Les Paul, Guitar Legend, Dead at 94 Aug 14, 2009
" Even as he worked to perfect the electrified guitar, Paul backed up such popular 1940s acts as Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore and the Andrews Sisters. In 1947, he released the revolutionary instrumental "Lover (When You're Near Me)," a precursor to multi-track recording that featured him playing eight different guitar parts. He also recorded hit songs with his wife, singer Mary Ford, including 36 gold records and 11 #1 pop hits such as "How High the Moon," "Lover" and "Vaya Con Dios," many of which... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Guitar Legend Les Paul Dies Aug 14, 2009
You just KNOW heaven is rocking tonight, and I'll bet Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bing, and lots of others are in on that jam, too. by Slinky2011 August 13, 2009 7:14 PM EDT. (CBS News)
Still Completely First Raitt Aug 11, 2009
" She adds Fats Domino and Chuck Berry to the musicians she went "absolutely nuts" for, along with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and Motown. And old-time bluesmen like Mississippi Fred McDowell, for whom she opened at some New York Clubs at the start of her career. Redhaired Raitt (her white streak, she says, "is definitely the only natural color I've still got") is clearly still enjoying her rockin' self. "I'll be 60 this year. Can you believe this. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Athens Choral Society heads back to the 1950s Aug 2, 2009
It might not seem that preparing for an evening of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley songs would be as challenging as rehearsing for an intricate choral composition by Mozart or Handel, but Mitchell says it's not as easy as it might sound coming from the stage. "It's demanding, but in a different way," he says. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Chuck Berry's Sturgis rally concert canceled Jul 30, 2009
Officials at Buffalo Chip Campground at Sturgis say veteran rock entertainment legend Chuck Berry has canceled a concert scheduled for Saturday. Berry, 82, recently performed at Major League Baseball's All-Star Gala in St. Louis. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Keep On Rock'n Jul 30, 2009
His father took him out to hear different kinds of performers who typically came to Milwaukee - country luminaries like Okee Jones, Reilly Crabtree, and the immortal Hank Williams, as well as Chuck Berry, the Clovers, Carl Perkins, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the first of the rock and roll vanguard ... They built a following playing shows with acts like the Doors, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Butterfield and Chuck Berry. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Still B-b-b-bad To His Old Bones Jul 28, 2009
Thorogood is in tiptop shape as he covers great but forgotten pieces by Chess Records legends such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Diddley and Chuck Berry. The recording production work is pristine, demanding the volume be cranked. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Veterans and newcomers fill the music main stage Jul 27, 2009
The group has opened for such names as The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Herman s Hermits, and The Righteous Brothers. Showtimes are 7 and 9 p.m.. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
The Dazzlers to perform at Aug. 15. festival at WC Jul 24, 2009
During their touring years in Nashville, The Dazzlers recorded and performed with legendary artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry. After fifty years, the band is still generating their distinctive sound in the studio and on the stage. (Brookneal Union Star, VA)
The Fives: A pre-rally forecast for Sturgis, from crime to attendance to entertainment Jul 23, 2009
And this year, even if you can't line those up, the addition of Chuck Berry at the Chip should be enough to cast off your distaste for oldsters. The true father of rock 'n' roll is akin to a national treasure, and although advanced in years, his appearance is one of the performance coups of recent rallies. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Lincecum, duckwalks, and an NL All-Star win. Jul 16, 2009
How can Chuck Berry still be playing rock n roll (he is, barely more in a minute) ... JOHNNY B. GOODE by Chuck Berry. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
History professor specializes in St. Louis Jul 16, 2009
is the creativity of the many musicians who passed through or produced work in St. Louis, helping to create ragtime, jazz, the blues, and rock'n'roll-WC Handy, Scott Joplin, Chuck Berry, Fontella Bass, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Mel and Tim, Bob Kuban and the In-Men, plus many more. Page 1 of 1. (The Current Online, MO)
