THIS MAN WAS THE FIRST TO WHISTLE BLOW RUSSIA GATE TO THE SAN FRANCISCO UNDER GROUND AND HAD HIS MUSIC BANNED FOR 25 YEARS!
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Triangle Tribune williamdburton.com http://youtu.be/zrMFJXDHYjQ
December 10, 2018
Raleigh man signs first record deal at 74
Musician refused to give up on his dreams
By Freda Freeman
Correspondent
RALEIGH – When William Burton first started singing and playing the guitar, he was told he was “ahead of his time.” Now, some 40 years later, he is a man whose time has come.
At 74, Burton has signed his first record deal.
Burton said he was performing at the North Carolina Seafood Festival at the state fairgrounds a couple of years ago when author and publisher Sandra Carrington-Smith, of
Crossroads Books and Entertainment, heard him and liked his sound. He said she called him six months later and offered to sign him. Songs from his CD, Songs and Witty Stories from the Heart Museum, are now streaming worldwide.
“She said she heard my music and was wondering what I wanted to do with it, and I said ‘Grammy.’ She said, ‘well, we need to talk.’ It’s new but sales are starting to show some potential. Mostly, it’s my lyrics that carry the show,” Burton said.
Burton, who was born in Los Angeles, bought his first guitar at age 30 and taught himself to play. At 31, he performed at a private party for legendary singer Cat Stevens. He also opened for Stevens Stills, formerly of Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Both encouraged him to pursue his music career. Burton said he also earned support and praise from Axl Rose, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Bill Graham.
Burton said landing a record deal after all these years is surreal. “I had these icons telling me that I had something, but the record industry was saying no, no, no. It was very frustrating to be told you’re before your time, but I kept my dream. I did not let them take away from my passion,” he said.
Burton describes his music as blue wave because it is a mix of blues and political statements. Other pieces have strong motivational and inspirational messages.
“My personal genre is that I’m a San Francisco street poet. The music that I do is so all over the place that I call it biorhythm and blues. The lyrics display a neuroplasticity and a creativity I’m excited to introduce to people 60 to 70 years old to remind them that all we have to do is to start dreaming again and our brain cells will start firing up and reproduce themselves. We don’t have to go quietly into the night,” Burton said.
In a 2011 article in Boom Magazine, Burton was described as a motivational minstrel. He was performing at Starbucks in Pleasant Valley Shopping Center in Raleigh at the time.
The overarching message in Burton’s music is: “Do not ever give up on your dreams. We have way more power than we allow ourselves to have, we have way more power than we allow ourselves to feel. We have limitless access to progress if we are willing to open up to each other and ourselves.”
Another honor Burton is proud of is being chosen by LinkedIn as an Ambassador of Goodwill for the Raleigh-Durham area. In addition to playing at local spots in Raleigh, Burton is active in the community. Working with Dennis Gaddy, executive director and founder of Community Success, Burton is the director of adult case management, and he works with at-risk youth. He’s also worked with ex-felons for 13 years.
Burton would like people in the Triangle area to listen to his songs and then vote for their favorite one on National Public Radio’s All Songs Considered by emailing allsongs@npr.org. For more information about Burton’s music and performances, visit williamdburton.com.
