Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Janet Ruth Wisner Burton with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Ms. Burton celebrates many years’ experience in her professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field.
With decades of experience to her credit, Ms. Burton has excelled as a professor of music at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, since 2016. Prior to this position, she served as an English teacher for the gifted for Boaz High School in Alabama from 2008 to 2009, a music teacher for Snead State Community College between 2011 and 2012 and the music director for Fairview United Methodist Church in Boaz from 2012 until 2014. She previously provided her wealth of knowledge to the Huntland School in Tennessee as a music teacher between 2004 and 2007. Moreover, Ms. Burton was active as a music and language arts teacher for Dekalb County high schools in Rainsville, Alabama, from 1999 to 2005. She attended Summer School five years and volunteered in the HS Office all but one class her senior year. As president of FTA, she volunteered with teachers during study hall. During her sophomore year she helped organize a Prayer & Christian Club meeting at the American Flag before school every morning. She served as president of the FHA & was a county & state officer. She has mentored & helped many at-risk students graduate from HS.
At age 5, she twirled baton as majorette mascot for both Sylvania & Fyffe high school bands where her father was the band director. She was influenced by her father, Robert Wisner, who was a singing school teacher and organized school bands throughout Dekalb County, also starting the Plainview HS Band. Ms. Burton initially discovered her natural musical talents while attending summer singing schools throughout her youth. Learning to sight reading new music and having amazing experience through vocal and piano lessons, she eventually performed gospel music alongside her siblings and parents as a part of the Robert & Mary Wisner Family Group as a teenager, also developing her stellar work ethic on 3rd shift at the Wisner Hosiery Mill in Rainsville, Ala., which ran 24/6 throughout high school. Ms. Burton later joined a number of local gospel music quartets, with which she sang at decorations, monthly events, church services and, even, regional fairs. During this time, National Geographic Interviewed Ms. Burton at a Decoration held near Geraldine, Ala., in 1983.
Ms. Burton initially studied music at the National School of Music in Roanoke, Alabama, for 10 consecutive years, eventually earning an Associate of Arts in music in 1978. Having graduated from Plainview High School in 1974, she obtained a scholarship to enroll with the Videt Polk’s Gospel Singers of America in 1979. Ms. Burton, subsequently, completed piano lessons with James D. Walbert in Birmingham, Ala., voice with Lee Roy Abernathy of Canton, Ga., and jazz music studies at Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach Junior College with Jamey Abersold.
Furthermore, Ms. Burton pursued a formal education at Northeast Alabama Community College, garnering an associate degree in 1990. After continuing her academic efforts with a Bachelor of Science in English at Athens State University, she became certified as a public school teacher in Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Florida. Following these accomplishments, she accrued a Master of Music from Jacksonville State University in 2004 and a Master’s in Language Arts. Ms. Burton concluded her collegiate learning with six months of online doctorate coursework in educational leadership with Keiser University.
Ms. Burton found success with Jacksonville State University as well, having exhibited her talents as a part of its gospel choir, marching southerner’s band and clarinet choir. She sang in the Don Frost Gospel Music Showcase for years with Buddy Burton, Bill Shaw, Roy McNeal and Don Frost and played the clarinet with the East Hillsborough Community Orchestra and Tampa Bay Orchestra.
Beginning in 1980, Ms. Burton composed myriad pieces for the Stamps/Baxter Gospel Music Publishing Company in Dallas, Texas; these were published and performed by choirs around the country. As an author, she has also penned a series of children’s books in the PeeWee & Me series, has written songs for “The Jeffress Convention Book” of Arkansas, BMI International and has produced a DVD with rudiment book, The Do, Re, Mi’s of Music. A producer and co-host for Gospel Music Time TV with Buddy & Janet for four years, Ms. Burton has recorded albums with the Premiers, Crimson Qt., Golden Harvest, Diplomats, the Buddy Burton Trio and duets with Cat Freeman and Doy Ott, among others.
Buddy Burton and Janet Ruth Wisner Burton
In light of her exceptional undertakings, Ms. Burton has accepted a multitude of accolades throughout her career. The recipient of the Marquis Humanitarian Award and Top Educator Award, she also has been presented with a journalism award from Northeast Alabama Community College; was a contributing staff writer for 14 years for U.S. Gospel News of Jonesborough, Ark.; a national award winner for waltz, rumba & swing in ballroom dancing from Fred Astaire Studios in 1985; the leadership award from Omicron Delta Kappa in 2003; and all-county band awards, grades 7 – 12 from Plainview High School and she was voted Most Dependable. Honored as Miss Congeniality in Dekalb County in 1974, she was proudly inducted into the Tri-State Music Hall of Fame in 2017 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Bestowed with a grant from the Alabama Arts Council in 1995 for her “Do, Re, Mi’s of Music” project, Ms. Burton has been featured in multiple editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World and Who’s Who of American Women.
Though still on their “honeymoon,” she has been married to O.E. Buddy Burton, a legend in gospel music, since 1991, Ms. Burton has been overjoyed to serve as the matriarch of her family, which includes her wonderful daughter, Mara Ruth; her amazing four step-children; nine step-grandchildren; and seven step-great-grandchildren. Currently, she enjoys playing the organ and/or her 1967 Hofner Bass Guitar at First Baptist Church of Gibsonton, with Buddy at the piano, and doing vocals with the youth group. She also plans the services and directs the choir. Looking to the future, Ms. Burton hopes to continue leaving her mark in the performing arts while reaffirming her commitment to her Christian faith through music. First Baptist Church of Gibsonton is at 9912 Indiana St., Gibsonton. For more information, call the church at 813-677-1301 or visit http://1stbaptistgibsonton.com/.
