Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael "Iron Man" Burks stands tall as a major contemporary blues figure. With a nickname earned by his hours-long, intensely physical performances, fearsome guitar attack, tough, smoky vocals and the thousands of miles logged behind the wheel of his touring van, Burks is a modern blues hero. Nobody in today's blues world successfully bridges searing electric guitar blues with unbridled rock and roll energy like Burks. The Chicago Sun-Times recently said Burks is "poised on the brink of major stardom."
Boasting remarkable natural talent and a blue-collar work ethic, Michael Burks is a musician with deep roots in the blues tradition. He performs every song he plays with intensity, conviction and soul. Even though he has been playing music since he was a child, it was the release of Make It Rain, his Alligator Records debut in 2001, that brought Burks well-deserved national recognition and made him one of the blues world's fastest-rising stars. His 2003 follow-up, I Smell Smoke, continued his upward trajectory, as his fan base increased as quickly as his bookings. With inspiration from Albert King, Freddie King and Albert Collins, Burks' sound and style are all his own. Blues Revue says, "Burks delivers blazing, explosive solos and outrageous tone...part rock, part soul and filled with plenty of blues sensibility." According to GuitarOne, "Burks is a legend in waiting."
The waiting is now over. With the release of his new CD, Iron Man, Burks is set to take his place beside the biggest names in the blues. Produced by Burks and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and fueled by Burks' hard-driving road band, Iron Man (featuring seven of twelve songs written or co-written by Burks) is an electrifying slice of emotional, rocked-out blues. His fiery fretwork, gruff, fervent vocals and overwhelming intensity are captured here live in the studio. The album features some of the hottest guitar playing and most soulful singing Burks has ever recorded.
Born in Milwaukee in 1957, Michael quite literally entered the world with blues in his blood. Joe Burks, Michael's grandfather, played acoustic Delta blues guitar in his hometown of Camden, Arkansas. A multi-talented man, Joe was a barber, carpenter and aviation mechanic in addition to playing in area juke joints. Michael's father, Frederick, was a bass player. For years, Frederick Burks worked in Milwaukee steel mills and refineries during the day and spent his evenings performing in the city's smoky, dimly-lit blues clubs, often backing harmonica legend Sonny Boy Williamson II, as well as other touring blues stars and local front men.
Michael BURKS: guitar and voice Wayne SHARP: keyboards Donald GARRET: bass Chuck "Popcorn" LOUDEN: drums
For The MICHAEL BURKS BAND channel-list, stage-plan and riders contact info (@) artistexclusive.com
Reviews & articles
"Michael Burks is a flamethrower guitarist. He is the complete bluesman: songwriter, singer, riff-master, bandleader, and showman...
Savage fury and heartfelt tenderness" - Chicago Sun-Times
"Michael Burks is a guitar slinger with a brawny tone, deeply emotional singing and rompin', stompin' blues power." - GuitarOne
