Randy Burns

Randall R. Burns (April 14, 1948 – August 8, 2026) was an American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist who recorded several albums in the 1960s and early 1970s, when he performed with the Sky Dog Band. He continued to perform and record occasionally.

Life and career Burns was born and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and began performing in coffee houses in the city aged 17. In 1966, he moved to Greenwich Village, New York City, where he busked before being recruited as the regular opening act at The Gaslight Cafe on Macdougal Street. He was invited to record for ESP-Disk Records by label owner Bernard Stollman, and released his first album, Of Love and War, in 1967. The album included versions of songs by Eric Andersen and David Blue as well as Burns's own compositions. Back in New York, Burns then formed a psychedelic band, the Sky Dog Band, comprising Burns (vocals, guitar), Mat Kastner (keyboards), Bruce Samuels (bass, flute), and John O'Leary (percussion). With engineer Herb Abramson they recorded Burns's second album, Evening of the Magician, released in 1968.

He then signed for Mercury Records, releasing the album Randy Burns and the Sky Dog Band in 1971. He then joined the Polydor label, releasing I'm a Lover, Not a Fool (1972) and Still On Our Feet (1973), again with little success, and was dropped by the label. He performed in festivals and coffee houses with Mat Kastner, who also played guitar and bass. In the late 1970s, Burns relocated to Dublin, Ireland, for two years, continuing to perform in bars. and wrote an autobiography, Before the Road Ended, excerpts from which were published in magazines and on websites in the 1990s.