Burton Cummings: the Canadian Man behind “American Woman”

Burton Cummings: the Canadian Man behind “American Woman”

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For a while The Guess Who and frontman Burton Cummings were as big as it gets.  And if you’re Canadian, they’re even bigger — the first huge Canadian rock ’n roll act, paving the way for border-crossing superstars from Arcade Fire to Justin Bieber. Burton Cumming’s main songwriting collaborator in the early years of The Guess Who was Randy Bachman, the band’s guitarist. Their collaboration changed the sound of the late 60s, but their difference in temperament ended up driving Bachman out of the band. Cummings tells Here’s the Thing host Alec Baldwin why — and about how life has just gotten better since The Guess Who broke up.  That’s thanks to his dogs, his poetry, and a very dedicated fan-base.