And I'm sorry, I don't even think that one's debatable. Many would argue (including me), the most influential rock and roll artist, period. Happy Birthday Chuck Berry: 89 Years Young!
Grumpy pervert? Have not heart that before. How can you say that? I always liked his music, he seems like he is just rockin' and enjoying life.
Gina you obviously don't know much about Chuck other than the music. Let's just say he was a video as well as a rock pioneer ...
Gina, it's the difference between an artist and his art!!
See: Woody Allen, Jimmy Page, Roman Polanski, etc.
"If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might as well call it Chuck Berry".
- John Lennon
Most influential guitar player? Yeah, I'll buy that.
The most under-appreciated man in R & R history!!! The youngsters out there are as interested (for the most park) in his music as they are in B & W movies.
But his sound is unmistakable; and he is definitely Mount Rushmore worthy amongst the founding fathers
Chuck was a grumpy pervert -- Jerry Lee Lewis was an incestuous cradle rocker -- Little Richard was a suspected gay --
am glad I don't have these folks in my living room when listening to their music, or Elvis ("druggie"), Buddy Holly ("no talent geek"), Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent..........
Happy belated birthday, Mr. Berry -- Havana Moon to this day is my favorite
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. 'Nuff said... 
Only saw him once, at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1986 . . . and Keith Richards showed up. I'd say I caught a good one.
Havana Moon to this day is my favorite
Not my favorite but nice call.
Saw Chuck a couple of times back in the 80's. Ended up on stage with 1/2 the crowd during "Reeling and Rocking" one time.
Also met him at an oldies show. Odd encounter, rumors are true. He pulled up in his caddy, grabbed his guitar and a briefcase (assume for the cash) and headed for the stage. Right place, right time. He talked w/ us for a couple of minutes, signed my buddy's hat. Would not sign anything for the rest of us though.
Seemed to be in a good mood, show was great (Jerry Lee, Fats, Carl Perkins & others) but I don't think I would want to get on Chuck's bad side.
"If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might as well call it Chuck Berry".
- John Lennon
Most influential guitar player? Yeah, I'll buy that.
I agree! 
The true King of Rock and Roll!
If memory serves me correctly "My Ding A Ling" was his only number one hit. We let these people vote for president too?
Saw him live once I think in 1973 visiting my brother at college. Great show (even if the crowd only seemed interested in the aforementioned song)
If memory serves me correctly "My Ding A Ling" was his only number one hit. We let these people vote for president too?
Saw him live once I think in 1973 visiting my brother at college. Great show (even if the crowd only seemed interested in the aforementioned song)
Hey, I love "My Ding-a-Ling" (sounds funny when you say that out loud) - but that was a novelty. Chuck's lyrics are genuine poetry!
I've told the story before: as a smart-a$$ 11th grader who was supposed to memorize a poem, I walked to the front of the class and did a recitation of Johnny B Goode. I thought I had put one over on the teacher. She stopped me on the way out of the class and told me that she knew the song. She pointed out the characters and the storyline and told me that it did, indeed count.
Chuck's guitar riffs have been quoted by everybody. If you play, and you think you were not influenced by Chuck - you were probably influenced by somebody who was. For me though, his lyrics are equally important to rock and roll.
For me though, his lyrics are equally important to rock and roll.
Yup.
Nadine...
As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat,
I thought I saw my future bride walking up the street,
I shouted to the driver hey conductor, you must slow down
I think I see her please let me off this bus
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I see you
Darling you got something else to do
I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back
And started walkin' toward a coffee colored Cadillac
I was pushin' through the crowd to get to where she's at
And I was campaign shouting like a southern diplomat
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, where are you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You are up to something new
Downtown searching for 'er, looking all around
Saw her getting in a yellow cab heading up town
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab
Flipped a twenty dollar bill, told him 'catch that yellow cab
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You are up to something new
She move around like a wave of summer breeze,
Go, driver, go go, catch 'er for me please
Moving through the traffic like a mounted cavalier
Leaning out the taxi window trying to make her hear
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I see you
Darling are up to something new
"If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might as well call it Chuck Berry".
- John Lennon
Most influential guitar player? Yeah, I'll buy that.
Didn't he invent the unwound 3rd? Any guitar player making their money off of bending that string owes Chuck a cut.
