Chuck Berry

In class we talked about Chuck Berry but very briefly and kind of glossed over him. We only talked about his playing and not so much his effect he had on the youth of the 50’s. Berry is a very interesting character in the fact that he came out with his first single at the age of 29. Berry, unlike many adults during this time, was very enamored with teenage culture. Many say that this is due to the fact that Chuck was sent to prison at the age of 17 and got out when he was 21. He missed very crucial years and this may be why he loved teenagers so much. Chuck was not loved by both black and white children for no reason.

Unlike many artists, Chuck would play for his audiences based on who they were. At the start of his career he was very conscious of what would get an audience moving. He would play blues in some clubs, country in another, and rock in another. He was a master of his trade and it didn’t take long for him to get noticed. He was first approached by Johnnie Johnson, a famous pianist, who helped Chuck hone his craft. From this point he began to get a signature sound and find a way to appeal to the masses on stage. Chuck was known for his outlandish dancing that would later go on and influence the likes of Elvis Presley. Chuck’s sound however is something that is his most notable feature. Playing a sped up form of blues he quickly gained attention. Having a more upbeat feel than jazz really helped him garner some attention.

All of these factors are what subsequently led to his notoriety. Many parents did not like his music due to it’s vulgar messages and fast paced style. There is a joke in the 1980’s film Back To The Future where the lead protagonist, Marty McFly, plays the legendary Chuck Berry tune ‘Johnny Be Good’. At the end of him playing the crowd is very shocked and Marty says the classic line “Sorry I guess you weren’t ready for that. But, your kids are gonna love it.” And yes they did.

Chuck Berry brought together both races because of the fact that what he was playing wasn’t meant to be just rough and that was it’s only gimmick. He was playing good music. Tracks that would revolutionize Rock n Roll forever. Jimi Hendrix is one of the first to come to mind that really adopted this style. The kids also enjoyed it because it was much different than anything they had been hearing up to that point.