Southeastern rock ‘n roll historian to present lecture on electric guitar development
Monday, April 14, 2014 
by: Rene Abadie
ROCKIN' OUT – Southeastern Louisiana University Communication Professor Joe Burns performs on the electric guitar at a recent concert of Impaired Faculties. Burns will present a free lecture on the history of the electric guitar in Southeastern's Vonnie Borden Theatre at 2 p.m. Tuesday (April 15).
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University Communication Professor and rock 'n roll historian Joe Burns will present a lecture on the history of the electric guitar on Tuesday, April 16.
The free presentation will be held at 2 p.m. in Vonnie Borden Theatre in D Vickers Hall and is open to the public.
Burns is known for his weekly award-winning radio show "Rock School" on Southeastern's radio station KSLU, where he and various guests explore the nuances of rock music and its stars. In the last several years, he also presents a lecture on some rock-related issue or star at every Fanfare, the university's annual celebration of the arts, humanities and social sciences.
"I will attempt to track the reasons the electric guitar came into being at all," said Burns, the Fay Warren Reimers Professor in the Humanities. "I've done considerable research to gather not only pictures and copies of original patents but recordings of the earliest electric guitars available. The audience will hear what many believe to be the first recording ever of an electric guitar.
Burns is a member of the recently formed Impaired Faculties, a group of Southeastern faculty members and rock aficionados who have formed their own band and recently played a benefit performance for the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts and Fanfare. He will be joined on stage for some live music with History Professor and Department Head William Robison.
He also writes a regular column for the Hammond Daily Star titled "Average Joe."
