Rock Legend Chuck Berry Dies At The Age Of 90!
When people speak of rock legends, influencers, and paving the way for others in what we call Rock ‘n’ Roll, Chuck Berry should be on the top of that list. He is one of the founding fathers of the music we love today. His songs and guitar playing influenced so many, one can’t list them all. But to give you an idea, they ranged from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen. You could watch the film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, and you will get the idea. Berry was one of the first to not only play his own guitar on his songs, sing them, he write them as well. Others of the day, like Elvis Presley, relied on other writers. In that way, Berry was looked as one of the architects of rock and roll. He was a performer as well. He knew realized he could entertain audiences, hence his famous duck walk. In the 1950’s, Berry stood out because of the combination of his talent and performance ability. Doing it all his way. He was also one of the first to be put into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, as he should be. There is no disputing his influence in songwriting and guitar playing.
I regret that I never had the chance to see him live. That aside, I loved his music and style. One of my first albums I purchased was “Chuck Berry Is On Top”, and I played it to death. In turn, I bought other records of his. I always loved the way he added humor to his songs. One of my faves in that vein was, No Particular Place To Go. A close second would be My Ding A Ling. Interestingly, on Berry’s 90th birthday, he announced he would be releasing a new album in 2017. It would be his first album since 1979’s. “Rock It”. Almost 40 years between albums. Think about that. There is no release date yet, but my understanding is that it will be titled, Chuck. I am looking forward to it.
We have lost so many rock stars as of late, but not many fall in Chuck Berry’s status. He truly is held in high regard. He passed away today, at the age of 90. He was found dead in his home, outside of St. Louis, Missouri. I just and take a moment and say thank you, Chuck Berry. You surely made graced us with your music. Hail! Hail! Rock And Roll!
Here is Chuck Berry playing Johnny B. Goode.