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Larry Burnett is a Virginia-based singer and guitarist who was one of the original members of the pop-rock group Firefall.
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Larry Burnett is a Virginia-based singer and guitarist who was one of the original members of the pop-rock group Firefall.
Larry Burnett was born on November 8, 1951 and wrote his first song when he was sixteen. Prior to joining Firefall, Larry was a professional cab driver in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC, while occasionally performing at the city's legendary Cellar Door nightclub. It was there that Burnett first met Firefall founder Rick Roberts. In August 1974, Roberts asked Burnett to join the band and sent Burnett a one-way plane ticket to Boulder, Colorado. The band, including Burnett, singer/guitarist Roberts, Mark Andes (bass), Michael Clarke (drums), and Jock Bartley (guitar), developed a pop-rock-midwest country sound, in the tradition of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Byrds and the Eagles' early recordings.
After over a year of writing, rehearsing and performing throughout Colorado, Firefall began recording their eponymous debut album for Atlantic Records which would be released in 1976. Success came quickly for Firefall, touring with such acts as The Band, Doobie Brothers and Fleetwood Mac, Firefall became Atlantic's fastest album to sell 500,000 copies. Larry would sing and play guitar on Firefall's first five albums including their self-titled 1976 debut, the follow-up Luna Sea (1977), and subsequent Elan (1978), Undertow (1979), and Clouds Across the Sun (1980). His songwriting credits for the band include "Piece of Paper", "Love isn't All", "Wrong Side of Town", and "Cinderella", which charted at #34 on Billboard in 1977.
Larry left Firefall in April 1981 while the band was on tour. His struggle with drugs began when he was sixteen and with Firefall's success, he was able to further fuel his addiction. But the non-stop recording and touring coupled with increasing drug use began taking a physical toll on Burnett. According to Burnett's website, "I began to believe I would die if I stayed with this one more day. The band got up one morning after a show in Orlando FL, headed to the airport and got on a plane for Nevada. I got on one for Washington DC (my home) and checked myself into a psychiatric hospital's drug rehab unit." Burnett's battle to end his drug addiction lasted four years. His last drink and drug was August 1985.
In 1995, Brother Phelps, formerly of Kentucky Headhunters, covered Burnett's composition, "Cinderella," on their second CD, Any Way the Wind Blows. In 2010, the Burnett-penned "Learn the Dance" was covered by singer-songwriter JD Pederson on Pederson's third CD, It Seems Like Only Yesterday.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Burnett became a popular Washington, DC, disc jockey for classic rock station 105.9 WCXR. He was also the host and producer of a weekly specialty program heard on the station called "The Blues Room."
Burnett resisted the urge to produce music for several more years opting for a more "normal life". He dabbled in a variety of careers including real estate, sales and copywriting until, in August 2004, Burnett released his first solo ep entitled Confidence Game. Recorded in Denver, Colorado, and made up of five new acoustic Burnett compositions, Confidence Game also included an acoustic retake of his most well-known song from Firefall, "Cinderella". According to Burnett, "Music will not leave one alone if it is truly a gift... I believe mine is just that. A gift. I didn't come up with it, but it is uniquely mine. Not nice to keep it to myself..."
In April 2008, Burnett joined the current iteration of Firefall as well as other former members including bassist Mark Andes, saxophonist David Muse and percussionist Joe Lala for a sold-out Firefall reunion concert at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado. Founding member Rick Roberts was also present during the reunion, but was unable to perform. As of 2015, Jock Bartley, David Muse, and Mark Andes are the band's remaining original members.
Larry Burnett's most recent release as a solo artist is 2009's Guitars and Vocals. The CD also features Burnett's musical partner Don Chapman on backing vocals and accompanying guitar, with whom Burnett regularly performs live in concert. Recorded in Virginia, Guitars and Vocals includes remakes of several tracks from Confidence Game as well as several new compositions, all written by Larry Burnett.
The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes and has existed in various incarnations. A lineup with no original members currently performs as The Burrito Brothers.
The String Cheese Incident (SCI) is an American jam band from Crested Butte and Telluride, Colorado, formed in 1993. The band is composed of Michael Kang, Michael Travis, Bill Nershi, Kyle Hollingsworth, and Keith Moseley, and, since 2004, Jason Hann.
Ralph Edmund Stanley was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of The Stanley Brothers, and most often as the leader of his band, The Clinch Mountain Boys. He was also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley.
