Johnny Burnette was one of the founders of the rockabilly movement in the 1950s and the front man of The Rock and Roll Trio. From Memphis, Tennessee Burnette wrote songs with his brother Dorsey while the two worked on oil rigs on the Mississippi River. They often performed their songs with other guitarists, most notably Paul Burlison, at local bars, and the trio would eventually come to be known as The Rock and Roll Trio. After moving to New York in 1956 and winning the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour contest three times in a row under the name The Rhythm Rangers, the band adopted its lasting name after being signed to Coral Records. Along with drummer Tony Austin, The Rock and Roll Trio made appearances on iconic American television shows including Dick Clark's American Bandstand and Tonight Show with Steve Allen. Despite all of its exposure, the band's early music was overshadowed by Elivs Presley's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show the same year, and failed to gain national popularity and the group disbanded in 1957. After moving to California, Johnny and Dorsey Burnette met Ricky Nelson, who eventually recorded some of the brothers' material. In 1985, Johnny Burnette was signed as a solo artist to Freedom Records, and his third single "Dreamin"/"Cincinnati Fireball," went on to become his first hit, reaching the number 11 and number five spots respectively on the US and UK Billboard Hot 100 charts. He continued his rise to fame with his next release "You're Sixteen"/"I Beg Your Pardon," which became a certified gold record in 1960. Burnette eventually went on to create his own label, in 1964, on which he released his last single "Bigger Man"/"Less Than A Heartbeat," before his death later that same year. He was been recognized as a rockabilly pioneer after being inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
