Buck Berry Influence

The invention of rock & roll was a collaborative effort, yet many music buffs trace its beginnings back to a singer, songwriter, and guitarist named Chuck Berry. Taking what he knew from the blues, big band, swing, country, and pop, Berry developed a style and sound that uniquely spoke to the experience of the American teenager, and that appealed to white as well as black audiences. And he remains, arguably, rock & roll's most influential figure. Among those who admit to having emulated his complex guitar riffs and quick, witty lyrics in their early days are some of the most prominent bands and artists of the past 50 years--including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Berry has spent a lifetime in the spotlight, but the spotlight has not always been kind to him. Various lawsuits have been filed against the mischievous rock star, and he has served three prison terms. Despite these setbacks, he has held on to his image as one of rock's esteemed founding fathers. Berry was still rocking and still making the news in 2000, at age 74,

Louis music scene, and in 1952 he formed the Sir John Trio with pianist and band leader Johnnie Johnson and drummer Eddie Hardy. The connection with Johnson would be a lasting one, and the influence of the pianist's boogie style would become evident in Berry's guitar playing. Berry had a knack for pleasing the crowd, and the band eventually changed its name to The Chuck Berry Trio. The band's repertoire included the blues, ballads, and a number of "black hillbilly" songs that jokingly parodied the country music popular to the city's white audiences. While the trio's hillbilly songs initially provoked laughter, they became popular dance tunes among the predominantly black club-goers. During a visit to Chicago in 1955 Berry befriended his idol, the blues singer Muddy Waters. Taken with Berry's talent, Waters introduced him to Leonard Chess, then the president of