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Alligator Recording Artist Michael Burks to Perform in Doylestown

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"An immensely talented guitarist and singer who will singe the whiskers right off your face." — GuitarOne

Powerhouse guitarist / vocalist Michael Burks, touring in support of his most recent Alligator CD, I Smell Smoke, will perform live in Doylestown. Boasting remarkable natural talent, deep-rooted soulfulness and driven by an intense, blue collar work ethic, Michael has earned well-deserved national recognition to become one of the blues world's fastest-rising stars. Living Blues magazine named Michael “Most Outstanding Musician — Guitar" in its 2004 Critics Poll. Concert information is as follows:

Friday, April 29th:
Maggie's Place; 812 N. Easton Rd.; Doylestown, PA
www.maggiesplace611.com
9:00 p.m.
Ticket Price: TBA

With the release of his latest CD, I Smell Smoke, Burks is set to take his place beside the biggest names in the blues. Produced by Jim Gaines (Luther Allison, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan), Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and Burks, I Smell Smoke features 12 songs all fueled by Burks' feral guitar playing and gruff, soulful vocals. From the deepest blues to rock-edged funk and soul, the album captures all the energy of Michael's sweat-soaked live performances.

Born in Milwaukee in 1957, Michael quite literally entered the world with blues in his blood. Joe Burks, Michael's grandfather, played acoustic, Delta-style 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, who moved to Milwaukee in 1953, 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.

It was Frederick who began teaching his son guitar from the moment Michael could hold one-starting when Michael was two years old. Equipped with a fully functional, child-size guitar, the younger Burks began emulating the bass runs of his father. Soon he was learning scales and songs. By the age of five, he was diligently studying his father's 45s, and by the time he was six, he played his first gig during a trip to his family's home town in southern Arkansas. The fledgling guitarist took the stage with his cousin's band and thrilled an unsuspecting audience.

In the early 1970s, after a machine accident left his hand injured and his musical career severely hampered, Frederick Burks moved his family back to Arkansas. There, Michael and his siblings helped their father build the Bradley Ferry Country Club - a 300-seat juke joint - with their bare hands. By this time Michael was fronting his own band as well as backing several of the blues and R&B greats that passed through town. Johnnie Taylor and O.V. Wright were just two of the luminaries to call on Michael's services. Business at the Bradley Ferry thrived for years, with Michael Burks leading the house band every Thursday through Saturday. Tables near the stage had to be reserved two weeks in advance.

When the Bradley Ferry finally closed in the mid-1980s, Michael, a new father, decided to find a day job. For over a decade he worked as a mechanical technician for Lockheed-Martin; at one point during his stint with the advanced technology corporation he even built missile components. Michael's desire to perform remained strong however, and in 1994 he formed a new band and began playing clubs and regional festivals. Despite his not having a record, the diesel-powered energy of Michael's performances began to earn him offers from Florida to California. Fortunately, Michael's boss was a blues lover. He recognized Michael's ability and encouraged it, giving Burks the flexibility of long weekends in order to tour. On more than a few occasions, Lockheed even entertained its clients by flying them to Michael's festival appearances.

After years of performing without a record, Michael released his self-produced debut, From The Inside Out, in 1997. The album confidently announced Michael's intention to take the blues world by storm. Critics and fans loved what they heard. Living Blues rated it as one of “the best debut discs of the year." In 2000, Burks received a W.C. Handy Blues award nomination for Best New Artist, even though he was already a hard-working professional. It had become clear that Burks had to pursue his musical career full-time once again. Fueled with a tank full of positive reviews, Michael began to play more festivals than ever before, including a spot at the Chicago Blues Festival, where his performance earned him a deal with Alligator Records.

Burks joined the Alligator family in 2001 and released the critically acclaimed Make It Rain. The Chicago Sun-Times called the album “chilling and heartfelt." Billboard agreed, declaring, “Burks is a powerhouse blues guitar slinger...he blasts through licks like Clapton used to play. He is a great guitarist." Burks immediately hit the road in support of the CD, bringing his blistering blues to fans across the country and throughout Europe and Australia as well, with gigs at clubs, concert halls and major festivals everywhere.

The unstoppable, heartfelt intensity that Michael brings to the stage lies at the very core of his appeal. His deep, soul-infused music and undeniable charisma have proven Michael Burks to be an overwhelming force in the blues. With I Smell Smoke and continued touring, Michael Burks is igniting a fire in the blues world that will continue to burn for a long time to come.

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