Album Notes

Missy Burgess


Growing up in a large family had its benefits. You could train yourself to live in a different land even though chaos was all around you. As a young teen, Missy would climb into her brother’s tree house and imagine herself singing late at night in some obscure small room in New York City and walking the streets alone as she thought all musicians did. By the time she was 15 years old she had heard all her father’s jazz and big band albums over and over and had attended numerous concerts where her brother, Michael sang beautiful Gregorian chant with St. Michael’s Choir School in downtown Toronto. She loved music, and belonged to many church choirs, but it took on new meaning when her father brought home a record of Fats Waller because it introduced a sound for her that made her want to sing. She bought a guitar and liked spending hours learning how to play it. But it took many years of living before Missy finally realized the need to take music seriously.

Since 1996 Missy has performed on main stages from The National Arts Centre in Ottawa to Boston’s Regent Theatre to The Angola Prison for Women in Louisiana.

She has recorded 2 albums. Pour Me a Song features veteran folk singer Penny Lang as a guest singer. Her latest album Lemon Pie features the late Willie P. Bennett as a guest back up singer and harmonica player. As well Lemon Pie features the virtuoso guitar playing of Vince Half hide along with the wonderful sax of Petr Cancura.

Website: Missyburgess.com