Johnny Burke (Newfoundland songwriter)

Johnny Burke
Johnny Burke at the St. John's Regatta in 1903
Background information
Born	1851 St. John's, Newfoundland
Died	August 9, 1930(1930-08-09) (aged 78–79) St. John's, Newfoundland
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, poet, playwright

Johnny Burke (1851–1930) was a Newfoundland singer, songwriter, and musician from St. John's, where he lived all his life. He was nicknamed the Bard of Prescott Street and wrote many popular songs that artists in the 1930s and 1940s released.

Popular songs by Burke include:

• The Night Paddy Murphy Died
• Cod Liver Oil
• Murphy Broke the Pledge
• Who Shipped the Moonshine to St. John's
• The Spring Maurice Crotty Fought the Old Dog-hood
• The Kelligrews Soiree
• The Trinity Cake
• Never Been There Before
• Betsy Brennan's Blue Hen
• Excursion Around the Bay
• Little Boneen
• The Flemings of Torbay
• The Hat My Father Wore
• The Landfall of Cabot
• The Sealers Gained the Strike
• The Valley of Kilbride

Some contend that he also wrote I's the B'y

External links

• Johnny Burke Artist Listing Page at GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Johnny Burke - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, v. 1, p. 295