Cha Burns
Encyclopedia
Cha Burns was the guitarist for the Scottish
band, The Silencers
.
, Lanarkshire
in 1957, Burns became a guitarist on the London
punk and new wave scene of the mid 1970s. As well as forming Fingerprintz with fellow Coatbridge
local Jimme O'Neill, Burns played guitar in Adam Ant
's backing band during 1982-1984 together with Fingerprintz drummer Bogdan Wiczling. Fingerprintz were recognised in retrospect as influential, but failed to gain any real commercial success in the UK
.
In 1985, Burns and Jimme O'Neill formed The Silencers. Although Burns health became an issue during the recording of the first album, after he suffered a brain hemorrhage. Burns was back in the studio recording six weeks later despite the fact that he was still re-learning how to read. The Silencers received critical comparisons to Simple Minds
and U2
. A high point for the band was a support slot on a Squeeze tour which culminated in a gig at Madison Square Garden
in Manhattan
. The Silencers had a European hit with "Bulletproof Heart". However the single, written by O'Neill in the Fingerprintz days and was about the Irish Troubles, did not receive much airplay in UK
.
During the late 1980s, The Silencers opened for David Bowie
and U2 as well as touring for 4 months with Simple Minds. Despite modest success in the UK
, The Silencers had an almost fanatical following in mainland Europe, especially France
and Spain
. In more recent years the band were best known for supplying the theme music of a popular advertising campaign for VisitScotland. Burns was once described by fellow band member Jimme O'Neill as "a dark, smouldering presence, rocking slowly back and forwards on his heels, caressing jagged, bittersweet melodies from his black Les Paul."
After five albums, Burns left the The Silencers in 2000, rarely playing on-stage again. After two years in Switzerland
Burns moved to Wales
. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 2006 and had unsuccessful courses of treatment. Reportedly a keen environmentalist whose motto was "Planet Before Profit", he was keen to try metabolic therapy, a controversial alternative treatment not available on the NHS
, which uses natural methods including diet to boost the immune system.
Ex-bandmate J.J. "Jinky" Gilmour organised a benefit concert for Burns at the ABC in Glasgow
in January. Despite Burns' claiming he was the "forgotten man of Scottish rock", the 1,500 capacity venue sold out. The date was planned six weeks after his last course of chemotherapy
. On that night Burns had regained enough strength to play with original band members and those from subsequent line-ups.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
band, The Silencers
The Silencers (band)
The Silencers are a Scottish rock band formed in London in 1986 by two ex-members of the post-punk outfit Fingerprintz. Their music is characterized by a melodic blend of pop, folk and traditional Celtic influences...
.
Biography
Born Charles Burns, in CoatbridgeCoatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
in 1957, Burns became a guitarist on the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
punk and new wave scene of the mid 1970s. As well as forming Fingerprintz with fellow Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
local Jimme O'Neill, Burns played guitar in Adam Ant
Adam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
's backing band during 1982-1984 together with Fingerprintz drummer Bogdan Wiczling. Fingerprintz were recognised in retrospect as influential, but failed to gain any real commercial success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 1985, Burns and Jimme O'Neill formed The Silencers. Although Burns health became an issue during the recording of the first album, after he suffered a brain hemorrhage. Burns was back in the studio recording six weeks later despite the fact that he was still re-learning how to read. The Silencers received critical comparisons to Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. A high point for the band was a support slot on a Squeeze tour which culminated in a gig at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The Silencers had a European hit with "Bulletproof Heart". However the single, written by O'Neill in the Fingerprintz days and was about the Irish Troubles, did not receive much airplay in UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
During the late 1980s, The Silencers opened for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and U2 as well as touring for 4 months with Simple Minds. Despite modest success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, The Silencers had an almost fanatical following in mainland Europe, especially France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In more recent years the band were best known for supplying the theme music of a popular advertising campaign for VisitScotland. Burns was once described by fellow band member Jimme O'Neill as "a dark, smouldering presence, rocking slowly back and forwards on his heels, caressing jagged, bittersweet melodies from his black Les Paul."
After five albums, Burns left the The Silencers in 2000, rarely playing on-stage again. After two years in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Burns moved to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 2006 and had unsuccessful courses of treatment. Reportedly a keen environmentalist whose motto was "Planet Before Profit", he was keen to try metabolic therapy, a controversial alternative treatment not available on the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
, which uses natural methods including diet to boost the immune system.
Ex-bandmate J.J. "Jinky" Gilmour organised a benefit concert for Burns at the ABC in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in January. Despite Burns' claiming he was the "forgotten man of Scottish rock", the 1,500 capacity venue sold out. The date was planned six weeks after his last course of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. On that night Burns had regained enough strength to play with original band members and those from subsequent line-ups.