R.I.P. Chuck Berry

Closing out our Sunday edition now (smaller daily in Santa Barbara Co.); we had it downpage A1.

 

Slate wrote a big thing on Berry's 90th months ago. Went to the comments and stumbled upon mention of this. Funky.

 

Saw him at the Missouri State Fair in 1988. He yelled at the band between songs. He yelled at the band during songs. He stopped a song and turned to the drummer and yelled: "Whose show is this? Is this your show? No. This is not your show. This is MY show." He seemed really old and tired at the time, which is why I was surprised yesterday to learn he was "only" 90.

But anything you hear any rock 'n' roll guitarist do today, you're hearing it because Chuck Berry did it first.

 

Jimi tearing through "Johnny B. Goode", I am almost positive this is the version from Hendrix in the West, one of the best Hendrix live collections....

 

All of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks. RIP.

 

I saw him live in the early '80s (I think), and he was fabulous. Combined Reelin' and Rockin' with Little Queenie ("Meanwhile, I was still thinkin' ") and brought the house down.

 

My favorite Chuck Berry moment. NSFW

 

Holy cow, that's awesome.

And it was a five-second screech, too ...

 

All these posts and no mention of his only No. 1 hit?

 

Yeah, that song sucked. And as much as I loved Chuck Berry, the guy was crazy.