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Jun. 14, 2007
Outside, the sleet pelted the Cosmopolitan and all of East St. Louis, Illinois on New Years Eve in 1952. But the inside was warm, the atmosphere electric with happy couples, mostly African-Americans, who'd chosen to celebrate the holiday, forget their cares and indulge in music, dancing, and booze. They expected swing, the popular music of the thirties and forties, but the sax player was home sick with a cold. His substitute was a full-time janitor, part-time electric guitar player named Chuck Berry. Midway through the set, he played a fast country song with guitar riffs and the men and women crowded the dance floor, unable to resist moving to the catchy tune--a curious mixture of hillbilly twang and rhythm and blues. Soon, white people began attending Chuck Berry's performances and rock and roll was born. Three years later, he recorded the hit, "Maybelline," several months before Elvis Presley signed his first contract.
Many of my favorite heroes in American culture from Jack Johnson to Tommy Chong served time in prison and Chuck Berry was no different. After inventing rock and roll and creating a string of hits such as "Reeling and Rocking," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Little Queenie," all of which showcased his talents not only as an outstanding guitar player but as a terrific songwriter, Chuck Berry served almost two years in prison for dating a white woman. But the unfair incarceration didn't stifle his music, and he produced a string of British hits: "No Particular Place to Go," "You Never Can Tell," and "Promised Land." His influence on the British invasion can't be understated. The Beatles covered "Roll over Beethoven" and much of their very early songs sound like Chuck Berry's "I Want to be Your Driver." The first single cut by the Rolling Stones was a cover of Chuck Berry's, "Come on." Fascinating footage in a documentary occasionally seen on the cable channel, Video Hits Classics, shows Chuck Berry instructing Keith Richards on how to play the guitar riff for "Carol." The whole song revolves around that riff. Without Chuck Berry there would've been no Rolling Stones and no guitar-heavy, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." (Why this song doesn't make any of the Stones greatest hits albums, I'll never know. It's on their Sticky Fingers album. Check it out.) The Kinks covered "Rock and Roll Music" and it practically became their signature song. Chuck Berry was paired with one of the greatest bass players of all time--Willie Dixon. Many of Led Zeppelin's early songs were actually Willie Dixon tunes. Only half the time did they credit him with writing the songs. And of course Chuck Berry influenced American groups. The Beach Boys changed the lyrics of "Sweet Little Sixteen" into "Surfin' USA." George Thorogood covered "No Particular Place to Go." Chuck Berry's influence wasn't only the music. He invented the flamboyant swagger rock and roll fans now accept as a given. Guitar players no longer stood around like zombies with milk toast smiles on their faces. They copied Chuck Berry and danced with their guitar, made furious love to it. Sadly, Chuck Berry didn't have much commercial success in the late sixties, perhaps because he had to compete with all the youthful groups who wouldn't have existed without his influence. He made his money on the oldies circuit and ironically had his only number one hit in 1972--a live performance in England of "My Ding-A-Ling," a novelty song worth listening to once but no comparison to his earlier work, which few ever tire of. ------------ About the author Mark Gelbart: My book, Talk Radio, is a black comedy about a radio talk show host who gets kidnapped and psychologically tortured by a loser. http://www.authorsden.com/marksgelbart Email: agelbart@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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