CHUCK Berry was one of the all-time great rock 'n rollers. His guitar playing influenced millions and his songs will live for ever.
I was one of his biggest fans and attended his last two concerts in Northern Ireland – in Belfast’s Maysfield Leisure Centre in March 1996 and a decade later at the Waterfront Hall in January 2007.
At that gig his son Charles Edwards Berry Junior played in his backing band, while his daughter Ingrid sang a haunting blues number and played some mean harmonica.
“Duck-walking on his knees, pecking like a hen,” were the first lines in Chuck’s self-penned Go Go Go.
And even at 80 years old he could still duck-walk while playing his guitar. Maybe not too far and maybe not too often, but for a man of advanced years it was really something.
It was a real privilege to see and hear Chuck Berry play. The man was a genius and wrote a host of pop classics.
Catchy words and strong melodies, all embedded with his unique ‘ringing-like-a-bell’ guitar sound. And surely Johnny B Goode is the greatest rock 'n roll song of all time.
Stevie Wonder once said, “There’s only one true king of rock 'n roll. His name is Chuck Berry”, while the mother of Jerry Lee Lewis was reported to have said, “You and Elvis are pretty good, but neither of you are Chuck Berry.”
At Maysfield in 1995, the legend was in a grumpy mood but for half an hour he was exquisite.
At the Waterfront, he was in great spirits and gelled with his audience.
Playing his famous cherry-red Gibson guitar and wearing a white sailor’s cap, Chuck began his act with Roll Over Beethoven (later adopted by The Beatles) and after that zipped through many of his famous numbers including Maybellene, Reelin’ and Rocking, School Days, Sweet Little Sixteen, You Never Can Tell, My Ding-a-ling, and of course Johnny B Goode.
His playing had lost a little of its magic, though there were short spells when his genius shone through - his exquisite phrasing, his melodic voice and especially his mellow guitar.
It was an absolute pleasure to hear classic pop songs performed by the man who wrote them. And on a personal note I got to take pictures and shake the hand of my all-time idol.
The king may be dead but his music will live forever. Chuck ‘Johnny B Goode’ Berry was the original, and best, guitar hero.