Zephyr was an American hard rock band formed in 1969 in Boulder, Colorado by guitarist Tommy Bolin, keyboardist John Faris, bass guitarist David Givens, drummer Robbie Chamberlin, and vocalist Candy Givens. The band's first release, Zephyr, on ABC/Probe reached #48 on the Billboard 200 chart on March 14, 1970. Zephyr made an appearance on American Bandstand on 1/31/70 lip syncing to "Cross the River". Although the charismatic performances by Candy Givens were the focal point for the band, the flashy guitar work of Bolin is what the band is best remembered for.
Firefall is an American country rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement in Zephyr. The band's biggest hit single, "You Are the Woman", peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard chart in 1976. Other hits included "Just Remember I Love You", "Strange Way", "Cinderella", "Headed for a Fall", and "Staying with It".
Larry Van Kriedt is an American-born Australian jazz musician. He is best known for being the original bassist for the rock band AC/DC around November 1973, joining Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Dave Evans and Colin Burgess (drums). He was replaced in February 1974. Van Kriedt also plays saxophone, guitar and vocals.
Mark Andes is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal.
Live 1973 is a live album by Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels. It was recorded at Ultra Sonic Recording Studios in Hempstead, New York on March 13, 1973 during a live radio broadcast from WLIR-FM, a station located in Garden City, New York. The timing of the recording thus sandwiched it between Parsons' only two solo studio albums, GP, and Grievous Angel, although it was not officially released until 1982, long after Parsons' 1973 death at age 26.
"You Are the Woman" is a song by Firefall, released as the second single from their self-titled debut album. Written by Rick Roberts, then the group's frontman, the track is distinguished by the performance on flute of Firefall member David Muse and the lead vocals of Chuck Kirkpatrick.
Any Way the Wind Blows is the second and final studio album by American country music duo Brother Phelps. After its release, Doug re-joined country rock band The Kentucky Headhunters, of which he and Ricky Lee were both members previous to Brother Phelps' inception. This album produced singles in its title track and "Not So Different After All", although neither charted in the Top 40 on the Billboard country charts. The title track was originally recorded by J. J. Cale on his 1974 album Okie. The track "Ragtop" was previously recorded by The Kentucky Headhunters on their 1989 debut album Pickin' on Nashville, while "Cinderella" is a cover of a song originally released by the rock band Firefall. "Down into Muddy Water" would later be recorded by Shelly Fairchild on her 2004 debut album Ride.
Shadow Dancing is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb, released in June 1978 in the United States and September 1978 in the United Kingdom. It was Gibb's highest charting album in some countries including America and in Canada. This LP was his only album to chart in the UK. Four singles, including the three US Top 10 singles, were released from the album.
Isaac James is an American rock band, with roots based in both Kansas City, Missouri and Des Moines, Iowa, United States.
"Just Remember I Love You" is a song by American rock band Firefall from their album, Luna Sea (1977), with backing vocals by Timothy B. Schmit. It was written by Rick Roberts and released as a single on July 21, 1977.
Firefall is the self-titled debut from Firefall which saw its release in April 1976.
"Why" is a song written by Barry Gibb and composed by Andy Gibb, fourth and last single released on the album Shadow Dancing. Released as a single in September 1978 around the same time as "(Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away". It was his only single that was not charted in any countries.
Luna Sea is the second album by Firefall, released in 1977. It featured the single "Just Remember I Love You" which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The title is a pun on "lunacy".
David Muse was an American musician. He performed and recorded with numerous artists including Firefall, The Marshall Tucker Band, Pam Rose, Bertie Higgins, Navarro, Boulder County Conspiracy, and Tonal Alchemy. During his 50+ year career, he appeared on more than 25 recordings and was awarded three Gold and two Platinum albums.
Élan is the third album by Firefall, released in 1978. It featured the single "Strange Way" which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Larry Keel is a bluegrass musician "reared in" Southwest Virginia who's been performing "seriously" since 1976. He was a founding member of Magraw Gap in 1990 with Danny Knicely and Will Lee. He performs with his wife, bassist Jenny Keel, in The Larry Keel Experience – and with other musicians in other groups. He has released over a dozen albums, the latest being Experienced in 2016, which he recorded with his group, Larry Keel Experience. He is married to his bass player, Jenny Keel.
Comet is the ninth album by Firefall, released on December 11, 2020.
