Burton Cummings is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and pianist known for being the lead singer of The Guess Who. He wrote hit songs such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes” with guitarist Randy Bachman. Cummings had a successful solo career and toured with Ringo Starr. He has won many music awards and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
Burton Cummings is a Canadian singer, songwriter and pianist. He was born on December 31, 1947 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Burton Cummings is best known as the lead singer of The Guess Who.
Burton Cummings played piano and sang in high school productions of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals as a child. He played saxophone and keyboards for a local group called the Deverons. In 1966, Burton Cummings replaced Chad Allen as leader of the Canadian band, The Guess Who.
Burton Cummings and Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman wrote hit songs for the band such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes.” “American Woman”, a political song about the United States and not about a woman, reached number one in the US charts in 1970. It even stole the spot from the Beatles. “These Eyes” was number one in Canada in 1968 and number three in the US in 1969.
Burton Cummings remained with The Guess Who until 1975. He got off to a flying solo career with “Stand Tall,” a song that was a huge worldwide hit in 1976. Burton Cummings continued to roll out solid Canadian hit songs every such as “My Own Way to Rock” in 1977, “Break it to Them Gently” in 1978, “I Will Play a Rhapsody” in 1979 and “Fine State of Affairs” in 1980.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Burton Cummings opened for the likes of Alice Cooper and headlined Canadian concerts at venues such as Toronto’s CNE Stadium. He often hosted or co-hosted Canadian music award shows and was featured on television music specials. In 1982, Burton Cummings starred in the Canadian film Melanie, about a woman deemed an unfit mother who fights for custody of her child.
The Guess Who reunited in 1983, and the Burton Cummings-Randy Bachman reunion tour in 1987 was a great success. Burton Cummings’ song Take One Away on the album Plus Signs was a popular Canadian hit in 1990. In 1996, Burton Cummings recorded Up Close and Alone, an album featuring Burton Cummings on lead piano. He later toured Europe as pianist for Ringo Starr in the band All-Starr.
From 1999 to 2001, Burton Cummings continued to do reunion tours with Randy Bachman. He has won many music awards and has a community center and theater named after him in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Burton Cummings was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
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