Chuck Berry RIP

[Just_Steve]

RIP @ 90 years old.

Rock 'n Roll legend Chuck Berry has died at 90 | KSDK.com

 

[RonBoyd]

When I fell in love with Rock & Roll:

 

[Nemo2]

Bummer......always loved the Duck Walk.

 

[HFWR]

Johnny B. Goode, Memphis, Roll Over Beethoven, Back in the USA, Little Queenie, Rock and Roll Music, No Particular Place to Go, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Maybellene, Sweet Little Sixteen, Thirty Days, Too Much Monkey Business...

Many a garage band, including The Beatles and Rolling Stones, covered Chuck.

 

[W2R]

A *BIG* part of my life. Remember dancing to Maybellene?

 

[CardsFan]

Living in the St. Louis area, we took Chuck for granted. Sorry I never went to the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill when he played. Hail Hail Rock and Roll.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Wow! I was just thinking about him yesterday, and how he, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis--pioneer rock and rollers--were getting awfully old these days, but still kicking it. But not Chuck any more. What an influential master of the art! Thanks, Chuck! (BTW: The first song that the Beatles performed at their first US concert was "Roll Over Beethoven," in honor of their American music hero. "If you had to give Rock 'n' Roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." John Lennon.)

 

[harley]

What Wipeout was for high school drummers, Johnny B. Goode was for high school guitarists. Well, that and Stairway to Heaven. RIP, Chuck. Rock and roll wouldn't be the same without you.

 

[easysurfer]

RIP Chuck. A legend.

 

[unclemick]

Buddy Holly, Ricky Nelson and now Chuck. RIP

heh heh heh - my mainstays thru High School.

 

[Nodak]

..

 

[kcowan]

Loved him. Set the trend for those that followed. He hinted at dancing. MJ confirmed it.

 

[euro]

Another icon gone - RIP!

 

[Trooper]

Loved him. Set the trend for those that followed. He hinted at dancing. MJ confirmed it.

"Gotta be rock and roll music, if you wanna dance with me". RIP Chuck!

 

[brucethebroker]

Greatest of all R&R greats, IMHO.

If you want to hear a great cover of Johnny B. Goode, try Hendrix in the West album. Also on Spotify, a live cut.

 

[easysurfer]

Wow! I was just thinking about him yesterday, and how he, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis--pioneer rock and rollers--were getting awfully old these days, but still kicking it. But not Chuck any more. What an influential master of the art! Thanks, Chuck! (BTW: The first song that the Beatles performed at their first US concert was "Roll Over Beethoven," in honor of their American music hero. "If you had to give Rock 'n' Roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." John Lennon.)

Great video.

I see why he's the father of rock and roll.

Watching, can see his influences on Elvis (the moves) and The Beach Boys (the music). Plus, fun to see a very young Dick Clark and Johnny Carson.

 

[frayne]

Another musical icon is gone.

 

[ERD50]

Aside from the music itself, one thing I recall thinking about from time to time was how clearly he enunciated every word of this songs. No 'misheard lyrics' among his hits. No slurred lines, every word was precise. I liked that, it seemed to present the music very professionally, but didn't take away from that rock-and-roll edge.

That was mentioned in the Tribune article I read this AM. I wonder if it was an intentional thing to maybe appeal to a wider audience?

I forgot about the Carl Sagen letter - cool.

And I thought this was a great tribute, from a few decades ago...

"well, it's an oldie where I come from... "

-ERD50

 

[FiveDriver]

When you finally figured out what he was doing with that rolling pinky finger up 2 frets......you thought you'd found the key to the universe. That's when my guitar-playing started to make sense.

Bless you Chuck

 

[harley]

Aside from the music itself, one thing I recall thinking about from time to time was how clearly he enunciated every word of this songs. No 'misheard lyrics' among his hits. No slurred lines, every word was precise. I liked that, it seemed to present the music very professionally, but didn't take away from that rock-and-roll edge.

Yeah, that was usually a good thing. However, on his biggest hit of all - My Ding-a-ling - he could have slurred and mumbled however much he wanted, IMO.

 

[ERD50]

Yeah, that was usually a good thing. However, on his biggest hit of all - My Ding-a-ling - he could have slurred and mumbled however much he wanted, IMO.

I was hoping we could get through this thread w/o mention of that, ummmm, 'song'? (just kidding you ). But what an embarrassment. And that was the only one to make #1!

Reminds of Randy Newman's "Short People" - he said if he knew it would have been popular, he wouldn't have released it!

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

I was hoping we could get through this thread w/o mention of that, ummmm, 'song'? (just kidding you ). But what an embarrassment. And that was the only one to make #1!



Reminds of Randy Newman's "Short People" - he said if he knew it would have been popular, he wouldn't have released it!



-ERD50

Many artists have expressed that, but I'd bet they still cashed the checks...

That said, if I had to play "Freebird" every show for 40+ years, it's likely I would have, at some point, flung myself in front of a semi, or turned into Pink from "The Wall".

 

[Breedlove]

Kind of funny listening to the old videos of Chuck Berry , no effect peddles or any synth. music. This is Rock and Roll . Today you can go to just about any bar that has a band and hear Johnny B Goode years later with every type of effect you can imagine added . Rock and Roll really did form our lives at a time when things were simpler music was formed by trend setting musicians not higher technology . I remember in a music store a guy coming in wanting to buy a guitar that played itself . I'm sure they have them but I have never seen one .
I guess I will just have to learn the words to the song ( Louie Louie ) . It was banned for years because it drove kids crazy . Today people still dance to Louie Louie . We might have just all gone crazy.

 

[HFWR]

Kind of funny listening to the old videos of Chuck Berry , no effect peddles or any synth. music. This is Rock and Roll . Today you can go to just about any bar that has a band and hear Johnny B Goode years later with every type of effect you can imagine added . Rock and Roll really did form our lives at a time when things were simpler music was formed by trend setting musicians not higher technology . I remember in a music store a guy coming in wanting to buy a guitar that played itself . I'm sure they have them but I have never seen one .
I guess I will just have to learn the words to the song ( Louie Louie ) . It was banned for years because it drove kids crazy . Today people still dance to Louie Louie . We might have just all gone crazy.

While I agree that lots of over-processed crap has been and is being produced, the electric guitar itself was pretty new in the 50s, and was considered almost blasphemous by some. Glad Charlie Christian, T-Bone Walker, and Les Paul didn't listen!

 

[Breedlove]

I seen that first Les Paul Electric guitar at the R&R HOF . I don't think I could hang onto that all night . I remember he used a phonograph needle for a pick up .