b. 1899, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 2 January 1936, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Formed in the early 20s in Los Angeles, California, USA, the Earl Burtnett dance band stayed in that locale for the majority of its active life, save for two tours in the Midwest and Florida. Having previously worked with Art Hickman, Burnett recruited a fluid aggregation of musicians who would also double as vocalists during engagements at local hotels and ballrooms. The usual line-up included four percussionists, two strings, one trombone, two trumpets and three saxophones. They appeared regularly on the radio, on shows sponsored by the Paul G. Hoffman Studebaker Agency, and also recorded widely for Brunswick Records and Columbia Records. The group’s longest engagement came at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, a venue they worked for a full three years. Burtnett died in 1936 from peritonitis after an appendectomy.