On this day (January 14) in 1948, T Bone Burnett was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is widely known as a top-tier producer. He has worked with a long list of legendary artists and bands, including Gregg Allman, Roy Orbison, and Elton John. Additionally, he worked on the soundtracks from The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou, among others. Burnett is also a songwriter and recording artist. His discography contains 15 studio albums, which encompass a wide range of genres.
Burnett’s musical career began in the late 1960s. After forming a series of garage bands as a teen, he released a single titled “Free Soul” in 1966. While it was popular in the Fort Worth, Texas, area, it didn’t find national popularity. The next year, he wrote and co-produced the Loose Ends single “Dead End Kid.” The song went nowhere, but it gave him his first production credit.
In 1968, he produced and played drums on “Paralyzed,” a novelty hit by Legendary Stardust Cowboy. The next few years would see him release his debut album, The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks, tour with Bob Dylan, and continue his production work with a host of artists.
A Brief Look at T Bone Burnett’s Production History
T Bone Burnett helped develop the sounds of many bands and artists, including Los Lobos, Counting Crows, Gillian Welch, and his ex-wife, Sam Phillips. Additionally, he produced some of Roy Orbison’s later work, including tracks on what would have been his comeback album.
Some of Burnett’s more recent production work includes Ringo Starr’s 2025 album Look Up. He also produced Lisa Marie Presley’s 2012 album Storm & Grace. Two years before that, he produced The Union, a collaboration album between Elton John and Leon Russell. He also produced Gregg Allman’s 2011 album Low Country Blues.
T Bone Burnett produced the Grammy-winning Alison Krauss and Robert Plant collaboration album Raising Sand. More than a decade later, they came back together for Raise the Roof.
Burnett wrote the score and produced the soundtrack album for O Brother, Where Art Thou. The soundtrack brought bluegrass, old-time, and other roots music to a wide audience, helping artists in those genres gain mainstream acclaim.
He also had a hand in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. He worked closely with lead actors Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon while working on their singing parts. Additionally, he produced the film’s soundtrack.
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