R.L. Burnside was born in Lafayette County, near Oxford, Mississippi, in 1926. As a young man, R.L. moved north into the neighboring Marshall County and began sharecropping. Inspired by John Lee Hooker's '50s hit "Boogie Chillun'," R.L. began singing blues and playing guitar. In addition to the Hooker 45 rpm, there were other local forces that influenced R.L as well, such as Mississippians  Fred McDowell and Ranie Burnette. Fed up with the hopelessness of sharecropping, Burnside migrated to Chicago in hopes of finding economic opportunity. Chicago did not work out. In the span of one month R.L.'s father, brother and uncle were murdered. Check out "Hard Time Killing Floor" and the closing "R.L.'s Story" for R.L.’s take on his early years in Chicago. Around 1959 he returned to Mississippi to again work the farms and raise a family. He also started to play music at night and on weekends.

R.L.'s first recordings appeared on a 1967 Arhoolie compilation. Although R.L. preferred electric guitar, the fashion of the day dictated that he be recorded acoustically. These recordings earned Burnside enough of a reputation to play festivals and tours at home and abroad. Throughout the 70's and 80's, R.L. played with a family band known as the Sound Machine consisting of sons Joseph and Daniel, as well as son-in-law Calvin Jackson, .