W. E. "BUDDY" BURTON

Multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Buddy Burton appeared on a quite a few 1920s Chicago South Side Jazz and Blues records as vocalist and playing drums, washboard, piano, celeste and kazoo. He was originally from Louisville, Kentucky and headed north to Chicago sometime around 1922. His first recording session was in October of 1922 with Jelly Roll Morton's Jazz Band. He played on several of Morton's early small group recordings and on many sessions that were led by Jimmy Blythe. Burton released five sides under his own name in 1928 and on two sides as a duo with Blythe. He recorded one more record under his own name for Bluebird in 1936 with Irene Sanders. Little is known about Burton's life after the mid-1930s. It is reported that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1976 in Louisville.