Poonanny
Hubert Joe "Poonanny" Burns (born January 6, 1940 in Birmingham; died August 27, 2014 in Birmingham) was drummer, bandleader, and showman.
Burn's nickname was attached to him as a reference to his flatulence. He eventually adopted it as his stage sobriquet. He was inspired to take up drumming after watching The Gene Krupa Story. He and a friend who played harmonica performed at parties as a duo.
By the mid-1960s, Burns was leading a band, "Poonanny and the Stormers" which played a regular gig at the Hi Fi Club in Huntsville. He sang country blues, and bluesy country, interspersed with humorous stores which often edged into raunchiness. The band expanded to a 15-member "Poonanny Revue" over the next ten years and began touring what became known as the "Chitlin' Circuit" around the south. Burns stopped touring to open a club in Monroe, Louisiana. His chain of "The Nanny" nightclubs expanded with locations in Columbus, Mississippi and in Birmingham.
Waldoxy Records founder Tommy Couch Jr enticed Burns to record for him, and to go back on the road with the backing of his father's Malaco Music Group. The resulting album, "Poonanny Be Still" was a regional soul hit. He followed that with "The Grindin' Man" in 1994, and then three more releases showcasing his voice and his indelicate humor.
Discography
- Poonanny (1993) Poonanny Be Still
- Poonanny (1994) The Grindin' Man
- Poonanny (1996) Ponyrider
- Poonanny (1998) Brand New Cadillac
- Poonanny (2001) That Baby Ain’t Black Enough!
References
- Bonner, Brett J. (n.d.) "Poonanny". Malaco Music Group - accessed August 30, 2021