This week is dedicated to those legends in Rock &Roll. I choose to write about Chuck Berry who many consider “The Father of Rock & Roll” and The Beatles are one of the most famous groups in the world and was classified as Rock & Roll in the 60’s. So here they are some legends in the Rock & Roll world.
Chuck Berry was born on October 18, 1926 in St. Louis. He was raised in a working-class neighborhood. He was proud of both his African American and Native American ancestry. His early musical influences came from church, the radio, and school. He was sentenced to 3 years in a prison for young offenders for armed robbery when he was in high school. When he was released he worked miscellaneous jobs until he decided to go for a recording contract and he moved to Chicago. He was introduced around and got a recording contract and his first recording session happened in 1955 at the age of 29. His song was in the pop charts for 11 weeks and got as high as number 5, from then on the recorded better and more popular music and toured extensively. As he recorded more music his band took on a rock and roll feel that all the teens loved. At the peak of his popularity he was charged for allegedly transporting and under age female across state lines for immoral purposes. After two trials with racial overtones he was convicted and sent to prison. When he was released again he continued recording music and quickly climbed up the charts again. It was at the time that the British invasion happened and his music influenced some of its prime movers like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In 1972 Berry finally got his first number one hit. In the 70s and 80s he recorded every now and then, but he toured a lot and most of the time his band comprised of local musicians. Chuck Berry experimented with a wide variety of genres of music. He was on the fore front of what was new and popular. In 1984 he was awarded the Grammy for lifetime achievement and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His music is so wide that almost everyone can find a song they fall in love with. He inspired and helped shape so many musicians. Who knows how far music history would have been set back if Chuck Berry hadn’t been here to push the evolution of music with the creation of the genre Rock & Roll.
The Beatles were influenced Berry when they can to the US and were popular during the British invasion. While they were only together for 10 years they are still a big name almost half a century later. The Beatles went through many name changes and people joining and leaving before they became the foursome we know and love today. The group recorded their first song on October 5, 1962. From there the rest is history. They kept recording and by 1963 Beatle mania had hit everyone, they were no longer playing as back up bands and opener in clubs they were the main show. They were in the big time. They became so popular in American because people were ready for happy and fun after mourning the death of John F. Kennedy. They revitalized the waning interest in rock and roll as the big names left and faded from the lime light. The Beatles brought happiness back to Americans and rock and roll into the mainstream. Their rise to fame was so fast that they were blinded by the limelight and egos swelled. They were introduced to drugs and after their manager died from an overdose things went downhill. Ringo left the band because he felt left out and John and Paul fought about who would lead the group. They went up so high so fast that they lost who they really were; simple British boys who just wanted to play music. They will forever be remembered through their music and the many emotions people felt when listening to their music. They are rock and roll legends and will continue in their popularity even though they are no longer together.
I listened to some of my favorites by each of these artists since I had heard them both before. I love Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode after I heard it in a movie on TV. The beat and melody sets toes tapping and everyone can feel the rhythm. It is a light hearted and peppy song. The guitar and the piano together are really good. It’s just a good song to listen to. His other music is similar all face paced and peppy and light.
The Beatles are another favorite of mine when I want to listen to something not made in the last 10 years. Their music is similar to Chuck Berry’s music in stylistically. They are both rock and roll in genre, but The Beatles are mellower in their music. They Beatles aren’t as faced paced as Chuck Berry, at times their music sounds blue grassy. They also used other instruments than the classic rock and roll guitars, drum set, and keyboard. In some of their songs it sounds like there is a harmonica and in others it sounds like there are violins or something similar to that. There music is so innocent in context. There music is about life and not about drugs, sex and alcohol like so much of today’s music is. They are just nice to listen to on a beautiful fall day like today.
For more information:
http://www.biography.com/articles/Chuck-Berry-9210488?part=0
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Beatles-Biography/9B5665A6978FDF4B4825685D00067CE3
Pictures from:
http://radiorefuge.890m.com/images/berry3.jpg
http://thebeatlemania.googlepages.com/beatles-the-the-beatles-1192706.jpg/beatles-the-the-beatles-1192706-full.jpg
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