Chuck Berry has died

[jbuzbee]

A brilliant showman. If you can make your way through the corny "Rock! Rock! Rock!"[1] movie of 1957 you'll see some pretty awful performances from artists of the day. But then on comes Berry[2] His segment was heads-and-shoulders above the rest and still enjoyable today.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCt4_Dwt-Lk

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jKrHzps0XM

[weinzierl]

When it comes to showmanship his 1972 performance in London with Rocking Horse [1] is my favourite.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrOr3WKmyY

[harambaebae69]

Agreed. But love the art, not the artist.

He was arrested for transporting a 14-year-old girl across state lines for immoral purposes, set up hidden cameras in his restaurant bathroom, and was accused of a bunch of some other stuff that makes Trump look like a feminist by comparison.

[vesinisa]

The first video is some one and half hours long. Any idea where to skip for the Berry performance? edit: Ah, I get it, the second link is the Berry's performance starting at 22:34.

[bamboozled]

It's hard to imagine how much of an positive impact Chuck's music has had on the world over the last several decades.

I think it's worth mentioning that his music was selected to represent earth on "Music from Earth" [1] which is a pretty great honour in my opinion. Whether or not any other extra-terrestrials get to groove out to some Chuck one time is another thing, but I sure hope they do.

Rest in peace Chuck Berry, thanks for all the great music!

[1] http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html

[Brendinooo]

I always found it amazing that the guy who could be credited for the birth of rock'n'roll more than anyone else was still alive. Longevity isn't as much of a thing in the rock circles, and the genre has changed so much over time.

Also, major props for putting out a new studio album almost 40 years after his previous one.[1]

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_(Chuck_Berry_album)

[gexla]

Chuck Berry and Elvis generally get the "King" label not because of the music they created, but because they achieved mainstream success with that music. They crossed the racial divide to bring music which had very much a black background (but also a white background) to the white youth of the day. Another artist which often gets the "King" label is Little Richard, but for the music rather than level of success.

[rmason]

Chuck Berry was so much a part of my childhood. As a kid in Detroit I was a fan of WXYZ disk jockey Lee 'the horn" Allen. He was good friends with Berry and often told the story that Chuck wrote several of his hits in the back seat of his Caddy as they went from bar to bar.

As I went through school his music was never far behind. Even in his eighties he could still rock the joint. Hoping I could see him do it in his nineties but I guess not.

[k-mcgrady]

>> Hoping I could see him do it in his nineties but I guess not.

He was supposed to have a new album in the works so you might at least still get to hear that.

[acheron]

Will never forget that time Marty McFly taught him how to play rock and roll.

[pthreads]

"I guess you guys aren't ready for it yet, but your kids are going to love it."

[cyberferret]

Chuck would have been (in one way or another) the inspiration for almost everyone who plays guitar today. Aside from "Stairway to Heaven", the opening riff to "Johnny B Goode" is one lick that almost every guitarist learns to play. I've been playing that lick for 40 years, but still can't get it to sound as cool as Chuck did... RIP.

[tnecniv]

That lick is my go to when I'm in the middle of a solo and need a minute to think about where to go (and he definitely plays it cooler than me).

Even if lots of people today aren't aware of him, they're probably aware of the uncountable number of artists he directly influenced. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen [0] immediately come to mind.

[0] Coincidentally, I was watching a video of a Springsteen concert where he was arranging a cover of a Chuck Berry song for his band on the spot yesterday: https://youtu.be/L-Ds-FXGGQg

[weinzierl]

> I've been playing that lick for 40 years, but still can't get it to sound as cool as Chuck did

I'll leave this here as a consolation for you:

Chuck Berry teaching Keith Richards the lick in "O Carol"[1]. Keith had probably 40 plus years experience at that point and still didn't get it right the first time, and not the second and third...

[1] https://vimeo.com/18623223

[coldcode]

Many people don't realize that the only #1 hit Chuck ever had was the novelty song "My Ding-a-Ling". It still cracks me up.

[mgkimsal]

"the great 28" was part of my musical "coming of age" in the 80s, and I definitely annoyed the heck out of everyone else in the house practicing along to that double album.

this is one of those people whose influence and impact will be felt for decades to come (like les paul, hendrix and many other icons)

[bengg]

One of the first celebs to create a sex tape, Berry famously coined the phrase "I like to do that" after farting in the face of a hooker. The video was recovered in the late 1980's after a drug raid on Berry's house by Police. A great man has left the world.

http://efukt.com/21881_Chuck_Berry_Farting_On_Hookers.html

[golergka]

Just a warning for anyone who doesn't know, efukt is as NSFW as NSFW can get.

