Born and raised in Cleburne, Texas, Sonny recalls music as a way of life in the Burgess home with the extended family playing on the front porch every Sunday afternoon. Though Sonny has been performing since his childhood, his original professional ambition was to become a professional baseball player. Attending Trinity University on a baseball scholarship, off the diamond, Sonny was working diligently on his studies. He majored in physical education and minored in biology. On the diamond, he was a pitcher and third baseman. His aptitude in baseball was impressive enough to garner attention from the AA league; after earning his degree he played professionally for about two years with the San Antonio Dodgers. Meanwhile, he continued playing music in his spare time. Sonny couldn't give up his passion and lifelong hobby. He had played and sung since early in his childhood and it had been an important tie connecting his entire family. A self-taught guitar player, young Sonny learned how to play chords just from watching his Uncle Leon at his Grandma's house. Every Sunday, the Burgess family gathered here playing music together on the porch. Aunt Janell and little Sonny sang harmony while Uncle Truman played the mandolin. Uncle Leon also participated and was a key player in the familial performance; he played guitar while an eager-to-learn Sonny watched his uncle intently, making mental notes. These weekly sessions embedded in Sonny a love for the traditional sounds of country music. The Menatures (Sonny, center guitarist - Melinda singer on left) He was happy to join up with other youngsters who shared his desire to perform, and as a second grader, he became part of his first band, the Menatures. The prodigy of the group, Sonny, was the youngest; all other band members were in the sixth grade. The band consisted of Sonny, on lead guitar, another guitar player, a drummer, and two vocalists (Sonny's sister Melinda was one of them). In high school he joined his next band, the Rhythmaires, playing lead guitar, acoustic guitar and fiddle. Honing his skills both playing and performing, Sonny's love for the stage and country music grew. In his early 20's, Sonny had decided professional baseball was not the career endeavor meant for him. Beginning a journey of varied, and seemingly random jobs, he worked as a substitute teacher, an electrician, a railroad worker, and also installed swimming pools. He had never stopped playing music, picking up the occasional job or sitting in with bands that came through Texas. However, he was now feeling the tug toward finding a way to be able to play more often and on his own. Sonny began performing in Texas and other states, becoming a favorite at the Wildhorse (Nashville) and Billy Bob's (Ft. Worth). Sonny's dreams of becoming a professional musician were becoming more and more pronounced as he achieved goals along the way like opening for another of his favorites, Joe Diffie, with whom he now shares a friendship. Sonny was delivering something few people were getting much of: traditional country music. Eventually, Sonny's sound was discovered by an executive of Music City Records (MCR), a new independent label looking for a talented and promising act. After hearing Sonny's tape, the label knew that he was the act they were looking for to begin compiling their artist roster. Now with a label deal under his belt, Sonny's dreams are well on their way to being realized. He continues to tour, playing mainly and regularly in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Nevada, Colorado, and, of course, Texas, where his sound originates and his heart will always remain.