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What Einstein Was to Physics, CHUCK BERRY is to Rock -n- Roll
Reaganite Republican ^
| 22 November 2012
| Reaganite Republican
Posted on 11/22/2012 3:46:07 AM PST by Reaganite Republican
Where to start... the guy basically invented modern rock-n-roll and inspired all others that followed, no less: the sound, the look, the moves- songs about hot cars and beautiful girls.
It's basically impossible to create or perform rock-n-roll music without borrowing some element from him...
Legendary guitarist Kieth Richards said of the first time he heard Berry playing his signature hit 'Johnny B. Goode': "Floored me... knocked me out. After (hearing) that, I knew what I wanted to do..." Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry -dob 10.18.26- is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and it's surely an understatement to say he's 'one of the pioneers of rock'.
With hits like 'Maybellene' (1955), 'Roll over Beethoven' (1956), 'Rock and Roll Music' (1957) and 'Johnny B. Goode' (1958), Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, utilizing guitar solos and truly inspired showmanship that would be a major influence on the evolution of rock music forever.
Born into a middle class family in St. Louis, Missouri, Berry had an interest in music from an early age and gave his first public performance high school. Unfortunately -while still a student- he also served a prison sentence for armed robbery from 1944-47 (as a teen, also a pioneer in carjacking).
On release Berry settled into married life and worked at an automobile assembly plant. But -influenced by the guitar riffs and stage presence of blues player T-Bone Walker- by early 1953 he was performing in the evenings with the Johnnie Johnson Trio in St. Louis clubs.
The big break came when he traveled to Chicago in May 1955 and luckily met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess of Chess Records. Chess recorded Berry's adaptation of the country song 'Ida Red', which became 'Maybellene' -a lyric he derived from the cosmetic brand because he liked the name- and it was a SMASH hit, selling over one million copies and reaching #1 on Billboard's R-n-B chart.
Right then and there, Chuck Berry was a rock-n-roll star.
By the end of the 50s, Chuck Berry was a household name with several hit records and film appearances to his name, as well as a lucrative touring career. He also had his own St. Louis-based nightclub -Berry's Club Bandstand- but in December 1959, he was again in trouble with the law: after two trials with tinged with racism, Berry was sentenced to five years in prison for offenses under the Mann Act: he had transported a 14-year-old girl to work at his club, but sadly she was later picked-up on solicitation charges.
Following his release in 1963 Berry proceeded to chart a few more hits, including 'No Particular Place To Go', 'You Never Can Tell', and 'Nadine', but these did not achieve the same success
-nor lasting impact- of his biggest 50s songs, and by the 70s he was more in demand as a retro/nostalgia performer, playing past hits with local backup bands of variable quality.
His insistence on being paid cash led to a third prison sentence in 1979 - four months for tax evasion. Since then, he's stayed out of trouble- now in his eighties, Berry continues to play live.
Chuck Berry was -of course- among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame upon its opening in 1986, where they noted he "laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance."These videos are from a 1965 television appearance where Berry presented his first new post-prison single 'Promised Land'
-a personal favorite of mine. It's a song re. a fictional adventure of a 'poor boy' leaving home in Virginia for California. He penned it in prison, and the geographical procession of the story was written using a road atlas borrowed from the penitentiary library...
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Videos/more at Reaganite Republican...
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TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: chuckberry; fifties; music; oldies; rock
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To: Reaganite Republican
The REAL King of Rock ‘n Roll
2
posted on
11/22/2012 4:00:45 AM PST
by
Paisan
To: AdvisorB; ken5050; sten; paythefiddler
To: Reaganite Republican
“Legendary guitarist Kieth Richards”
The patron saint of substance abuse.
4
posted on
11/22/2012 4:11:18 AM PST
by
Artie
(We are surrounded by MORONS)
To: Reaganite Republican
“Hey Chuck... this is your cousin Marvin. Marvin Berry. You know that sound you been lookin for.... “
5
posted on
11/22/2012 4:12:19 AM PST
by
kjam22
(my newest music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VciTnYA4Bfk)
To: Reaganite Republican
When I was drinking I used to sing My Ding a Ling. A younger friend of mine went to Idaho hunting with her husband and heard it on the jukebox. She was flabbergasted that it was a real song. She thought I made it up. Chuck Berry rocks.