From a rock and roll documentary I saw on TV, must have been 25 or 30 years ago.
Dickey Betts: "I learned to play guitar by listening to Chuck Berry records"
Gregg Allman: "Everyone did"
For me though, his lyrics are equally important to rock and roll.
Yup.
Nadine...
As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat,
I thought I saw my future bride walking up the street,
I shouted to the driver hey conductor, you must slow down
I think I see her please let me off this busNadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I see you
Darling you got something else to doI saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back
And started walkin' toward a coffee colored Cadillac
I was pushin' through the crowd to get to where she's at
And I was campaign shouting like a southern diplomatNadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, where are you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You are up to something newDowntown searching for 'er, looking all around
Saw her getting in a yellow cab heading up town
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab
Flipped a twenty dollar bill, told him 'catch that yellow cabNadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You are up to something newShe move around like a wave of summer breeze,
Go, driver, go go, catch 'er for me please
Moving through the traffic like a mounted cavalier
Leaning out the taxi window trying to make her hearNadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I see you
Darling are up to something new
Great post
"If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might as well call it Chuck Berry".
- John Lennon
It's pretty much agreed here that Berry's influence spreads far and wide. The Beatles did some Chuck Berry on early records. I had to give this thread a bump because I just discovered that John Lennon was quoting Chuck Berry even late in The Beatles career. Everyone knows "Come Together", which is the opening tune on Abbey Road. Lennon starts the tune with "Here come old flat-top, he come groovin' up slowly".
I've been playing "Chuck Berry: The Great Twenty-Eight", a lot lately. It's a compilation of 28 of his greatest tunes. On the third cut, "You Can't Catch Me", Berry sings "Here come old flat-top, he was movin' up with me". The phrasing is exactly the same. It's obvious Lennon used it, he just changed "movin' up with me" to "groovin' up slowly."
[Edited on 11/3/2015 by robslob]
Chuck pretty much invented the first solo that most guitarists learn to play. And Chuck played it in pretty much every song. 😉 But it is a good one.
I once worked a few Chuck shows which was quite an experience. He plays with different guys each night and pretty much little or no rehearsal at all. Which if you think about it is pretty insane. I know one guy who has played drums for him twice over the years and still calls it his strangest gig. On both occasions, he barely spoke to Chuck.
The funniest part is that Chuck has a bad temper and is impatient so he will trip out on these local guys that get hired. On more than one occasion, he has stopped and asked if anyone in the audience is better than one of the guys playing with him.
The cameras in the toilet stuff finished off most of his reputation and really hurt his career even as an oldie act.
Set the standard for the crazy R&R guitarist and gave us the Rolling Stones.
I once worked a few Chuck shows which was quite an experience. He plays with different guys each night and pretty much little or no rehearsal at all. Which if you think about it is pretty insane. I know one guy who has played drums for him twice over the years and still calls it his strangest gig. On both occasions, he barely spoke to Chuck.
The funniest part is that Chuck has a bad temper and is impatient so he will trip out on these local guys that get hired. On more than one occasion, he has stopped and asked if anyone in the audience is better than one of the guys playing with him.
Everyone should watch "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n Roll", which documents a concert for Chuck's birthday (I think). Keith Richards, Springstein, George Harrison, Julian Lennon, and a few others join, and you can tell that Chuck couldn't give a crap. He treats Keith Richards the same way he treats any local musician, and it's probably the only guy Keith would ever take it from. Cause he's Chuck Berry. Legend has it that Chuck tried to squeeze more money from the producers by almost backing out of the concert at the last minute after weeks of filming and rehearsal.
robslob, the owner's of Chuck's Chess catalog actually successfully sued Lennon for lifting that lyric. That's why "You Can't Catch Me" appears on Lennon's Rock 'n Roll album.
robslob, the owner's of Chuck's Chess catalog actually successfully sued Lennon for lifting that lyric. That's why "You Can't Catch Me" appears on Lennon's Rock 'n Roll album.
WOW! Never knew that.
I've seen Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll and yes, anyone who is even a casual fan of Chuck Berry should see it. Unfortunately my cable box died and when I replaced it all my saved DVR recordings went with it including that one. I'll have to do a search in my cable guide and see if I can pick it up again.
