Because of his father's line of work in electrical repair, the Burdon family had a TV by the time Eric was 10. He was born to a working class family his father did electrical work in some of the clubs Burdon would later play. Burdon later recalled that his middle name 'Victor' had been chosen after encouragement from the Lord Mayor, who offered new mothers £25 if their new-borns were given a patriotic 'war name.' īurdon states he often had a divided loyalty in his sense of place and identity. His mother, Rene, was originally from Ireland and moved to Scotland before settling in Newcastle in the 1930s. His father, Matt, was originally from Tyneside.
Early life Įric Burdon was born in 1941 in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. In 2008, he was ranked 57th in Rolling Stone's list of 'The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time'. He is also known for his aggressive stage performances. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powerful blues-rock voice. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band The Animals and funk band War. Eric Victor Burdon (born ) is an English singer and songwriter.
