Despite his relatively young age, the 40-year-old Burnside, who grew up in Mississippi, has had a breathtakingly extensive career in the blues. Burnside, who hit the road at the age of 13, began his career playing drums in the touring band of his grandfather, renowned blues artist R.L. Burnside. Since then, Burnside has worked with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Jessie Mae Hemphill and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. An award-winning drummer, Burnside has also distinguished himself as an accomplished guitarist and soloist in his solo career.
Having worked with a variety of bands, he has released eight solo albums, the most recent of which have brought him to the attention of a wider audience. Descendants of Hill Country, released in 2015, and Benton County Relic, released in 2018, both received Grammy nominations - the former in the Best Blues Album category, the latter in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. The highly acclaimed albums bring together blues traditions and impressively personal themes, anchoring the albums firmly in the modern era.
