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A huge legacy this man leaves behind.
https://nytimes.com/2017/03/18/arts/chuck-berry-dead.html

Woah... :'(

Damn

R.I.P. Mr. Berry. Thank you for being the man who made pretty much ALL THE MUSIC I love possible.

You Never Can Tell must be one of the greatest rock songs of all time. His influence on music that came after him cannot be understated. A true pioneer and an inspiration to Brian and the Boys.

Just saw it on facebook. Have to look for further info

Chuck was one of rock'n'roll's premier raconteurs (the other was Eddie Cochran).

https://youtu.be/w5ezeUM6c74 

Thank you so much, sir. "More than that I cannot add."

Hadn't heard much from him for ages, then a few weeks ago read he was recording a new album. Always seems to happen like this. Someone re enters your consciouness and then they're gone.

There are so few musicians you can call living legends. He was one.

Chuck Berry, wild man of rock who helped define its rebellious spirit, dies at 90


https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/chuck-berry-wild-man-of-rock-who-helped-define-its-rebellious-spirit-dies-at-90/2017/03/18/1f2038f6-0c29-11e7-93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html?utm_term=.6c4140284ac9

Affirmative.

 :rock :rock  Hard to imagine what  would have gone down without him. RIP, Chuck.

Music as we know it would not exist without Chuck Berry.

It's very strange to think of a world without him. He, in many ways, helped create the world that exists today.

RIP. :(

Very sad to hear this.

Today, we have lost not just a mere legend, but arguably one of the most important music figures of the 20th Century.

Chuck Berry was somebody who wasn't without controversy. But he was the man who perhaps more than anyone else shaped the burgeoning genre that is Rock & Roll, and may very well have been the single most influential musician and guitarist of the last 70 years.

To me and many others, Chuck was, is and always will be the King of Rock & Roll. He did more for the genre (musically, culturally, lyrically and its definition) than any other person - not to take anything away from the other giants of the genre, such as Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Although he was 90 years old, he remained active to the end, working on what would turn out to be his final album - and his first album since 1979.

So much has been said already about Chuck by so many, particularly from later rock icons that came in his wake, and who arguably owe Chuck with their careers. This is why there has been a great outpouring of grief not just from fans and music aficionados, but from all the famous professionals that were influenced by him. We have well and truly lost a musical titan.

In the top tier of rock and roll legends, we are now left with just Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino. Appreciate them while they're still around.

But for now, we shall mourn Chuck Berry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XSaKQlBZuE

The greatest concert I ever saw was 1995, Chuck Berry and Little Richard at the Puyallup Fair. Both still had it! Chuck opened and went through that great catalog of songs, had a great band backing him up, the love flowed from the stage to the crowd and back. Then Richard came out with his great band and rocked us again. Hard to top that. I've always wanted to be able to sing like Richard - I can't. Always wanted to play guitar like Chuck - well, i'm working on it.

Chuck Berry was the original guitar hero. He practically invented the concept. He also wrote his own songs, which was a big deal in the 1950's.

A DJ on the radio today said something I had never heard tonight.  He was talking about the Sweet Little Sixteen/Surfin' USA connection/theft.  He said Brian Wilson didn't realize he was ripping Chuck Berry off- Brian figured that the melody and chord structure were so natural, that he thought it was up for grabs.  Kind of like a 500 year-old folk song, or the standard structure of a blues tune. 

Not sure if it's true or not, but it's an interesting perspective. 

CNN


Legendary musician Chuck Berry dies at 90

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq_BT1sd7oc



CBS New York


Remembering Chuck Berry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf0qYLcHhX0


Chuck Berry Dies At 90

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lX27ZNgmyw



ET


Music Legend Chuck Berry Dead at 90

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

Lucky! You're right that Little Richard is great singer. I dubbed him best rock'n'roll voice. :3d

No Chuck, no rock. Period.

