A lot of people think of Chuck as a guitar player, and he was. More think of him as a singer, and he was. But what I appreciate most is his songwriting.

He wrote R&B (not what they call R&B today) songs with lyrics that crossed the line and could be appreciated by the rock, race and country markets (as they were called back then).

Who can forget Chuck trying to catch up with women, Maybelline, and later Nadine.

Add Johnny B Goode, our first rock guitar hero.

And girls, we love to sing about girls, (after all females are intoxicants), Sweet Little Sixteen and Little Queenie.

And don't forget the car songs, No Particular Place To Go and No Money Down.

And he mixed them all up too. Chasing Maybelline and Nadine in cars, couldn't get the seat belt off his date in No Particular Place To Go and so on.

And he helped usher in Rock and Roll with Roll Over Beethoven, and School Days - "Drop the coin right into the slot. You wanna hear something that's really hot".

These were lyrics that fit the times, crossed cultures, mixed the rock, race, and country markets, and did their part to bring the next generation a little more tolerant and understanding of each other.

Thanks Mr. Berry. The world is a little better because you were here.

Insights and incites by Notes

Last edited by Notes Norton; 03/23/17 02:40 AM.
Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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