RIP Chuck Berry
 

Rock founding Father dies at 90.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/obituaries/chuck-berry-musician-dies.html?_r=0

Really the foundation of rock n' roll guitar. RIP

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Thanks Chuck

Let it rock!

We are going to see Brian Wilson tonight and I know what an inspiration Chuck was to him....and thousands of others!

RIP Mr Berry

Bummer...he was quite the character.

I really believe he would have been as popular as Elvis if he was white. Sorry for the racial tone - he is a legend. Surfin USA by the Beach Boys, a knock off of a Chuck Berry tune. God Speed.

I always thought this too, it's seemingly a blatant rip-off of Sweet Little Sixteen, then I realized that it was meant as a tribute. As RKT said, Brian Wilson was a big fan of Chuck Berry and IIRC Chuck received writing credit for Surfin' USA.

I remember seeing him at the California State Fair, about 1977 maybe. He rode up in a Cadillac limo. They drove him right down to the back of the stage and he hopped right out. He put on one hell of a show, jumping around, doing that duckwalk thing, slinging that big Gibson around, people up doing the jitterbug in the aisles. Too bad they did not have portable phones that are cameras back then.

I think he did get credit on that Beach Boys tune. There are a lot of songs that make me think Chuck Berry, early Beatles and Rolling Stones, yeah.

My dingaling, ha, forgot about that one.

Johnny will always B. Goode. RIP Chuck, and thanks for all of those great hits.

Had to sue for the credit.

That's what I heard too.

The giants keel over one by one. Sad. Soon only Keith Richards will be left.

A bit of Keef and a whole bunch of others just passed on. RIP Chuck...the soundtrack of my life has played your riffs...

Rest now brother.......And thank you.

A few things I know of him to be true. He never had a 'band' that traveled with him. Usually 1 or 2 guys that did travel regionally served as backup players. He was his own agent, setup everything himself. The bands that played behind him were always, good local musicians that were given a playlist / set prior to each show. He never rehearsed with them, just would show up - go onstage and start playing. The band of course would have to follow look for his queues.

When he was done, he'd walk off stage - pick up his pay ( always in cash) stuff it usually into his guitar case and drive away. This of course all prearranged by him.

When he was inducted into the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame by Keith Richards / Rolling Stones - Keith said on mic that there was nothing he could say about Chuck because he ( Keith) had stolen every riff and lick from him. He owed his entire career to him.

Last night at the Brian Wilson concert, Brian and Al Jardine gave a very nice tribute to Chuck with "Surfin' USA". Actually it was more Al than Brian....Brian is near comatose. He sat at the piano and I doubt seriously if he was playing very much. His voice is 90% gone and reads the words of his songs that he wrote on a prompter.
It was still a great show. His band consisting of 12 members didn't miss a lick and Al's son Matt can match all of Brian's former high notes, especially "Don't Worry Baby" and "Surfer Girl".

ELO always closes their concerts with this one......they are being inducted in the RRHOF this year so will be interesting to see how they pay homage to Chuck.

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