Burton L. Cummings, OCOM (created December 31, 1947, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He was the lead singer and regular keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Cummings was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as were all of another initial members of The Guess Who. Burton was raised by his mom Rhoda; he’s said he never understood his father, who left when Burton was really young.[5] Burton attended St. John’s High School. His first band proved to be a local Winnipeg R&B group, The Deverons, with an ‘E’ (not to be confounded with the band The Devrons who’d Country/R&B hits in the early 1960s). The Deverons with Cummings released two singles on the miniature REO Records label. The next single, “Lost Love / Feel Well”, was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis, where The Guess Who often recorded. He joined The Guess Who in 1965 to replace keyboardist Bob Ashley and soon afterwards its old lead singer, Chad Allan, left the group. Cummings also tried his hand at playing. He appeared alongside Paul Sorvino, Glynnis O’Connor and Don Johnson in the 1982 movie Melanie. Between 1966 and 1969, The Guess Who were one of the hardest-working groups in Canada. Despite having released several powerful singles, a massively successful cracked LP (“A Wild Pair”, which likewise featured Ottawa’s The Stacattos), as well as a weekly stint as house band on CBC TV’s “Let’s Go!”, mainstream success eluded them. It had been followed up by the hit “Laughing”, again composed by Cummings and Bachman. In 1970, the group hit No. 1 in Canada with “American Woman.”
Singer, Keyboard Player, Musician, Songwriter, Actor
Education
University of Manitoba
Nationality
Canada
Spouse
Cheryl DeLuca
Parents
Rhoda Cummings
Nicknames
Cummings, Burton , Burton L. Cummings , Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM , The All-Starr Band
Awards
Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Juno Award for Album of the Year, Juno Award for Best Male Artist, Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year, Genie Award for Best Achievement in Music - Original Song, No Time, American Woman, Stand Tall, Coquitlam, BC, Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada, Las Ve...
Nominations
Juno Award for Single of the Year, Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year, No Time, American Woman, Stand Tall, Coquitlam, BC, Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
Movies
Melanie
Star Sign
Capricorn
#
Quote
1
[observation, 2015] Every year that goes by the songs become more special, and the lives of the people in the audience change. Life changes. So when I come back every year and sing those songs, it's like a time machine for people. And I don't shy away from the hit records. I'm not shoving a lot of new stuff down people's throats - not at this stage in my life. I know why they're coming to see us. We try to send everybody home happy. So they are going to hear the songs they came to hear.
#
Fact
1
He improvised the lyrics of "American Woman" during a Guess Who gig. A fan happened to be taping the show, so the band borrowed the tape in order to record the song as it appears on the "American Woman" album.
2
Spent ten years with The Guess Who, but left for a solo career in 1976.
3
Started his rock and roll career in Winnipeg as a teenager with The Deverons.
$14 Million
