by Robert Wilkinson
There's really not much anyone could add to the mountains of praise and respect due Mister Chuck Berry. As John Lennon once put it, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." Today we celebrate the Libra legend's 82nd birthday with videos of classic performances, some from the 50s.
Born in St. Louis, Chuck Berry amalgamed the blues with country and western and turned the world upside down in 1955 with his first hit, "Maybelline." This was followed by some of the most famous songs in the history of rock and roll: "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode," "Rock and Roll Music," "Oh Carol," "School Days," "Little Queenie," "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," "Nadine," and a slew of others covered by everyone who followed, including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, and many, many more. He created the poetry of rock and roll, as well as just about every classic lick that beginning guitarists learn to master, and starred in two of the early movies featuring rock and roll artists.
Happy Birthday, Chuck. You are the Master who helped birth rock and roll and gave us its classic tunes. May you live to be 100 years old, so that you truly know rock and roll will never die. And now, a few of the classics!
From Hullabaloo in 1965, Johnny B. Goode
With most of these that follow, hit pause for a minute to let them buffer for awhile or they'll stop. The black and white shows are from the 1950s.
Little Queenie from 1958.
Sweet Little Sixteen - London 1972
© Copyright 2008 Robert Wilkinson
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