Rocky Burnette

Born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 12, 1953, rock singer/songwriter Jonathan Burnette is better known by his stage name Rocky Burnette. The son of rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette (“You’re Sixteen”), he first came to prominence when the rockabilly revival was just beginning in the UK and US. Signed to EMI America, Rocky Burnette released his debut solo album, The Son of Rock and Roll, in 1979. The single “Tired of Toein’ the Line” was released and by the summer of 1980, it had climbed to Number 8 position on the Billboard Top 100. The single became an international hit, climbing to the top of the singles chart in Australia and landing at Number 3 in South Africa. Due to financial problems, EMI America was not able to promote Rocky Burnett’s further singles in the US and his second album, Heart Stopper (1982), was not a hit and he left the label. His third album, Get Hot or Go Home (1983), was recorded with the final line-up of his late father’s Rock and Roll Trio. However, the album was not a hit, and he was dropped by his label, Enigma Records. Rocky Burnette recorded several more solo albums – Tear It Up (1996), Wampus Cat (2007), and Rock Solid (2019) – as well as tributes to his father and uncle Dorsey Burnette.