"THE BURD BOYS"
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Donny Burd was barely a teenager when he began
playing the guitar on his fathers farm in Fairmount. Self taught and
with a natural ear for music, it was clear early on that Donny had a
gift. At the young age of 13, Donny took the stage for the first time,
for a graduation ceremony. The crowd came to life as never before. It
was from these humble beginnings that the story of the Burd Boys came
into being.
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Donny, his brother Walter, and sometimes their brother Dick, would
join together with other of the areas best musicians for Thursday night
Jam Sessions, which quickly became a weekly event. The Usually Quiet
nights of the rural Fairmount was soon filled with the sweetest
homegrown, bluegrass and country music around. From these spirited jam
sessions emerged the five original members of the country band known as
the Burd Boys.
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From 1967 to their last show in 1974, The Fabulous Burd Boys hosted their
famous “Jamborees” on the Burd family’s Hickory Grove Farm near Califon,
New Jersey. The two-day Country Music festivals featured Country performers from
around the country and reached 5,000 in attendance at their peak. A few of the
Country greats whom the Burd Boys performed with over the years include Hank
Thompson, Wanda Jackson, Jeannie Seely and Jack Green. The Burd Boys last show
was with Country Legend Mel Tillis at the Fairmont Fire Station.
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It
was these legends and a love for the Burd Boys and their music
that grew into what is now the Hickory Grove Opry! John &
Ellie Burd, descendents of the Burd's have carried on the tradition of
the Burd Boys and continue to fill the grove with some of the best music
around. They invite you to visit the Burd Boys Home Pages and learn more
about these Country Legends!
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Below are some pictures of the Burd Boys through the years!
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