Biography
Cedric Burnside sustains the North Mississippi Hill Country blues tradition by creating sounds that blend bold exploration with deep historical ties. As the grandson of Delta blues legend R.L. Burnside, for whom he first performed as a drummer, Cedric forged a taut yet energetic style fusing rural blues with juke joint R&B. He introduced this approach on Benton County Relic in 2018 and continued to develop and sharpen it across multiple acclaimed releases, several of which received Grammy recognition, culminating in the 2024 album Hill Country Love.
Born August 26, 1978, in Memphis, Tennessee, Cedric Burnside is the son of Calvin Jackson, himself the offspring of the renowned bluesman R.L. Burnside. Raised in R.L. Burnside’s Holly Springs, Mississippi, household, Cedric took up drums during his teenage years. The family had relocated to Chulahoma, settling close to Junior Kimbrough’s club, where Cedric regularly performed; this led to his role as drummer for R.L.’s band in the mid-’90s. He continued on drums into the early 2000s while also beginning to play guitar.
With his uncle Garry, Cedric formed Burnside Exploration and issued their first album, The Record, in 2006—the same year he appeared in Craig Brewer’s film Black Snake Moan. In 2008 he paired with singer Lightnin’ Malcolm for 2 Man Wrecking Crew, which brought the duo a Blues Music Awards nomination for Best New Artist Debut.
Following his contribution to Big Head Todd’s 100 Years of Robert Johnson, issued in 2011 to mark the centennial of the iconic singer and songwriter, Cedric established the Cedric Burnside Project alongside his brother Cody and uncle Garry. Although Cody passed away soon after the band’s debut album, The Way I Am, appeared that same year, Cedric persisted with the group, releasing Hear Me When I Say in 2013 and Descendants of Hill Country in 2015; the latter received a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album.
Cedric Burnside began his solo recording career with Benton County Relic in 2018. The project elevated his standing within contemporary blues, earning a nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. He next delivered Coldwater in 2020 and I Be Trying in 2021; the latter earned his first Grammy, again for Best Traditional Blues Album. That year he also received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Around the same period, he joined the cast of Voices of Mississippi, a stage production drawn from the fieldwork of folklorist William Ferriss, and performed in its 2022 Lincoln Center presentation.
In 2024 Burnside returned with Hill Country Love, recorded in Ripley, Mississippi, under the guidance of producer Luther Dickinson.
Born August 26, 1978, in Memphis, Tennessee, Cedric Burnside is the son of Calvin Jackson, himself the offspring of the renowned bluesman R.L. Burnside. Raised in R.L. Burnside’s Holly Springs, Mississippi, household, Cedric took up drums during his teenage years. The family had relocated to Chulahoma, settling close to Junior Kimbrough’s club, where Cedric regularly performed; this led to his role as drummer for R.L.’s band in the mid-’90s. He continued on drums into the early 2000s while also beginning to play guitar.
With his uncle Garry, Cedric formed Burnside Exploration and issued their first album, The Record, in 2006—the same year he appeared in Craig Brewer’s film Black Snake Moan. In 2008 he paired with singer Lightnin’ Malcolm for 2 Man Wrecking Crew, which brought the duo a Blues Music Awards nomination for Best New Artist Debut.
Following his contribution to Big Head Todd’s 100 Years of Robert Johnson, issued in 2011 to mark the centennial of the iconic singer and songwriter, Cedric established the Cedric Burnside Project alongside his brother Cody and uncle Garry. Although Cody passed away soon after the band’s debut album, The Way I Am, appeared that same year, Cedric persisted with the group, releasing Hear Me When I Say in 2013 and Descendants of Hill Country in 2015; the latter received a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album.
Cedric Burnside began his solo recording career with Benton County Relic in 2018. The project elevated his standing within contemporary blues, earning a nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. He next delivered Coldwater in 2020 and I Be Trying in 2021; the latter earned his first Grammy, again for Best Traditional Blues Album. That year he also received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Around the same period, he joined the cast of Voices of Mississippi, a stage production drawn from the fieldwork of folklorist William Ferriss, and performed in its 2022 Lincoln Center presentation.
In 2024 Burnside returned with Hill Country Love, recorded in Ripley, Mississippi, under the guidance of producer Luther Dickinson.
Albums
Singles
