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Chuck Berry, revolutionary guitarist-songwriter, dead at 90
Chicago Tribune ^ | March 18, 2017 | Greg Kot

Posted on 03/18/2017 4:55:17 PM PDT by lbtbell

Chuck Berry, who died Saturday at 90, was one of the architects of rock'n'roll as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. More than any artist of the '50s, his songs exploded with imagery that saw rock'n'roll not just as a fad but as the future -- a vision of freedom that transcended generation and race.

Berry's opening solo on "Johnny B. Goode" blared reveille for subsequent generations of rockers. Every rock guitarist since is in his debt. In addition, Berry wrote and sang at least two dozen rock'n'roll classics, including Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, and Back in the U.S.A., many of them recorded at Chicago's Chess Studios in the 1950s and '60s and later covered by countless artists, including the Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones.

"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'," John Lennon once said.

He was one of rock'n'roll's defining figures, and also one of its most notorious -- he was imprisoned three times over his life for various offenses.

St. Charles County (Missouri) police said officers responded to a medical emergency on Buckner Road about 12:40 p.m. Saturday. Inside the home, they "observed an unresponsive man and immediately administered lifesaving techniques." Berry was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m. The department released a statement confirming the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography
KEYWORDS: 2; chuckberry; chuckberryobit
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To: firebrand

Great! People seem to think R and R started with Chuck and Elvis, but it started much earlier! Just listen to Johnnie, or Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Cripp;e Clarence, Pete Johnson. Those guys ROCKED OUT!


61 posted on 03/18/2017 7:51:00 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: lbtbell

One of the very greatest R&Rers of all time. Megahit-maker, and notice, one if the FEW black guitarists ever in serious stardom.

Underrated as perhaps the best guitarist ever.

Never mind his sordid personal life!


62 posted on 03/18/2017 8:00:34 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Jump blues certainly rocks but it is not “Rock ‘n Roll”. All due respect to the other artists but Chuck was the guy who put it all together musically and stylistically. One of a kind. RIP.


63 posted on 03/18/2017 8:02:14 PM PDT by lodi90
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To: fhayek

Jerry Lee is still with us.


64 posted on 03/18/2017 8:05:23 PM PDT by Sicvee (Sicvee)
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To: Geronimo

ROFL!

My cousins and I played that over and over from my basement jukebox back in the ‘70s! Of course, even we little kids figured it was another double entendree.


65 posted on 03/18/2017 8:08:41 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: lodi90

I’m not talking about Jump Blues. Great music, but doesn’t rock. I’m talking about Boogie Woogie, which rocks like crazy!


66 posted on 03/18/2017 8:16:10 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: fhayek

Fats is still alive??!!!?


67 posted on 03/18/2017 8:17:55 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: lbtbell

“Berry’s opening solo on “Johnny B. Goode” blared reveille for subsequent generations of rockers.”

Astraight copy of Johnnie Johnson’s piano Boogie Woogie,


68 posted on 03/18/2017 8:21:44 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: LouieFisk

Sending that image to my son. Thanks for posting!


69 posted on 03/18/2017 8:37:21 PM PDT by wheresmyusa (FTUN)
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To: lbtbell

Monumental RIP

a cornerstone of his genre


70 posted on 03/18/2017 8:43:30 PM PDT by wardaddy (this is war....)
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To: vetvetdoug

And a damn good thing we both knew

But back in our salad days legal in Mississippi was very young

13 maybe

Stray Cat Blues stuff

Chuck did not suffer fools gladly


71 posted on 03/18/2017 8:46:22 PM PDT by wardaddy (this is war....)
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To: fhayek

Killer is still alive too


72 posted on 03/18/2017 8:53:23 PM PDT by wardaddy (this is war....)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

First true rock and roll song was by Ike Turner in my opinion

Rocket 88 in 50/51

Curse in this post fembot world he’s been eviscerated

Course they all have a bad rep with girls

There was foundation music before that from country and western and delta blues and boogie woogie and gospel and mountain music

But Rocket 88 was mighty early

It’s a good song too


73 posted on 03/18/2017 9:00:34 PM PDT by wardaddy (this is war....)
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To: wardaddy

Recorded and produced by the legendary Sam Phillips of Sun Records in Memphis. Same guy who was on the console when Elvis started improvising in the studio on “That’s All Right Mama,” and rock-and-roll was officially born. The irony, of course, is that the session had gone poorly up until that point and Phillips was ready to send Elvis packing.


74 posted on 03/18/2017 9:04:58 PM PDT by ExNewsExSpook
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To: the OlLine Rebel

They all had wild personal lives

Berry liked young white tail

Elvis ditto and the freak was strong in him

Killer liked em young too and may very well have killed wives

Little Richard an early queen

Ike Turner fistfights and drunkenness with Tina

And so forth


75 posted on 03/18/2017 9:08:23 PM PDT by wardaddy (this is war....)
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To: Newbomb Turk

He will live forever then. :)


76 posted on 03/18/2017 9:16:34 PM PDT by Duchess47 ("One day I will leave this world and dream myself to Reality" Crazy Horse)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
Keith is just too cool to die.

Chuck was 90. Keith is 73. He just looks like 90. No way Keith Richards lives to be 90.


77 posted on 03/18/2017 9:50:25 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Joe 6-pack
True to form, Sagan managed to work the word, “billion,” into the letter.

Yep, that elicited an amused snort from me, too.

78 posted on 03/18/2017 10:09:02 PM PDT by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: LS

Very cool. I just looked at your profile. I’ll follow up on your posted info. We have lots of music related folks here in Tokyo.


79 posted on 03/18/2017 10:16:40 PM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: TChad
I saw him perform once. The crowd was in the palm of his hand.

I saw Chuck in concert, too - early 1990s. Still doing the wide leg splits at age 65 (or thereabouts). No huge video screens, no pyrotechnics - he didn't need that stuff.

80 posted on 03/18/2017 10:22:40 PM PDT by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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