Burton Biography

Janne Johannes Puurtinen, better known as Emerson Burton, is the current keyboard-player in the Finnish rock band, HIM.

He was born 17 October 1974, in Helsinki. Burton comes from a family of ballet dancers. He tried himself, but it "wasn't really anything for him."

He began playing keyboards when he was around 5 years old. His mother motivated him to keep playing by making a hand puppet called "Riku the Piano Dog." If Burton didn't play, Riku the Piano Dog would starve.

Burton made his second debut as a temporary member of the band at the concert arranged at the Semifinal Club on 12 January 2001. This was to give the keyboarder the chance to appear in a low key environment before the tour dates in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark later that very month. Burton described playing with HIM as "really easy and comfortable" as his bandmates helped him to learn the set. He was asked to become a full time member at the end of January 2001.

He was friends with other members of the band while at school but didn't join their band straight away. Instead, he went on to study music at a higher level and is now classically trained. Burton lists Tchaikovsky, Michael Jackson, and Pink Floyd as his influences.

Burton has also worked as a stage assistant in an opera house for a year, & a porter for concerts at the Sibelius Academy. He then had a job as a cook.

Burton has many hobbies including an interest in food & playing chess. Burton passed on his love for chess to Mige, and now before gigs Burton & Mige like to play chess. Burton is also a strict vegetarian; he hates fast food restaurants, esp. McDonalds.

While being a member of Cosmos Tango he won Finnish Rock Champion, and to this day is still extremely proud of himself.

For the brief time Burton was a member of the band Torpedo, they released one album & were scheduled to go on tour. Burton left the band to start up with HIM, and Torpedo split.

Burton is also the keyboardist in Linde's band, Daniel Lioneye.