Baldwin County trop rock singer-songwriter Brent Burns has picked up a Just Plain Folks Music Award for Best Novelty Song, adding another honor to a career built around writing about the Alabama Gulf Coast lifestyle he lives every day.
Burns, a longtime fixture of the beach-bar music scene along Alabama’s coast, said his biggest success has come from sticking close to home in his songwriting. “I’ve written songs most of my life, but I’ve found my biggest success comes from writing about what I know and where I live,” Burns said. “That’s the beach, bars and the people who frequent both.”
A Catalog Built on Coastal Life
Burns counts “Livin’ the Life,” “Snowbird Season” and “Beach in My Backyard” among his personal favorites out of his catalog. He’s also proud of “Build Them a House,” a song written as a tribute to volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
The award-winning songwriter is part of the broader trop rock scene that has flourished along the Gulf Coast, drawing comparisons to Jimmy Buffett-style island music built around beach, boat and bar culture.
Upcoming Shows
Burns has a busy stretch of appearances ahead, including the Gretna Heritage Festival in Louisiana and the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, before capping the run at the Meeting of the Minds Parrot Head gathering in Key West.
Locally, Burns is set to play a special show at Lulu’s in Gulf Shores on Saturday, October 10, during the National Shrimp Festival weekend, giving Baldwin County fans a chance to see the newly honored songwriter close to home.