Wednesday, March 22, 2017

You'll Always Hear Chuck Berry: Mid-Week Song


When the iconic father of rock and roll Chuck Berry died on March 18 at the age of 90, someone commented that that "was the day the music died." Not true. His music is woven in the DNA of every rock song that came after him, and will outlive everyone reading this post. Whether it's Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, and on and on ad infinitum, Berry created a beat, a musical lexicon, and a universal sound not unlike ones created by the fathers of jazz, of country music and of other musical genres. If you want a simple example, listen to the Beach Boys hit "Surfin' U.S.A." and notice how they literally and unabashedly took the melody directly from our song choice today, "Sweet Little Sixteen." His songs were covered by every living rock legend, and a few mainstream artists as well. Of course he'll be sorely missed, but his legacy will survive the generations, as well it should.

As the late Dick Clark says in this 1958 performance, "let's turn him loose."

2 comments:

Feline Mama said...

Thank You guys for this . My first song that came to mind: "You Never Can Tell" I think "Pulp Fiction" did a great tribute to Mr. Berry. (H/T Mr. Tarantino).
However, one of MY first faves was 'Maybellene' I was 7 yrs. old (1955) growing up in Florida. If you could listen to this tune & NOT move, YOU were DEAD!!!

C'est la vie...............................RIP Mr. Berry.

Hackwhackers said...

F.M. -- He had an infectious rhythm to his music, one that made your heart beat faster. He gave us so many great tunes over the years. Glad you enjoyed them, too.