6
posted on
11/22/2012 4:15:50 AM PST
by
Lurkina.n.Learnin
(Superciliousness is the essence of Obama)
To: Artie
Kieth’s been off the junk for 30 years I believe
To his credit, they once asked him what kind of leadership he provided for for his children and Richards said “I’m sure my example will be more than enough to scare them away from all that” or words to that effect, lol
To: Paisan
The Elvis worship has slayed me for the whole of my life.
You could say that Elvis’ Sun recordings were inventive, even revolutionary, but today they would be considered rockabilly. Soon after, of course, he was led down the path of destruction by the Colonel. In no case did he write a song himself, however.
Chuck Berry, as others have noted, invented the formula that remains unchanged nearly 60 years on. Any one of his creative elements - music, lyrics/themes, and of course his guitar figures - would be enough to qualify for icon status but he came up with ALL OF THESE. Throw in his showmanship and it’s a walkover.
Chuck himself gives praise to other pioneers like Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker and claims ‘there’s nothing new under the sun’ but of course behind that modesty hides a genius.
There remains a musicians’ aphorism: never trust anyone who can’t play Chuck Berry music.
8
posted on
11/22/2012 4:37:14 AM PST
by
relictele
To: Paisan
Agreed
Elvis has his place. But Chuck is the King. Little Richard the Queen.
A Wamp bop a loo bamp a Wamp bam boom.
9
posted on
11/22/2012 4:48:49 AM PST
by
Vaquero
(Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
To: Lurkina.n.Learnin
When I was drinking I used to sing My Ding a Ling. A younger friend of mine went to Idaho hunting with her husband and heard it on the jukebox. She was flabbergasted that it was a real song. She thought I made it up. Chuck Berry rocks.
The funny thing is, that was his only Rock/Pop #1 hit. Johnny B. Goode only made #8. Stories about Berry, including this one, pretend that "My Ding-A-Ling" never happened. It's like Carrie Fisher and the Star Wars Christmas Special. I suspect "My Ding-A-Ling" cleared the way for the open release of "Shaving Cream", which was hidden behind the counter decades earlier.
10
posted on
11/22/2012 5:37:34 AM PST
by
Dr. Sivana
(There is no salvation in politics.)
To: LS
To: Reaganite Republican
About 20 years ago, my mom was sitting in an airplane while returning from a visit to some relatives when Chuck Berry & company got on the plane and sat in the row in front of her. Mom has never been a fan of rock-and-roll, and at the time was something of a stereotypical Iowa grandmother/all-around "square." When she told me about her trip, she said of Chuck Berry, "He really
is a handsome man! And what a smooth talker!"
It was an unexpected evaluation from further out in left field than I could even see.
Mr. niteowl77
12
posted on
11/22/2012 5:46:42 AM PST
by
niteowl77
(Getting stuck with other peoples' just desserts good and hard for over 50 years.)
To: Artie
Re your tag line, I know exactly what you mean. lol
13
posted on
11/22/2012 6:06:08 AM PST
by
Phlap
(REDNECK@LIBARTS.EDU)
To: Paisan
The REAL King of Rock ‘n RollYou said it!
14
posted on
11/22/2012 6:18:02 AM PST
by
HomeAtLast
( Thank You, Heavenly Father.)
To: Vaquero
Saw little Richard at the Anaheim HOB in 2007. What a waste. Was nearly 2 hours late, came in blabbering about his physicians granddaughter being in the audience or some Goddamn thing. his performance was flat and uninspired, the very definition of "phoning it in". I walked out on the "legend". Just six months earlier, saw BB King at the Orlando HOB. The 83 year old played like a guitar god for 2 hours. Night and day difference, I tell you. I still like Little Richards stuff, but I gotta wonder about that night in Anaheim, WTF??
CC
To: Reaganite Republican
... the guy basically invented modern rock-n-roll and inspired all others that followed ...This would make him the NEWTON of rock-n-roll, "who surpassed all men of genius".
16
posted on
11/22/2012 6:47:31 AM PST
by
dr_lew
To: dr_lew
Like Newton, he admitted he was standing on the shoulders of giants.
To: Reaganite Republican
They were all building on a foundation laid by Louie Armstrong.
To: circlecity
I believe this all happened BEFORE the moon landing.
J/k
To: Artie
Yeah, but KR’s involvement spearheaded one of the best rock and roll movies - heck, one of the best movies, period - of all time: “Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll”.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092758/
20
posted on
11/22/2012 7:32:17 AM PST
by
Eccl 10:2
(Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding")
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