Died On This Date (May 6, 2012) Michael “Iron Man” Burks /Arkansas Blues Man
themusicsover Michael Burks
July 30, 1957 – May 6, 2012
Born in Milwaukee, WI, Michael “Iron Man” Burks was an exceptional electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. By the time he was just five years old, Burks was already making beautiful noise on his guitar standing alongside his father who once played with Sonny Boy Williamson II. During the early ’70s, Burks moved with his family to Camden, Arkansas where his father opened a juke joint. Before he knew it, Burks was fronting the house band who played behind numerous visiting blues greats. After the club closed during the ’80s, Burks all but left the music business altogether to earn a better living at Lockheed. He eventually returned to making music full-time, releasing his debut album, From The Inside Out, in 1997. Over the next two decades, Burk released three more albums for the esteemed Alligator Records while entertaining blues lovers around the world. Upon returning from a European tour on May 6, 2012, Michael “Iron Man” Burks collapsed at the Atlanta International Airport and ultimately died from what was reported to have been a heart attack. He was 54.
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