R.I.P to the King of Rock and Roll - Chuck Berry

IllmaticDelta

IllmaticDelta

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Rigby. said:
been in a rock and roll history class for the past 2 weeks, sounds like ol dude is (or was) one of the most influential mans on the planet
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chuck was the main architect for rock and roll from a mainstream standpoint....lyrically speaking, showmanship and his guitar work was revolutionary
"Applying the boogie-woogie lines of his pianist Johnnie Johnson to his Gibson ES-350T, Chuck Berry thus invented the sound of rock 'n' roll. Then, with his trademark unison bends and sliding double stops, he ushered in the age of rock lead guitar. And finally, with his famous duckwalking stage act, he showed that rock 'n' roll wasn't just music—it was a party.

As a guitarist rooted solidly in the blues, Berry's songs typically followed the standard 12-bar blues format, albeit with his chugging boogie-woogie (5th-6th) rhythms. A short list of rock legends who "borrowed" this rhythm format—the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Van Halen—demonstrates just how influential Berry was; indeed, anyone who picked up a guitar after 1955 has been influenced by him, either directly or indirectly.

Berry's soloing technique was equally revolutionary. Master of double and triple stops constructed from the chords in the harmony, Berry never left his audience thinking, "Hey, now would be a good time to get another beer." Certainly, many of Berry's now-signature licks existed previously in the hands of bluesmen, but none had ever put them all together like he did. From the T-Bone Walker-inspired unison bends in "Johnny B. Goode" to the Muddy Waters-derived IV-I double-stop moves of "No Particular Place to Go," every rock guitarist who's followed owes Berry an enormous debt of gratitude."
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http://www.guitarinstructor.com/chuckberry/index.jsp
"In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together. In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero. Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond. This performance, recorded at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C., is interspersed with rare interview footage of Chuck Berry recorded at the same event."
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Chuck Berry Live Performance & Interview - Free Podcast by Academy of Achievement on iTunes

"Somewhere outside of St. Louis, living in an estate beside an amusement park long since closed, sits a legend. At 81, he’s not physically ailing, he’s not mentally infirm and he still has a sizable audience on both sides of the Atlantic, but he has long ceased to be a creative force of any sort. Still tall and lean, Chuck Berry is a living statue of the man who largely forged the vocabulary of rock music’s language, and his legacy still echoes through every 14-year-old who plugs in an electric guitar. Elvis might be called the King, but Berry is rock music’s prime architect, the pop poet laureate who established the primacy of the guitar solo in Western pop music-the man who seemingly has little interest in reminding us how great he really is."
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CHUCK BERRY: A Legend in Exile « American Songwriter

If importance in popular music were measured in terms of imaginativeness, creativeness, wit, the ability to translate a variety of experiences and feelings into musical form, and long term influence and reputation, Chuck Berry would be described as the major figure of rock ‘n’ roll. Berry was rock’s first electric guitar hero and one of early rock’s most prolific songwriters. He was also one of the first musicians to understand that rock was music for teenagers, the new consumer class central to the success of the style. Berry specifically crafted songs for white teens, shaping them around blazing, T-Bone Walker-style guitar solos that defined the archetype of rock guitar. Berry’s music influenced a generation of rock artists that included the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. His recording career began with the country-flavored “Maybelline” (1955), followed by “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “School Day” (1957), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957), “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958), and “Johnny B. Goode” (1958).
Berry’s early musical influences were derived from popular R&B and country styles of the late 40s and early 50s. He was a great admirer of Louis Jordan’s skills as a band leader and consummate entertainer, his guitar work owed much to T-Bone Walker, and his debt to smooth blues artist Charles Brown could be seen on “Wee Wee Hours,” the “B” side of “Maybelline.” Berry first auditioned for Chess with the country-flavored tune “Ida Red,” and after some reworking (and retitling as “Maybelline”) the tune was a hit. Berry’s songwriting skills blossomed as he developed his ability to give voice to the core sentiments of white teenagers. According to admiring rock critic Robert Christgau,

“Chuck Berry is the greatest rock lyricist this side of Bob Dylan, and sometimes I prefer him to Dylan. Berry’s most ambitious lyrics, unlike Dylan’s, never seem pretentious or forced.” 44 Berry’s clear enunciation and vocal style made his recordings sound ethnically ambiguous, like Elvis but in reverse: Berry was a black performer who sounded white. Berry also used stage antics pioneered by T-Bone Walker to become the prototype rock guitar performer. Most notable was his patented “duck walk,” in which he slid crouched across the stage with one leg in front of the other while the guitar was perched precariously in front of him.
By the end of the 50s Berry was one of the most successful black entertainers of all time. In 1960, however, in a racially motivated prosecution, he was arrested and imprisoned for two years on trumped-up morals charges. Embittered by the experience, Berry continued his career after his release and had a few other hits (“Nadine”—1964 and “No Particular Place to Go”—1964), but the well was running dry. Berry continued to make records in the 60s and 70s, including the silly novelty hit, “My Ding-a-Ling” (1972), and he toured with major bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Although further brushes with the law continued to plague him, Berry’s position as a founding father of rock and roll is undiminished. He was the first person elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Historian John Collis summarizes Berry’s impact:

“Berry’s effect on rock and roll was greater than any other individual. Whereas Elvis caused a revolutionary change in pop music with a voice and an image, Berry was the complete article, a writer and musician with the imagination to show that rock could venture into previously uncharted territory
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Chuck Berry bio
 
Sithlord Piff

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GOAT photo of the King
R.I.P.
 
feelosofer

feelosofer

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There aren't enough words to express how big an impact on American music and the world Chuck Berry had. He was one of the greatest performers, shredders and overall talents America has seen, and we were blessed to have him as long as we have. Every musician that has come to be over the past 60 years can cite him as a direct influence or by proxy. Black excellence distilled into the finest of scotches. May he rest in power and in peace. Gonna play some Johnny Be Good in tribute.
 
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