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Holly Springs, Mississippi native R.L. Burnside is carrying on the country blues traditions of his former neighbor and friend Fred McDowell. His music was born in the isolated wooded hill country of northern Mississippi and has remained almost unchanged over the past 50 years. Powerful, hypnotic, driving slide guitar, played with reckless abandon is Burnside’s trademark. This is foot tapping, electric country blues at its rawest best. Burnside, now 73 years old (or should we say young), is experiencing the greatest success of his career. R.L. (or Rule as he called by his friends) has spent most of his life around Holly Springs, Mississippi where he raised a dozen children and worked as a farmer and sharecropper most of his life. He also found time to run a few Juke Joints along the way. Burnside’s playing was influenced by Fred McDowell, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters. His music has maintained that raw, elemental edge to it rather than becoming more "citified" like other blues that have made the transition from rural to urban life. Burnside is continuing a country blues tradition that reminds its listeners of the early days of rural blues played by people like Charley Patton, Fred McDowell and Son House. Touring on the release of his most recent album, "Come On In," Burnside’s audiences find him to be a totally delightful performer. He is very warm, gracious and open. On stage, he is full of mischievous fun, constantly cracking jokes, finishing each song with his famous "well, well, well", and definitely having a good time. This is foot tapping, electric country blues at its raw best!
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