruited him to replace Lindsay Buckingham, appearing on the band's Greatest Hits collection in 1988 and on Behind the Mask in 1990 while maintaining a steady touring schedule.
Burnette reentered country music via Warner Bros. in 1992 with the charting single "Nothin' to Do (And All Night to Do It)." Later that year he shifted to Capricorn and released Coming Home. After an extended hiatus he returned in spring 2000 with Are You with Me Baby, then issued Memphis in Manhattan in 2006 and, in 2007, Bluegrass Elvises, Vol. 1, a joint project with Shawn Camp.
