Eddie Burks - Music Artist Band Bio

Biography

Born 17 September 1931, Greenwood, Mississippi, USA. There was a time when Chicago's Maxwell Street area was referred to by its citizens as Jewtown, and "Jewtown' Burks was one of the weekend market's most powerful performers. Finance and political correctness have put paid to both names, but Burks remains an eminently listenable and resourceful musician. He obtained his first harmonica at the age of three and received new ones as Christmas gifts in the subsequent years. Despite his family's strong religious tradition, he listened to Rice Miller's KFFA broadcasts for inspiration. He arrived in Chicago on 27 December 1946 and shortly afterwards gained employment in a steel mill. Although his religious activities kept him from performing blues, he frequented the West Side clubs. When his health forced him to quit the steel mill and his first marriage failed, he devoted himself to music, sitting in with Magic Sam, Freddie King and Howlin" Wolf and taking a residency at the Majestic Lounge. His first single, "Lowdown Dog", was issued in 1977 and credited to Jewtown Burks, followed by "Operator" and "Evelina" on the Cher-Kee label. During the 70s and 80s he worked with Jimmy Dawkins and Eddie Shaw, mostly as a driver. In 1988, he married Maureen Walker, who assisted him in setting up Rising Son (later changed to Rising Son Blues), and in 1991 he released Vampire Woman. A year later, an album of Chicago blues standards, This Old Road, was recorded live in Rochester, New York. An impressive live performer, Burks has managed to avoid involvement with the corporate blues fraternity.

Discography:
Harpin' On It (JSP 1983)***, Vampire Woman (Rising Son 1991)***, This Old Road (Rising Son 1992)***, Comin' Home (Rising Son Blues 1994)***.



Source: Encyclopedia of Popular Music