Zack "Zack Attack" Bursie

Buffalo, New York

"I love the quote ‘you gotta pay your dues to play the blues’.

I mean, anyone that has been through depression, or losing a parent or someone they love can relate to that. Going through it gives you a different perspective on life.

When I started doing music I had conversations with [my mom] on the other side and somehow I started picking it up. It’s so beautiful to get something positive from her and to be able to continue her legacy through death. People will listen to Zack Bursie, learn that my mom was a musician, and will hopefully listen to and love her music.

Whether or not I ‘make it’ is up to fate, but I’m gonna do it. I’m going to give it everything I have to do it. I wake up every day and practice; I try to sing every day and write every day because it means something to me. I mean when you sing, it’s like better than sex. It’s crazy; your whole body, mind, and soul go into it.

This weekend after a party, I was a little drunk so we went to Jim’s Steak Out just to get some food. I’m walking on Elmwood, and there’s this stereotypical 60-year-old black guy playin’ the blues on the street. He was playing ‘The Thrill is Gone’ by B.B. King and I love this song, so I start singin’ and he starts singin’ and we just connect over the blues. I love all music, but if there is one I love most it is blues music.

So, I impressed him with my voice I guess. He gives me his guitar and says,

'Play me one of your songs.'

I played him ‘Emily’s Garden’ and he was really impressed so we started talkin’. Well, I come to find out that he’s been playing music for over forty-something years with Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and all of these other famous people. He actually knew my mom and he asked,

‘Noa Bursie is your mom? Oh my God, she was amazing. I didn’t know she had a son.'

He told me about all of these gigs he had with her and how they used to jam. He then told me he wanted to mentor me and teach me how to perfect the blues!

And that was just the first thing! After that, we walk into Jim's and my friends and I are still talkin’ about music. In line I said,

‘I gotta meet the right people ‘cause that’s how you get somewhere; you need a little bit of luck’

The cashier looks at me and says,

‘I’m your guy. You met the right person right now. I organize gigs.’

So I got his phone number and sat down with my friends to eat. We’re still talkin’ about music at the same Jim’s Steak Out in the same night. There is a guy sitting at the table next to us lookin’ like he’s into punk rock and I’m thinking this guy has to be a musician, but I just thought whatever.

Once again, this punk rock guy knew my mom and played with her! We got into a conversation and I told him about my band and our show next month. Now, he has been playing for over forty years as well, but he is more of a rock ‘n roll guy and wants to teach me that kind of stuff. He said,

‘I need to teach you’

And I was like, ‘yeah man, whatever’ but he insisted,

‘No, no, no. I’m giving you lessons for free. When are you free?’

So, now I have two different mentors who want to teach me two different genres. I mean, where did that come from? God. There has to be a point to that. That doesn’t happen for nothing, you know?"