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Just seen the news that Chuck Berry has sadly left us, a great rock 'n roller and a massive inspiration - RIP Chuck.

One of the Greats. Chuck provided an 'entry point' for everyone who wanted to play rock'n'roll in the 1950s - and did the same again in the 1960s for the rise of rhythm & blues. Lonnie Donegan got people started on guitar but it was Chuck's songs, uptempo with that chunka-chunka rhythm on the 5th and 6th strings that moved skifflers into rock'n'roll. Acoustic guitars became electric guitars, and you needed drums and a proper electric bass to play Chuck's songs.

Then there were the lyrics. Clever lyrics about driving cars and going from a log cabin to being a star, with words and phrases in a choppy rhythm that matched the choppy rhythm of the instruments.

The early '60s brought him back again. With a foot in the blues camp as well as the rock'n'roll camp, his music was played by the Jaggers and Richards and all the others who had been too young for skiffle but were caught up in a love for blues and rhythm & blues.

I spoke to the man briefly. It was on the stage of the BBC Television Theatre at Shepherds Bush Green in 1972 during the 'Ding-a-Ling' tour. The show was Sounds For Saturday and I asked him what he was going to play that night. He said "I'm gonna play all ma hits". And he did.

Ray

Sad news - I saw him playing in Hereford about 25 years ago. I think Ray has summed up the man and his influence pretty well. From a Shadows perspective, I was reminded of Hank's "the late Chuck Berry" gag from one of their tours...

I saw him in 1963 in Exeter, with Carl Perkins, The Animals, Nashville Teens, and Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. What a line-up that was!
The backing band was made up mostly from the Animals and Nashville Teens, but I can only remember Chas Chandler on bass.
When we went out after the show, I found the tour bus was parked right behind my Heinkel Bubble Car, which wouldn't start, as usual, so I grabbed my programme and started collecting autographs. I've still got them somewhere.
Pat.

Yes very sad news RIP Chuck. We called at the Blueberry Hill Club in St Louis when we did Route 66 on September 12th 2014 where he still regularly played even though he was then nearly 88 years old. We went on the 12th and he was appearing on the 17th!!

There's no doubt in my mind that Chuck's records taught us all how to rock 'n roll on the guitar, those riffs are priceless for me in the stuff we play, especially at dance gigs where numerous ad lib solos are required to lengthen the songs. Most of mine are based on what I learned from Chuck Berry records, even if they don't sometimes sound like it, but it's always a starting point. Not only the guitar, but those great piano riffs from his pianist, they are classics !
The man was a true legend and will be sadly missed.

he was a one off that's for sure, rip chuck, you inspired loads of people. peter

dave robinson wrote:There's no doubt in my mind that Chuck's records taught us all how to rock 'n roll on the guitar, those riffs are priceless for me in the stuff we play, especially at dance gigs where numerous ad lib solos are required to lengthen the songs. Most of mine are based on what I learned from Chuck Berry records, even if they don't sometimes sound like it, but it's always a starting point. Not only the guitar, but those great piano riffs from his pianist, they are classics !
The man was a true legend and will be sadly missed.

Spot on, Dave. Our next r'n'r gig will feature a lot of Chuck Berry and our guitarist and keyboard player both hope to reproduce those riffs as best they can.

Gibson man through and through!

Bill

Chuck Berry had the distinction of being the ONLY rock and roller I liked!

(Shame he played a Gibson not a Fender though.)

I'm in the process of writing and recording a new instrumental at the mo, think I might sneak one or two of his riffs in.