R&B hitmaker Vernon Burch dies at 67

(September 23, 2022) We are sad to report that several classic soul artists have shared on social media that singer and guitarist Vernon Burch has died. He was 67. Though never achieving superstar status, Burch had an impressive decade of hits from 1975-85, and also played an important role backing other stars as a guitar whiz.

With elements of Parliament and many of the self-contained funk band of the era, Burch recorded for a half dozen labels, including stints on Columbia, United Artists and Casablanca. In the process, he landed big R&B and dance hits with “Do It To me” and “Changes,” and his dance hit “Get Up” became the foundation for the Deee-Lite smash hit “Groove Is In The Heart” more than a decade later.

But many soul music fans may know Burch for his time working in a series of legendary R&B acts. He was a teenage prodigy when he joined The Delfonics’ band, and he later played with the Bar-Kays for a half decade, backing many of the Stax Records albums of the time.

As the 2000s arose, Burch became a minister, and in 2011 recorded The Inside Out Project as Reverend Vernon Burch. Burch is now being mourned by the R&B community for both his prowess as a musician, and his commitment to service as a minister.