Jim Burns (television producer)

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Jim Burns (born about 1952, died December 26, 2017) was an American television producer and writer. He is best known for co-creating MTV Unplugged with Robert Small in 1989. The show aired on MTV from 1989 to 1999 and featured famous artists performing acoustic versions of their songs. Burns and Small produced Unplugged, which won three Primetime Emmy Awards during its first decade. Artists on the show included Nirvana, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, LL Cool J, and 10,000 Maniacs.

In 1989, Burns and Small created MTV Unplugged to give artists another way to reach audiences beyond music videos. Small said Burns believed the show would let artists reveal a different side of themselves.

MTV Unplugged premiered on November 26, 1989, with Elton John, Aerosmith, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the first season. By the early 1990s, Unplugged had become a major hit in both television and music. After Unplugged, Burns moved more toward theater work, though he continued to work as an executive producer and writer.

In December 2017, Burns was struck by a taxi while crossing the corner of 87th Street and Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his dog. He suffered severe head injuries and died three days later at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, at the age of 65. MTV issued a statement expressing sorrow, noting his crucial role in creating Unplugged. Robert Small called him a terrific person who could make people happy. In September 2017, MTV Unplugged had returned to television with new performances from Shawn Mendes, Bleachers, and A-ha.