Day 4 - 77 -- A Loss for the Music World

Tonight I heard the news of the death of Chuck Berry at the age of 90. It is a sad loss for music. This man wrote many of the early rock and roll standards, often with a bit of rockabilly twang. He had several hits, though only one #1 for his last chart hit, My ding-a-ling. While not his greatest work, in my estimation, it did manage to catch the ear of many people at the time. Many of his songs were covered by other individuals and bands in the early rock era. This proved the worth of his songwriting abilities.

While he struggled in other aspects of his life, his music always brought adulation. He performed at the White House and with countless rock and roll revues over the later years. His works resonated with people and spoke to them of the trials of teenage life along with the sheer joy of music and dance. We all know the words to several of his songs. They just stay with you. His music influenced the development of early rock and roll, setting the structural and technical base from which this new genre exploded.

Today I am sharing three of Berry's songwriting gems. The first was recorded by Berry in 1955 and became his first song to hit the charts -- his first hit, though it didn't make it to number one. The video highlights his showmanship and the famous duckwalk (though not picked up well by early television cameras). The second and third songs shared are covers of Berry songs by early rock groups that we may recognize. Enjoy!

Maybellene -- Chuck Barry

Roll over Beethoven -- The Beatles




Rock and Roll Music -- The Beach Boys