Burnside was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, to Calvin Jackson and Linda Burnside, and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in the house of his grandfather, R. L. Burnside, and the extended family. By the age of 13, he began to tour with his grandfather's band, as a drummer. He had overlapped his father's time in the band, and would eventually replace him on the drums.
Career
In 2002, Burnside played on Richard Johnston's debut album, Foot Hill Stomp. Burnside followed this two years later by playing percussion on Johnston's Official Bootleg #1 album. A short term partnership of Cedric with Garry Burnside in 2006, saw them record The Record, billed as Burnside Exploration. They had tour dates as opening act and jam partners for Widespread Panic. Later in 2006 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Burnside teamed up with Lightnin' Malcolm, and they both toured and recorded the Juke Joint Duo album. In 2008 they released Two Man Wrecking Crew, on which Jason Ricci played harmonica and Etta Britt performed backing vocals. It won a Blues Music Award for 'Best New Artist Debut' in 2009. The duo also toured with the Big Head Blues Club, a collaboration which led to them jointly recording the album, 100 Years Of Robert Johnson in 2011, to mark the centennial of the birth of Robert Johnson. Another collaboration followed, this time with his younger sibling, Cody Burnside, plus his uncle, Garry Burnside, which created the Cedric Burnside Project. From 2011 he recorded and toured with Trenton Ayers. In 2011, The Way I Am album was released. Burnside's brother, Cody, died in 2012, and their father followed in 2015. In late 2012 he recorded the album Allison Burnside Express with Bernard Allison, released in 2014. Burnside's 2013's Hear Me When I Say, and the later Descendants of Hill Country, were issued under the Cedric Burnside Project name and using the guitar playing of Ayers. The latter was funded using a Kickstarter campaign. In 2013, Burnside won the Memphis Blues Award as 'Drummer of the Year' for the third time. Burnside has had cameo appearances in three films – Tempted and Big Bad Love, and Black Snake Moan. Burnside has performed with Lightnin' Malcolm at Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, Memphis in May, Notodden Blues Festival, and Voodoo Experience. In 2018 he released the album Benton County Relic, which he recorded with Brian Jay of Pimps of Joytime. Benton County Relic was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
Awards and honors
Burnside won his fourth overall, and third consecutive Blues Music Award in May 2014, in the category of 'Instrumentalist - Drums'. He won the award again in 2019, and 2020. The album Descendants of Hill Country, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Blues Album. Benton County Relic was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
