Sonny Burgess

Emerging from Newport, Arkansas, Sonny Burgess and his Pacers delivered one of the most untamed sounds among the artists who cut tracks at Memphis’s historic Sun label. Their intense, hard-driving approach drew almost none of its inspiration from country traditions, setting them apart from the majority of rockabilly acts. Burgess’s striking appearance—featuring crimson-dyed hair along with coordinated outfits and instruments—combined with his frenetic live shows allowed him to dominate rival performers during numerous rock & roll package tours of the early 1950s. Although commercial breakthroughs eluded his Sun singles, those sides stand as defining examples of primordial rockabilly. In subsequent years he joined fellow Sun veterans for performances and sessions as part of the Sun Rhythm Section. Entering the 2000s, he resumed touring and recording as Sonny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers, marking the group’s half-century milestone in 2005. The ensemble released Gijon Stomp!, an album of fresh material, via El Toro in 2009. A fall at his residence in July 2017 led to his passing the next month at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 88.