1) Albert Austin "Sonny" … Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists named Sonny Burgess:
1) Albert Austin "Sonny" Burgess (May 28, 1931 – August 18, 2017) was an American rockabilly guitarist and singer.
In the early 1950s, Burgess played boogie woogie music in dance halls and bars around Newport. Burgess, Kern Kennedy, Johnny Ray Hubbard, and Gerald Jackson formed a boogie-woogie band they called the Rocky Road Ramblers. In 1954, following a stint in the US Army (1951–53), Burgess re-formed the band, calling them the Moonlighters after the Silver Moon Club in Newport, where they performed regularly. After advice from record producer Sam Phillips, the group expanded to form the Pacers.
The band's first record was "We Wanna Boogie" in 1956 for Sun Records, in Memphis, about 80 miles southeast of his birthplace. The flip side was "Red Headed Woman." Both were written by Burgess. The songs have been described as "among the most raucous, energy-filled recordings released during the first flowering of rock and roll." Their onstage antics in performance were similarly described. Like other artists such as Ray Harris, Hayden Thompson, Billy Lee Riley and Warren Smith, chart success largely eluded him.
Burgess disbanded the group in 1971 but later found a new audience in Europe.
In 1990 (possibly before and afterward), Burgess toured with The Sun Rhythm Section. This group was composed of former session musicians from the Sun Recording Studio. Beside Burgess, band members included Paul Burlison (electric guitar), J.L. "Smoochy" Smith (piano), Stan Kessler (bass), Marcus Van Story (acoustic guitar & lead vocals), and D.J. Fontana on drums. Fontana was a member of Elvis Presley's band (1955-1968).
Burgess was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame of Europe in 1999. His group, now called The Legendary Pacers, was a hit that same year in a rockabilly concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. It recorded Still Rockin’ and Rollin’ in 2000, voted the best new album in the country and roots field in Europe. The group was inducted in 2002 into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Sonny Burgess & The Legendary Pacers performed at the 2006 National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia to large, enthusiastic audiences.
Burgess hosted a weekly radio program called We Wanna Boogie with co-host June Taylor. The program, named after his first record, aired Sunday nights from 5-7pm Central Time on 91.9FM KASU in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Burgess was born on a farm near Newport, Arkansas to Albert and Esta Burgess. He graduated from Newport High School in 1948. Burgess had two brothers, and three sisters. Burgess was formerly married to Joann Adams starting in 1956, and they have two sons, Peyton and John. Between performances, Burgess lived in Newport until his death in 2017. Burgess died on August 18, 2017 at the age of 86.
2) Sonny Burgess is a country music artist, who released his debut album, When in Texas, in 2001.
Sadie's Back in Town
Sonny Burgess Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I had a gal, oh what a gal
And her name, her name was Sadie Brown
Well, I took her out to a ride uptown
While that moon, that moon kept shining down
Well, I told her that I loved her so
And I'd never, I'd never let her go
Well, I rode around, all around that town
And I told my gal she was the one
Well, we went home and we sat alone
Out on that old porch swing
Well, I told her that I loved her so
And I'd never, I'd never let her go
Well, the light went on and I knew it was time
For me, for me to head for home
So I grabbed my hat and I hit that gate
And I said, I said I see you cat
Well, I got a gal, oh what a gal
And her name, her name was Sadie Brown
(Hello Sadie...)
The opening line of Sonny Burgess's "Sadie's Back in Town" indicates that the titular character is a noteworthy figure in the town, and her return has likely caused a stir among the locals. The singer then launches into a recollection of his former flame, Sadie Brown. He describes taking her out for a ride around town by moonlight, confessing his love for her and promising to hang onto her forever. The next verse sees the couple return to Sadie's porch swing, where they declared their love once more.
The final verse brings the listener back to the present, revealing that the singer has moved on and has a new lady in his life. However, Sadie's return still manages to elicit a reaction from him, as he bids her farewell with a remark that suggests he still finds her alluring. The song's lyrics could be interpreted as a nostalgic recollection of a former love affair through the lens of someone who has moved on but still carries a torch for the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh-oh, Sadies' back in town again...
Sadie, an ex-girlfriend of Sonny Burgess, has returned to town and he's not sure how he feels about it.
Well, I had a gal, oh what a gal
Sonny Burgess had a great girlfriend, Sadie Brown.
And her name, her name was Sadie Brown
Self-explanatory - his girlfriend's name was Sadie Brown.
Well, I took her out to a ride uptown
Sonny took Sadie for a ride in town.
While that moon, that moon kept shining down
The moon was shining throughout the night while they were out.
Well, I told her that I loved her so
He professed his love to Sadie.
And I'd never, I'd never let her go
He promised to never let her go.
Well, I rode around, all around that town
Sonny took Sadie around town while riding in his car.
And I told my gal she was the one
He told Sadie that she was the only one for him.
Well, we went home and we sat alone
They went home and spent time alone together.
Out on that old porch swing
They sat on a porch swing together.
Well, the light went on and I knew it was time
When a light turned on, Sonny knew it was getting late.
For me, for me to head for home
It was time for him to head back home.
So I grabbed my hat and I hit that gate
He left quickly by grabbing his hat and going out the gate.
And I said, I said I see you cat
He said goodbye, possibly using 'cat' as a slang term for Sadie.
Well, I got a gal, oh what a gal
He now has another great girlfriend.
And her name, her name was Sadie Brown
Interestingly, he's now dating another girl with the same name as his ex-girlfriend.
(Hello Sadie...)
Sonny may be sarcastically saying 'hello' to his ex-girlfriend who is back in town.
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MrMaxonian206
Bought it new on London here in Britain. Marvellous.