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John Lennon said, “if you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.” Berry is one of the all-time most influential artists in American popular music, having pioneered the development of rock n' roll music from rhythm and blues.
Bey playing Berry in 2008’s Cadillac Records
Not only was Berry widely imitated and covered by “classic” white rock artists (The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards was one of the few who admitted that everything he knew, he stole from Berry), many of rock’s most famous compositions, like The Beatles' “Come Together” and The Beach Boys' “Surfin' USA”, appear likely to be close adaptations of his work.
Asked what he learned from playing Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records in an interview with NPR’s Michelle Norris, Bey responded,
I learned that there’s something to be said for the courage of conviction, that sense of belief, being bold enough to believe in your vision. And there’s a quote that really fits his particular energy. It says – they say, ‘Don’t go where the path may lead, but go where there’s no path and leave a trail.’ I think that’s exactly what Chuck did, you know. It’s an inspiration to a lot of folks, not just musicians, but people everywhere.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