[brudgers]

"Send more Chuck Berry"

[dfsmithjr]

Odds are that Chuck's Rock and Roll will outlast mankind. Ironic?

[pjmorris]

Two thumbs up... I saw that Weekend Update as well.

[bboreham]

One day, I thought "I should go see Chuck Berry, because he's getting old and I'd like to see him before he dies"

So I did. That was in 1987.

Unlike standard rock concerts, Chuck Berry came on stage at exactly the time printed on the tickets. He played exactly one hour, then he went off again. No encores, no banter.

It was great, though. RIP.

[exabrial]

A bit of interesting history about the es-345 Marty used to play Chuck Berry's Johnny be good in back to the future: http://bit.ly/2mHQzFG

Spoiler: The guitar also traveled through time

[maus42]

I think it's remarkable that a recording of Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode [1] printed on gold is on its way towards Gliese 445 [2].

[1] http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html?linkId=356...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

[grabcocque]

This was one of those TIL xxx was still alive moments.

[slg]

Reading this obituary reminds me of Michael Jackson's death. Someone dies and suddenly all the bad things in their life are expunged. Berry was a very influential and talented musician but he spent time in prison related to being caught with a 14 year old suspected prostitute. He spent time in prison for robbery. He spent time in prison for tax evasion. He settled a lawsuit for video taping 50+ women including underage girls in the bathroom of his restaurant. I get it, no one is perfect and a person's death is a time to celebrate their life, but these crimes are part of his legacy. Not even giving them a passing mention in his obituary sends a horrible message that if you are talented enough you can get away with anything.

EDIT: This is currently the top comment, which likely isn't fair either. These things are a part of the story of his life but they also probably shouldn't be the top line. My point is simply we should be talking about his entire life and this is a poor obituary for not even mentioning it. The New York Times has a better obituary available at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/arts/chuck-berry-dead.htm...

[justinator]

To be perfectly honest, it's rock 'n roll, not church choir music.

Rock 'n Roll used to be dangerous music performed by minorities before the Civil Rights Movement, and listened by rebellious teenagers, before it was co-opted, watered down, and packaged up. If you're not listening to Chuck Berry, and you don't pick out innuendos, you're not listening hard enough.

The Sex Pistols covered Chuck Berry - the bassist was a heroin addict that killed his girlfriend, then himself.

The Beatles covered Chuck Berry - John Lennon is not looked upon with a positive light given how he treated his son and first wife.

The Rolling Stones covered Chuck Berry. People have been murdered at their shows.

Rock 'n Roll is filled with the causalities of unstable, chemically dependent, suicidal people. Chuck Berry was Rock 'n Roll.

[djtriptych]

Wait was Michael Jackson ever convicted of a crime? How can you conflate the two?

[pthreads]

The BBC video does mention his troubles with the law. It's not at length but it does put things in context.

[erikpukinskis]

How could a 14 year old be a prostitute? You mean a sex trafficking victim? He got caught with a child sex trafficking victim.

[alistproducer2]

Sort of relevant. I was watching an old movie that featured the original writer and performer of "I put a spell on you." His name is screamin' j Hawkins. I actually thought he was doing a cover. Apparently he is the real father of shock rock. I consider myself to be a music afficionado and I was completely unaware of this guy's contributions. I'm sure there are many that don't know how much Chuck contributed to the creation of rock. Rest in peace man.

[alrs]

I hope you've heard Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_n0vkzc8PU

[67726e]

Either Screamin' Jay or Arthur Brown (see: Fire), I would think? Then again Chuck did really bring the showmanship. The TV series Metal Evolution has a nice little episode on shock rock if you find the topic interesting. With that said, I'm not big on eulogizing so I'll steal a friend's Facebook post:

Now free of his corporeal confines, Ghost Chuck Berry can watch you pee wherever he wants. Roll Over Beethoven.

[rmason]

Screaming Jay was a legend. Started his career as a classical pianist but had way more success with the blues. He took to performing on stage coming out of a coffin. Claimed to have fathered over 75 children. When bookings became scarce he was a strip club MC in Honolulu for a few years.

[cholantesh]

Great song that was sampled perfectly by Biggie on Kick in the Door.

[vasira]

RIP ! very sad to hear this. His guitar style was unique and popular. We all will miss you

[andrepd]

I'm not sure what you're referring to, neither do I see how that has any relevance right now.