Burgess, Kern Kennedy, Johnny Ray Hubbard, and Gerald Jackson formed a boogie-woogie band they called the Rocky Road Ramblers.

In 1954, following a stint in the US Army (1951–53), Burgess re-formed the band, calling them the Moonlighters after the Silver Moon Club in Newport, where they performed regularly.

Like other artists such as Ray Harris, Hayden Thompson, Billy Lee Riley, and Warren Smith, chart success largely eluded him.

His group, now called The Legendary Pacers, was a hit that same year in a rockabilly concert in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Burgess hosted a weekly radio program called We Wanna Boogie with co-host June Taylor.