Though the name James Burton may not immediately ring a bell for everyone, you've almost certainly heard his playing. If, somehow, you haven't, you've definitely heard someone whose playing owes Burton a great debt.
Burton's list of session credits – even among the titans of the Nashville electric guitar scene – is mind-boggling. Country greats spanning multiple generations (Brad Paisley and George Jones), R&B and soul legends (Ray Charles), Great American Songbook masters (Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin), and rockabilly pioneers (Ricky Nelson and Jerry Lee Lewis) have all utilized the Louisiana native's services. Oh and, of course, he served as Elvis Presley's live guitarist for eight years.
