Wednesday, July 25, 2001
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Wednesday, July 25, 2001 |
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Pioneer of rock, Chuck Berry, graces the stage in PTC By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines rock 'n' roll as popular music usually played on electronically amplified instruments and characterized by a persistent heavily accented beat, much repetition of simple phrases, and often country, folk and blues elements. John Lennon of The Beatles once said, "If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry.'" They are both correct. Berry, the living definition of rock 'n' roll, will perform at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28. Charles Edward Berry was born in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 18, 1926. From the time he was born, he had music all around him. His parents sang in the church choir and his sister played piano. Berry began picking out boogie woogie rhythms on the piano at the age of 7 and picked up a guitar in high school. He played at church affairs and house parties in high school but did not start recording some of his composition ideas until 1951, after a stint in prison for armed robbery. Berry formed his first band in 1952 and began to play clubs around St. Louis. In 1955 he met the legendary Muddy Waters and was introduced to Leonard Chess, the man behind Chess Records. Berry performed the tune "Ida Mae" for Chess and after some reworking it became "Maybelline." The song climbed to number one on the Rand B charts and was a Top Five hit on the pop charts. Berry was almost 30 years old but he was an icon for the youthful rock 'n' roll movement. Berry followed up the success of "Maybelline" with songs like "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Back in the USA" and "School Days," among others. Berry was also a favorite of popular disc jockey Alan Freed and starred in several of his concert movies. Berry's star continued to rise and his "Duckwalk" became famous as well. In 1961, Berry went to jail for the second time in his life for transporting an underage girl across state lines for immoral purposes. Berry spent 20 months in prison and when he came out, the world was a different place, as was the world of rock 'n' roll. Berry's name was as famous as ever, thanks to the British invasion. Bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones had recorded his songs and had turned on thousands of listeners to Berry's music. Dave Berry had recorded "No particular Place To Go" and had it on the Top 10 UK charts. Berry re-released his version and brought it to number three on the UK Charts. There was still much for Berry to accomplish in his career and in 1972 he achieved one of his goals when "My Ding A Ling" made it to number one on the charts. He built Berry Park, a country club and amusement park in Wentzville, Mo., which has a guitar-shaped swimming pool and a recording studio, but rarely has time to enjoy it as he continues to tour the world. He plays many dates a year in St. louis, Detroit and Chicago, but was recently in France before his stop this week in Peachtree City. Berry is certainly one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll. His blend of R and B, country, blues and rock sensibilities can still be heard in modern rock songs. His legion of fans continues to grow with every performance and the audiences this weekend are in for a treat when the St. Louis native graces the stage.
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