I am so sad to hear about Chuck Berry passing - a big inspiration! He will be missed by everyone who loves Rock 'n Roll. Love & Mercy
    — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) March 18, 2017


http://pitchfork.com/news/72335-brian-wilson-bruce-springsteen-questlove-more-react-to-chuck-berrys-death/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brian-wilson-on-chuck-berry-he-taught-me-how-to-write-rock-w472776

YEP .. Chuck Berry invented rock + roll guitar.. You combine his style with BB King"s style and what have you got..ROCK  + ROLL....

How Chuck Berry defined a generation of rock ‘n’ roll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOeXi7uSTvM

I remember finding a 78 rpm copy of "Johnny B. Goode" in a record store in the summer of '63. I knew this song and this artist had a reputation but that's all. So I and my brother gave it a listen there and then. That was our first taste of just how good rock'n'roll could be. RIP, Chuck.

I wanted to post again about Chuck, even though I already did, because I don't feel like it was enough. This is having a bigger impact on me than I ever thought it would. Simply put, the man is directly and indirectly responsible of 99% of the music that has made a huge impact on my life. People call Elvis the "King of Rock & Roll". Nope. Chuck Berry was the king of Rock & Roll. The style of music that would come to be known as Rock & Roll was already taking shape, but Chuck solidified the art form. He was one of the earlier Rock & Roll musicians to write his own words and music. And what a writer he was. "It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well. "It was clear that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle". Dear God, that is genius! Who would ever think to rhyme the words "wished them well" with "mademoiselle"? I remember a quote from Bruce Springsteen regarding a verse from the song Nadine that goes "I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back, and started walkin' toward a coffee colored Cadillac". He said "I've never seen a coffee colored Cadillac, but I know exactly what one looks like!". That sums up Chuck as a lyricist to me. Chuck's words painted a picture that you could clearly visualize in your head. Johnny B Goode is probably the first "local boy done good" guitar hero story.

Perfectly put. Thanks, Jay.

Yes, even in 2002 - the last time I saw him - he sounded great. Love his piano playing, too.

I don't think it's possible to overstate how great he was. The guitar playing, the lyrics, even the way he sang them. He knew how to phrase what he was singing for maximum impact. And as a live performer - when he had the right musicians behind him - he was hard to beat. He knew how to work a crowd, give them what they want, a lot of charisma and charm.

I hope I did justice to the man.  :)

Amen. I agree with every single thing you said. Seriously, I don't think people realise the enormity of losing Chuck Berry. Maybe some of the older musicians like Paul McCartney or really any surviving member of a band from the "British Invasion". But the majority of people today have no idea who Chuck Berry is, and that's a damn crime. People like Chuck(and Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino Bo Diddly, etc) should be taught in school. People don't appreciate what Chuck meant, and continues to mean, to modern day music.

Beautifully stated, Jay

When I hear the sh!t that people who actually should know about it (I mean generally, not necessarily "on this board") are uttering, then I'd rather have everyone find out on his/her own instead of getting "schooled" on it.

PBS had a really nice special about Fats  acouple years ago; great introduction for those just learning about his music. For Chuck, the go to film is always going to be "Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll" from 1987. They got just about everything you could want to know about the man in that film, and he had the best musicians possible (including Johnny Johnson) backing up him. I wish someone had done something similar with Little Richard while he was still performing, but there is a lot of footage of him out there, so a definitive biofilm could still be made. The mainstream media today is still so much in love with the rock artists of the 60's - Dylan, McCartney, Stones, etc - there is always something to report - a new album, new tour, new release of archive material. The music business turned into a multi-million dollar business during their peak years, somehow the 50's stars were overshadowed by their students.

Gibson is proud to present this first-ever Chuck Berry signature model, a replica of his 1955 ES-350T, to honor the legendary career of one of music's greatest innovators. It features historically-correct construction and appointments, hand-picked figured maple, a pair of fiery P-90 pickups, a replica strap and a replica of the Zuni "Sun God" bolo tie that Chuck wore throughout the 1950s.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdfZ-jYfT28