5.17May

Chuck Berry: Mr. Rock “n” Roll
By: Yvonne Cloutier / Musical Moments
John
Lennon
s a i d
of Chuck Berry, “If you
tried to give rock ‘n’ roll
another name, you might
call it Chuck Berry.” Bob
Dylan called Berry “the
Shakespeare of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Between 1955-1965,
Berry’s perfectly crafted
masterpiece songs developed
a new art form with major components of rhythm and blues, making
the rock ‘n’roll era. Some of his greatest compositions and recordings
were:
Maybellene, his first hit, having clever language of a narrator
“motorvatin” in a car chase after an elusive girl;
Roll over Beethoven, about his sister monopolizing the piano
playing classical music;
Rock and Roll Music, using T-Bone Walker’s technique of bending
two strings at once, which Berry “roughed up” turning that into a
rock ’n’ roll charm for him, and
Johnny B. Goode, one of the most recognizable songs in the
history of popular music!
Chuck Berry, born in 1926 as Charles Edward Anderson was raised
in a segregated, middle-class neighborhood of St. Louis. He learned
music in a public school and church, where many young blacks
learned the Blues rhythm, country guitar licks, and Chicago-Blues
storytelling style.
Due to his troubled life with the law, he wrote most of his songs
after 23. He received a degree in hairdressing and cosmetology,
worked as a beautician, and on his father’s farm.
He married Themetta Suggs, his only wife, in 1948, and had 4
children. He was working on an album about her when he died.
Berry went through a dry period after his last prison stay and then
had his biggest hit in 1972 with a double entendre novelty song, The
Ding-a-Ling.
His recording of Johnny B. Goode was one of four American songs
included in the Gold Discs, which was launched into space in 1977
on Voyager I & II.
He received many awards; including a Grammy and was first
inductee into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. It was said, “no one in
this room would be here tonight if not for this man.”
Berry was rock’s master theorist and conceptual genius, the rock
pioneer songwriter who understood what the kids wanted before they
knew themselves.
Yvonne Cloutier, a former teacher/principal, with a music
background, specializes in ragtime piano. She reports about
music on SCA-TV.com/Anthem Alive! You can contact her at www.
mytimeisragtime.com.
Tuesday
May 16 th
Scheduled
to Appear
Your Host:
Evan Davis
Gary Anderson
Musical Director
In the beautiful Veil Pavilion
and it’s FREE!
Tue., May 16 th , 2017
Doors at 5:30 pm.
Show begins at 6 pm.
Chadwick
Johnson
Vanessa
LeGrand
Treasure
Guffy
Chase
Brown
Geechy
Guy
Robin
Vincent
Surprise Guest Appearance
For guaranteed seating
call/text Evan Davis:
702/630-6111
Or call The Vegas Voice at 702/251-4441
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