A couple of days ago, the world lost yet
another of its musical greats, Charles Edward
Anderson Berry Sr, better known as Chuck
Berry, the legendary musician. First responders
were called to a medical emergency where
they found an unresponsive man inside his
home. Though they administered lifesaving
techniques, he could not be revived, and Berry
was pronounced dead at 1:26pm.
Berry was born in The Ville neighbourhood
in the northern reaches of St Louis in 1926,
and his home, on Whittier Avenue, is on the
National Register of Historic Places. That’s
where he lived in the 1950s when he recorded
many of his biggest hits. The guitarist and
songwriter is known as one of the pioneers
of rock ‘n roll, whose hits helped refine the
genre. These include classics like ‘Maybellene’,
‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Rock and Roll Music’
and ‘Johnny B Goode’. Known for his guitar
solos and showmanship, the elements he
added made rock ‘n roll distinctive, with songs
being based on lyrics focusing on teen life and
consumerism.
This year, Berry was set to release his first
new studio album, called ‘Chuck’, in more
than 35 years. The album was recorded in St Louisarea
studios, and Rolling Stone calls it one of the most
anticipated albums of 2017. Jimmy Marsala, a bassist in
Berry’s band, suggests the new album took so long to
develop because Berry wanted to make sure it lived up to
everyone’s expectations. His last studio album, recorded
in 1979, was titled ‘Rock It’.
In Goa, where the population at large loves its retro
and old-school tunes, Berry’s songs have left a mark.
Many musicians, especially those who have lived through
the flower power era, still continue to play his trademark
anthems.
Café asks some of these musicians how Berry’s work
may have influenced their musical nous:
The main thing that stuck with me is the fact that
Chuck Berry played using only his guitar for tone. There
was no question of electronics. That intrigued me in itself.
Another thing that I noticed was that he managed to keep
it simple and fit his playing into eight simple bars. It was
marvellous, really.
NOEL ‘NINI’ DE SOUZA
Jazz and rock ‘n roll both have their roots in the blues.
The peppier tempo was attributed to the latter, whereas
I focused more on the former. However, Chuck Berry,
through the lyrics of his song ‘Johnny B Goode’ really
encapsulated the life and trials of virtually every guitar
player in the world. That’s left a big mark on me.
