Billy Don Burns to Release “Nights When I’m Sober”
Legendary country music songwriter Billy Don Burns, who over his 40 year career has written songs for Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Sammy Kershaw, and many others has partnered up with Rusty Knuckles Records and will be releasing a new album this summer, Nights When I’m Sober (The Portrait of a Honky Tonk Singer), tentatively set for a July 10th release.
“This kid from South Carolina, Aaron Rodgers, ran me down and told me he was a big fan and wanted to produce a new CD on me.” Billy recently told Outlaw Magazine. “We did that and I am proud of it and I think it is one of my best ones.”
Rusty Knuckles, the home of acts like Hellbound Glory, Jay Berndt, and Ronnie Hymes found it hard to say no when a call from Billy Don came in. “What happens when you get a phone call by an underground legend whose songs have been recorded by individuals such as Willie Nelson and produced albums by Merle Haggard, Tanya Tucker and Johnny Paycheck? Here is what we did, we asked Billy Don Burns to join the team and allow us to release his next album.”
Billy Don Burns produced both a gospel album and a live album for Johnny Paycheck in the late 80’s, both that remain unreleased in one of the many story lines where Billy Don is rubbing elbows with big names and on the right side of real music.
In March, as Hellbound Glory was touring through North Carolina, Rusty Knuckles assembled their version of the Million Dollar Quartet, calling up Billy Don and Ronnie Hymes for a Barn Party Jam Session in Raleigh. Rumor has it some video was taken from the session that will be released in the future.
Stay tuned for more info on Nights When I’m Sober.
March 28, 2012 @ 8:52 am
A great friend, amazing song writer..the first time I met him was in San Marcos, TX. Instant fast friends. We put “Memories Cost A Lot” on our last album, and will likely continue to put his songs on future records.
He broke out the guitar in my garage and broke the hearts of a whole bunch of Detroit songwriters that night..playing for hours. Kurtis of Deadstring Brothers took him over to his studio the next day, and Billy played for hours, recording demo versions of a ton of songs…just him and a guitar. I can be played on repeat for days.
March 28, 2012 @ 9:14 am
great song looking forward to ‘nights when i’m sober’.
April 21, 2012 @ 12:32 pm
Willle recorded I don’t have a reason to go to California anymore this is a classic Billy don song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-aeBMYwnM
March 28, 2012 @ 3:24 pm
Anyone have a list of his songs recorded by other artists?
March 28, 2012 @ 4:56 pm
I’ve found the quest for complete information on Billy Don Burn’s career unbelievably frustrating. Rusty Knuckles has been doing a good job trying to accumulate what is out there and known, but I’m hoping as we get nearer to this release that I am able to shed some more light on this man, his accomplishments, his defeats, and his battles.
April 14, 2012 @ 11:57 am
Back when I had a website I had a page on Billy if you want I can send you a copy of his bio. I’m sure I have it saved.
March 30, 2012 @ 12:29 pm
Thanks for exposing me to another great artist, whom I had only heard a little of. I really like the video. This is why I come to the site… not that I don’t read the commentary on pop “country” and not that I am complaining, just trying to balance the number of comments in favor of reviews of the real stuff. I suspect may of your readers feel the same, but it is more fun to react and comment on the more controversial posts.
March 31, 2012 @ 10:43 pm
Amazing legend with unlimited talent… First time I saw him was at the honky Tonk throw down in Detroit been a fan ever since all it took was the first few lines of “dark side of the spoon”
April 14, 2012 @ 11:55 am
yep that song gives me chills. One of his best singers out there glad to meet people who know his music.
April 14, 2012 @ 11:54 am
I love Billy don’s music. I’ve got all his cds. my favorite one is “Heroes, friends and other troubled souls” It has some gritty lyrics like “He rides though the night down a dark highway though a hole he made in his vein, to a plastic place where desperate dies on a dirty street called shame” You won’t hear stuff like that from Nashvile
May 6, 2012 @ 2:30 pm
These are Great tunes!! This is gonna be a kickass Summer touring with Billy ! Lets Rock On!!
May 25, 2012 @ 4:49 am
And I have to say you guys are awesome together.
October 3, 2012 @ 10:28 am
Billy Don Burns has the purest ablility to write and sing that I have had the pleasure of hearing. What raw talent. You can feel the emotions of each song he sings. In person, he sweeps you into another location with each tune. There could be a movie made just from each of his songs. The way he displays his heart freely to each person that is willing to listen to his open-handed reality. He holds back NOTHING! His latest cd “Nights when I’m Sober” has no bad songs. I have already played it until I know each word. What an amazing person, songwriter, singer and Outlaw. He IS the REAL Thing. There is nothing artificial about him. LOVE his music. It is mystical!