There’s been an international outpouring of respect for one of the American godfathers of rock n’ roll, the late Chuck Berry. Chuck passed away over the weekend at age 90. He’s one of the original guys who can lay claim to being a father of the genre, no small statement. Virtually, all the rock icons of our day (mostly white), borrowed or copied or just flat out stole from the music he was doing before them.
Saturday night, I was attending the American English concert at the Civic Center, and The Beatles tribute band paid homage to Chuck, playing “Roll Over Beethoven.” In addition to “Beethoven,” which was covered by two of my favorite bands, The Beatles and the Electric Light Orchestra, Chuck wrote “Maybellene,” “Rock and Roll Music,” (also covered by The Beatles), “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “My Ding A Ling,” “Little Queenie,” and “Johnny B. Goode,” a song covered by too many to mention here, but cemented in our consciousness in the film, “Back to the Future.” (see below)
John Lennon once said, “If you tried to give rock n’ roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” Springsteen called him “the greatest pure rock n’ roll writer who ever lived.”
The Rolling Stones loved and copied him, but not even Keith could touch his guitar.
Doc Watson
