Walnut Ridge in Lawrence County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Sonny Burgess
Rock 'n Roll Highway 67
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
1. Sonny Burgess Marker
Inscription.
Sonny Burgess. . Rock' n' Roll Highway 67 is more than a collection of venues for Albert Austin "Sonny" Burgess. It is home. The rockabilly pioneer has always made his home in Newport, and it was there that he first made his name as an outstanding musical entertainer.
Sonny grew up listening to, and playing, the country music he heard on the Grand Ole Opry, but his taste and talent always leaned toward rhythm and blues. Listening to the blues artists on WDIA in Memphis and befriending black musicians he met along the way, Sonny developed a rockabilly style all his own.
His first professional gigs came in 1954 with a band called the Moonlighters, named for the Silver Moon nightclub in Newport where he and a host of other popular musicians performed regularly.
At the suggestion of Sam Phillips at Sun Records, the band added some new members in 1956, creating a more robust rock sound and renaming itself the Pacers. The group often performed with Elvis Presley in the mid '50s.
Sonny and the Pacers recorded "We Wanna Boogie" and "Red Headed Woman” for Sun in '56, projecting a raw and energetic sound that heralded what early rock music was all about. They followed with "Ain't Got a Thing" in early 57.
Sonny's distinctive, bluesy voice and his masterful guitar picking, combined with the stage antics of the Pacers, made their concerts some of the most entertaining ever staged on'Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67. Fireman's Hall in Walnut Ridge was among the many local venues he played.
He retired from the music business in the early 1970s, but his music developed a following in Europe, leading him and the Pacers to start touring again in the '80s.
With a revival of interest in rockabilly music, he has continued to find, audiences the world over who are anxious to see Sonny Burgess play and sing.
Rock' n' Roll Highway 67 is more than
a collection of venues for Albert Austin
"Sonny" Burgess. It is home. The
rockabilly pioneer has always made his
home in Newport, and it was there that
he first made his name as an outstanding
musical entertainer.
Sonny grew up listening to, and playing,
the country music he heard on the
Grand Ole Opry, but his taste and talent
always leaned toward rhythm and blues.
Listening to the blues artists on WDIA in
Memphis and befriending black musicians
he met along the way, Sonny developed a
rockabilly style all his own.
His first professional gigs came in 1954
with a band called the Moonlighters,
named for the Silver Moon nightclub in
Newport where he and a host of other
popular musicians performed regularly.
At the suggestion of Sam Phillips at
Sun Records, the band added some
new members in 1956, creating a more
robust rock sound and renaming itself the
Pacers. The group often performed with
Elvis Presley in the mid '50s.
Sonny and the Pacers recorded "We
Wanna Boogie" and "Red Headed
Woman” for Sun in '56, projecting a raw
and energetic sound that heralded what
early rock music was all about. They followed with
"Ain't Got a Thing" in early 57.
Sonny's distinctive,
bluesy voice and his masterful
guitar picking, combined with the
stage antics of the Pacers, made
their concerts some of the most
entertaining ever staged on'Rock
'n' Roll Highway 67. Fireman's
Hall in Walnut Ridge was among
the many local venues he played.
He retired from the music
business in the early 1970s, but
his music developed a following
in Europe, leading him and the
Pacers to start touring again in the
'80s.
With a revival of interest in
rockabilly music, he has continued
to find, audiences the world over
who are anxious to see Sonny
Burgess play and sing.
Topics.
Click or scan to see this page online
This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 36° 4.035′ N, 90° 57.438′ W. Marker is in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, in Lawrence County. It can be reached from SW Front Street south of West Elm Street, on the right when traveling south. Located at Guitar Walk near the Walnut Ridge Train Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 SW Front St, Walnut Ridge AR 72476, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Conway Twitty (here, next to this marker); Wanda Jackson (a few steps from this marker); Billy Lee Riley (a few steps from this marker);
The markers are arrayed around an epiphone casino shaped guitar.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
4. Guitar Walk at Cavenaugh Park with Sonny Burgess marker to right of amp.
The Guitar Walk is a 115 foot long concrete guitar, complete with frets, and strings. Along the edges are interpretive markers that pay tribute to the early legends that gave birth to Rock n Roll, at venues along Rock n Roll Highway 67 that runs through the area. The free walk includes audio narration by none other than legendary Sun Studio recording artist, Sonny Burgess.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 377 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 7, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
