James Burns (c. 1952 – December 26, 2017[1]) was an American television producer and writer who co-created MTV Unplugged with Robert Small in 1989.
[1] Artists appearing on the series included Nirvana, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, LL Cool J, and 10,000 Maniacs.
According to Robert Small, Burns believed that a show like Unplugged would create another venue for reaching audiences besides music videos, which were highly popular at the time.
[3] Burns was struck by a taxi cab while crossing the corner of 87th Street and Fifth Avenue with his dog,[5] on the Upper East Side on Saturday, December 23, 2017.
"[4] In September 2017, just months before Burns's death, MTV Unplugged returned to television with new performances Shawn Mendes, Bleachers, and A-ha.