A Little Context Jul 13, 2009
For me that meant the likes of Elvis and Chuck Berry and Little Richard and, because I'm from Texas, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams and, a little later, George Jones. Maybe that's why I never got Michael Jackson's music - he was long after my salad days. (CBS News)
Some days, the travelin’ music selects itself Jul 11, 2009
A list of all the blues, country, and rock pickers who haven t lifted licks from Chuck Berry. The End. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
St. Louis a bounty of cheap travel Jul 5, 2009
Hometown rock 'n' roller Chuck Berry, now in his 80s, still lives near the city - and performs monthly at the popular Blueberry Hill club and restaurant, 6504 Delmar, in the Loop. Call ahead. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Jackson Was A Study In Black And White Jun 29, 2009
Is Danyel Smith too young to remember Jackie Robinson, or Hank Aaron, or Arthur Ashe, or Wilt Chamberlain, or Julius Erving, or Magic Johnson, or Michael Jordan, or Charles Barkley, or Cassius Clay aka Muhammed Ali, or Louis Armstrong, or Harry Belafonte, or Chuck Berry, or James Brown, or Ray Charles, or Nat King Cole, or John Coltrane, or Miles Davis, or Aretha Franklin, or Marvin Gaye, or Jimi Hendrix, or Lena Horne, or Etta James, or Quincy Jones, or Wynton Marsalis, or Smokey Robinson, or... (CBS News)
Rawlings Pays Tribute to Michael Jackson Jun 27, 2009
The last time the world lost someone in the entertainment world of this stature the Former President said was when Elvis Pressley and Chuck Berry died. The world has lost one its greatest sons. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The King's merchandise could get a pop Jun 27, 2009
The most famous person on the planet has just died, said Mark Roesler, founder of CMG Worldwide, a firm that licenses merchandise from such deceased stars as Dean, Chuck Berry, Rock Hudson and Natalie Wood. He is someone who changed our culture. (MSNBC -- Music)
A LETHAL JAB: 'Collapsed after an injection of potent Demerol'... Jun 27, 2009
Steven Spielberg: 'Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson. Mark Lester, the Oliver. (The Drudge Report)
Spielberg, Scorsese react to Jacksons death Jun 26, 2009
Steven Spielberg Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson. His talent, his wonderment and his mystery make him legend. (MSNBC -- Music)
Michael Jackson Honored By Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am, Diddy Jun 26, 2009
" "Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson," Spielberg told "His talent, his wonderment and his mystery make him legend. " Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to or joining the discussion below. This report is provided by Services: Popular Links: theFABlife: VH1Classic.com: 00000000. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Top botanical garden celebrates 150th birthday Jun 17, 2009
Other birthday activities include a Midsummer's Night Dance June 27, a (native St. Louisan) Chuck Berry concert July 24, free evening concerts on Wednesdays through Aug. 5, and Garden Party Nights featuring wine and microbrewery-tastings Thursdays through Sept. 3. But all the fun should not distract from the Garden's mission "to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment, in order to preserve and enrich life.". (MSNBC -- Travel)
CARLSBAD: Benefit concert to be held for teen Jun 4, 2009
Vernazza is a world-class guitarist who has performed with acts such as Elvin Bishop, Chuck Berry, Steve Miller, Carlos Santana and Greg Allman. Tickets are 20. (North County Times)
'Twilight' sinks teeth into 5 MTV awards Jun 2, 2009
Chuck Berry, Wyclef Jean, Keb' Mo' and Junior Brown also took the stage. Pixar's 'Up' has buoyant box-office debut. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Graduation calls for Alice Cooper, not old marching tunes Jun 1, 2009
"Johnny B. Goode," Chuck Berry. The quintessential you-can-do-it morality tale. (Yahoo News)
Dylan feels a change comin' May 28, 2009
Dylan, who turned 68 on Sunday, uses an interview with Rolling Stone magazine to list Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and the Beatles as among those he most admires ... The only other contemporary he considers senior to himself is guitarist Chuck Berry, 82 ... "As long as Chuck Berry's around, everything's as it should be.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Dylan - poetic soul in shadow of guitar May 8, 2009
