Donald Burnside
Director, Consultant, and Musician in Chicago Illinois
Donald L. Burnside boasts more than 30 years experience in the entertainment and advertising industries as a writer, producer, engineer and/or musical arranger. While still in high school, Don was the youngest studio musician, arranger, engineer at Brunswick and Chisound Records, honing his skills working alongside legendary arranger Tom Tom 84 Washington (Phil Collins, The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, The Emotions, The Chi-lites, Gene Chandler, The Dells, Jerry Butler) and Grammy award winning engineer of Thriller fame, Bruce Swedien.
A multi-instrumentalist, Don’s body of work spans the entire musical spectrum from Dionne Warwick to premiere Chicago jingle-house Comtrax, were he arranged and produced commercials for major brands like Kellogg, Jolly Green Giant, Sunkist, McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Amoco, Budweiser and others.
As a music industry insider, Don has personally negotiated publishing, distribution, professional services and artist performance contracts with many of the industry’s leading law firms.
During his career, Don developed working business relationships with a host of entertainment industry moguls and “Who’s Who” including Charles Kopplemen, Marty Bandier, Ron Alexenburg, Sid Herman, Irv Robinson, Clive Davis, Mel Iberman, Bob Jamison, Dick Asher, Jules “Julie” Rifkin, Mel Furman, Tommy Mottola, Joe Isgro and Jerry Greenberg.
Don served as VP of Operations with both Granville White & Associates and Chycago International Music (a CBS Records joint venture), whose client list included Michael Jackson, EWF, Luther Vandross, Ronnie Isley, Babyface, Superior Movement, Yvonne Gage, First Love, Captain Sky, Romeo, Ocie III, Philadelphia International Records (OJay’s, Teddy Pendergrass, Pattie Labelle) and Stax Records.
Don also served as a Managing Director with Gene Griffin/GR Productions (Guy, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Keith Sweat, Today, Boy George, Stephanie Mills, Basic Black, Johnny Kemp and Rex 'N Effect).
Currently Don is a Managing Partner with R&R Management, which through affiliate Wake Up Music, provided music marketing and consulting services for an array of artists (Tracy Chapman, Kanye West, Gregory Abbott, Eddie Murphy, 50 Cent, Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Robin Thicke, Ashanti, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, MC Hammer, Master P, Erykah Badu, 2-Pac, Snoop Dog, Too Short, Notorious B.I.G., Dru Hill, R Kelly, Destiny’s Child, Tony Braxton, Outkast, Backstreet Boys, Nelly, Lady Gaga and Young Jeezy).
R&R Records, distributed by Bungalo/Universal and a subsidiary of R&R Management, enjoyed a Top 20 Billboard success in the gospel genre with “I Draw Near” by Jessica Love ft Todd Dulaney. A Chicagoland native, Don has received Lifetime Achievement Proclamations from both the Governor of the State of Illinois and the Chicago Cook County Board of Commissioners.
https://inthelandofmusic.blogspot.com/2016/10/producers-special-donald-burnside.html?m=1