Overview
- Burgess served as rhythm guitarist and bandleader of The Champs, the group behind the instrumental hit “Tequila.”
- The song topped the charts in 1958 and earned a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.
- He was credited with more than 700 copyrighted songs across a long career as a musician, songwriter and producer.
- He led a Champs reunion in 2020, releasing a new album that year titled “Tequila Party.”
- Born in Los Angeles in 1934, he later lived in Montana and Nashville, and is survived by his son, David.