It's there just as much as his oft-mentioned love of Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, and the great poets are arguably as big an influence on the man and his work as Woody Guthrie or Chuck Berry. Literate, thoughtful and littered with intelligent word-play, his work has always led him to be acclaimed as a master of the written word and, while he may not always be comfortable with that label, that's the Dylan I'll be celebrating on my evening show this Thursday. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
51 Rising takes its talents to the stage May 6, 2009
"Growing up, I was caught between guys like Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, whom my father liked, and bands like Kiss, AC/DC and Motley Crue. Kiss was my biggest band because of the spectacle and rawness of their music and their concerts," Fleming said. The band - which has maintained a steady pace of performances in Georgia and South Carolina - played its first Athens date recently at Allen's Bar & Grill and will return to the Classic City on May 9 to perform at Alibi's on the Eastside at 9... (Athens Banner-Herald)
The Struts blend vintage R&B with fiery punk May 1, 2009
Etta James, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, the Clash and about a thousand others. 4. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Lennon & Plastic Ono Band DVD Again Available Apr 17, 2009
Other performances from the Toronto festival are on the DVD, too, from Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. D.A. Pennebaker, who already had directed the Bob Dylan documentary, Dont Look Back, filmed it. (KWTX.com, TX)
DVD Review: Cadillac Records Apr 13, 2009
Founded by Polish brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, Chess Records famously launched the careers of , Howlin Wolf, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, Etta James, and others ... Theater actor Jeffrey Wright gracefully plays bluesman Muddy Waters, beside Adrien Brody s thrifty Leonard Chess, Columbus Short s loose and wild Little Walter, strong, guarded Etta James, and Mos Def s jovial, light-footed Chuck Berry ... Chuck Berry and Etta James are central to this change, partially because Chuck sounded like... (Suite101.com)
Run-DMC Was Better at Rock Than Most Rock Bands Apr 8, 2009
Run-DMC is rap's Chuck Berry. Hip-hop may have gotten more sophisticated in the decades since, but (1986) has never been improved on. (Slate)
Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, 'The Stars are Out' Apr 6, 2009
But it's underplayed in favor of scorching rock, from the Runaways tough-chick vibe of "Do It for Free" to the power pop blast of "Yesterday's Love," their Chuck Berry rock 'n' roll take on NRBQ's "It Comes to Me Naturally," and the garage-y "I'll Show You How." There's some infectious pop, too, highlighted by the rhumba-beat groove of "Me and Your Ghost," a marvelous, soulful version of the Smokey Robinson classic "Being With You," and, maybe the biggest change of pace, the sighing ballad... (Boston Globe)
2009 Rock Hall Inductees Honor Pop's Subgenres Apr 5, 2009
Little Richard and Chuck Berry begat Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan and that was it. As tastes changed and musical landscape altered, new voices, styles and genres eclipsed those stars of rock's Golden and Silver ages. (KCRA 3, CA)
Michelle Obama embraced by royalty Apr 4, 2009
NEW ORLEANS Little Richard and Chuck Berry are dusting off the songbook of a New Orleans legend to raise money for the city's parks and schools. They're part of a May 30 concert at the New Orleans Arena called "The Domino Effect" because they'll be performing songs popularized by New Orleans native and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist Fats Domino. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Concert to raise money for Brees' Dream Foundation Apr 3, 2009
Artists include Little Richard and Chuck Berry. Little Richard, Chuck Berry and others are set to perform May 30 at the New Orleans Arena in a fundraising event for the Brees Dream Foundation's "Operation Kids." Since 2007, the program has contributed more than $1. (WWLTV.com, LA)
Why the Rock Hall says: No Rush for you! Apr 1, 2009
The Hall began honoring performers in 1986, starting with pioneers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis Presley. More recently, pop acts like Billy Joel, the Bee Gees and Madonna have made the cut, but Rush, Yes, the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, the Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Soft Machine have not. (MSNBC -- Music)
Beer, Baseball and Botanicals for a Bargain in St.... Mar 26, 2009
Hometown rock 'n roller Chuck Berry, now in his 80s, still lives near the city - and performs monthly at the popular Blueberry Hill club and restaurant, 6504 Delmar in The Loop. Call ahead; the $25 tickets go fast, 314-727-4444. (Fox News)
The Artist as a Kept Man Mar 25, 2009
