Bozeman Magazine

Jonny Burke is a man continually on the move, musically and literally. His debut solo album “Distance and Fortune” was quickly followed up with his 2012 release, “Cup Runneth Over.” As producer of the bulk of the project, released independently on his own Dreamcar Records, Burke made an album that is as raw and honest as it gets.

Burke admits that he has enjoyed being on stage and performing from an early age. He was born and raised in New Braunfels, a small town in Texas. His dad taught him his first chords and played him Chuck Berry’s ‘Jonny B. Goode’ when he was a little boy. Burke would listen to albums like Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” and Townes Van Zandt’s “Flyin Shoes” over and over again. By the time Burke was 15, he was already performing in bars. He formed his first band, the Dedringers, and it became a popular regional band while he was still in his teens. “I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to come home after playing a bar and making a little cash,” he recalls. “Nobody in high school could compete with that!”

Since the release of “Cup Runneth Over” Burke has continued to tour the country opening for greats like James McMutry. After a few years residing in Southern California, Burke found himself spending more time in his home state of Texas playing shows and co-writing with friends for what will inevitably become his next project.