In 2002, Burnside played on
Richard Johnston's debut album,
Foot Hill Stomp. Burnside followed this two years later by playing percussion on Johnston's
Official Bootleg #1 album. A short-term partnership of Cedric with Garry Burnside (his uncle two years elder) in 2006, saw them record
The Record, billed as Burnside Exploration. They had tour dates as opening act and
jam partners for
Widespread Panic. Later in 2006 in
Clarksdale, Mississippi, Burnside teamed up with Lightnin' Malcolm, and they both toured and recorded the
Juke Joint Duo album. It won a Blues Music Award for 'Best New Artist Debut' in 2009. , 2024 Another collaboration followed, this time with his younger sibling, Cody Burnside, plus his uncle, Garry Burnside, which created the Cedric Burnside Project. From 2011 he recorded and toured with Trenton Ayers. In 2011,
The Way I Am album was released. Burnside's brother, Cody, died in 2012, In late 2012 he recorded the album
Allison Burnside Express with
Bernard Allison, released in 2014. Burnside's 2013's
Hear Me When I Say, and the later
Descendants of Hill Country (2015), were issued under the Cedric Burnside Project name and using the guitar playing of Ayers. The latter was funded using a
Kickstarter campaign. Burnside has had cameo appearances in three films –
Tempted and
Big Bad Love (both 2001), and
Black Snake Moan (2006). Burnside has performed with Lightnin' Malcolm at Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival (2008),
Memphis in May,
Notodden Blues Festival (both 2009), and
Voodoo Experience (2010). In 2018 he released the album
Benton County Relic, which he recorded with Brian Jay of
Pimps of Joytime.
Benton County Relic was nominated for
Best Traditional Blues Album at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019. ==Awards and honors==