New York senator Herbert Lehman, in arguing for art subsidies in the 1950s, looked out over the land of Chuck Berry, Thomas Hart Benton, and Eudora Welty and saw an aesthetic dust bowl whose aridity contrasted with Manhattan s vibrant culture of Tin Pan Alley, Time magazine, and Ethel Merman. Impose MOMA on Oklahoma. (The American Conservative)
Great Songs Help Drivers Cruise Along Mar 19, 2009
"No Particular Place To Go," by Chuck Berry. Perhaps no song better sums up the feeling of taking a long Sunday drive for no good reason than "No Particular Place to Go.". (Click2Houston, TX)
ROBERT BRUCE SMITH:Beethoven rolls on! Mar 17, 2009
To paraphrase Chuck Berry, Roll on, Beethoven: we sho need that good news today. . (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)
Making music has always come naturally to Camargo man Mar 15, 2009
Lewis is one of Long s favorite performers, along with Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Elvis, of course. I liked them all, he said. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
DVD Report: What's new this week (March 8) Mar 8, 2009
Knowles as Etta James, and Mos Def (above) as Chuck Berry. Extras: Commentary by Martin; production featurettes. (Boston Globe)
They're Really Rocking At Shepaug---For a Class Feb 27, 2009
"We needed someone with more charisma." Enter Chuck Berry, a self-taught black musician from the South who is now recognized as the first real rock guitarist, one who could play said instrument just like he was ringing a bell ... Additionally, a video of an early Chuck Berry performance saw him doing his bouncing one-legged "duck walk" across stage, a dance not typically known to today's youth ... Chuck Berry paved the way for Elvis, who opened the door for the Beatles. (Litchfield County Times, CT)
The Morning Benders Feb 27, 2009
At the Enchantment Under the Sea dance back in good old 1955, "Johnny B. Goode," by Chuck Berry. It's an oldie where I come from. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Who's the Coward Mr. Holder? Feb 24, 2009
If you don't enjoy my soulful music, blame musical mastersoulblasters Chuck Berry and James Brown. They taught me how to dance, play outrageous music and scare people. (Human Events Online)
AR Rahman: Global tunesmith Feb 23, 2009
Bollywood has filched tunes from the West for as long as I can remember - check out rip-offs from Chuck Berry, The Beatles, swing jazz and vapid disco for many home-grown hit tunes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. But Rahman is not your archetypal tune ripper; he is, instead, an intrepid fusion tunesmith. (BBC News -- UK)
Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Sacha Gervasi, 85 mins, 12A Feb 22, 2009
The Story of Anvil, Sacha Gervasi, 85 mins, 12ACadillac Records, Darnell Martin, 109 mins, 15Che Part Two, Steven Soderbergh, 127 mins, 15 - Reviews, Films - The Independent (Independent)
Cadillac Records: Rhythm and plenty of blues Feb 21, 2009
Chances are you'll feel the same way about this film, which vividly recounts the history of Chicago's influential Chess Records in all but name, although the people portrayed Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Etta James, Little Walter, Willie Dixon and label chief Leonard Chess all go by their real names ... But Muddy's story, at least as presented here, is far less interesting than that of Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Etta James (Beyonc Knowles), Little Walter (Columbus Short),... (Toronto Star)
The myth's better than reality Feb 20, 2009
And Mos Def mos' definitely can't do Chuck Berry onstage ... Listening to versions side by side, we hear that Mos Def vocally does not stay true to Chuck Berry's Maybellene. (Globe and Mail)
Bitesize Brits: The nominees Feb 19, 2009
What they say: "No-one this side of Chuck Berry has written so many great rock songs about rock " (). We say: Like Ceefax, AC/DC were created in 1974, and have resisted change ever since. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Rock fans head to Iowa to recall day music died Feb 8, 2009
The sound of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Holly was making way for the British Invasion of the mid-1960s. The music was shifting and changing at that point,; he said. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Sorry, Don McLean, but the music didnt die Feb 7, 2009
Chuck Berry was hugely important as a songwriter, performer and guitarist. Little Richard took rhythm and blues, soul and gospel and wove them all into a flamboyant concoction that began to seep into the mainstream. (MSNBC -- Music)
Period films: Cruise,Mortensengo backto WWII Feb 7, 2009
Knowles plays soul singer Etta James, Wright appears as bluesman Muddy Waters, Short is harmonica player Little Walter, Mos Def appears as Chuck Berry, and Cedric The Entertainer plays Willie Dixon. Worth seeing. (MSNBC -- Movies)
