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MissouriPicker

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Posted

He looks like a benevolent old grandpa in this video but he was one of the worst prxcks I ever dealt with on a show. I worked with him once and refused to, ever again.

Posted

He looks like a benevolent old grandpa in this video but he was one of the worst prxcks I ever dealt with on a show. I worked with him once and refused to, ever again.

 

I've heard the very same... not a nice guy and from what I've also been told, seems he does not like "whitey" at all..

Posted

There's evidence of that in that keith richards documentary thing that was on netflix a month or two ago.

Did have a touch of the mariah careys .

 

Never mind the cameras in his toilets.

 

That was him ? Right ?

Posted

casting all personal considerations aside, as a composer and performer, chuck berry is a self-contained complete package...

 

“If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

– John Lennon

 

“Berry’s On Top is probably my favorite record of all time; it defines rock and roll. A lot of people have done Chuck Berry songs, but to get that feel is really hard. It’s the rock and roll thing–the push-pull and the rhythm of it.”

– guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith

 

“All of Chuck’s children are out there playing his licks.”

– Bob Seger, Rock ‘n’ Roll Never Forgets

 

“There’s only one true king of rock ‘n’ roll. His name is Chuck Berry.”

– Stevie Wonder

 

“[My mama] said, ‘You and Elvis are pretty good, but you’re no Chuck Berry.’”

– Jerry Lee Lewis

 

“To me, Chuck Berry always was the epitome of rhythm and blues playing, rock and roll playing. It was beautiful, effortless, and his timing was perfection. He is rhythm supreme. He plays that lovely double-string stuff, which I got down a long time ago, but I’m still getting the hang of. Later I realized why he played that way–because of the sheer physical size of the guy. I mean, he makes one of those big Gibsons look like a ukulele!”

– guitarist Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones

 

“While Elvis was a country boy who sang “black” to some degree … Chuck Berry provided the mirror image where country music was filtered through an R&B sensibility.”

– Clive Anderson

 

“Well, Chuck Berry is the first singer-songwriter I know of.”

– Roy Orbison

 

Chuck Berry is “a musical scientist who discovered a cure for the blues.”

– singer Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

“the epitome of what it is to be a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player, songwriter and singer.”

– Joan Jett

 

- See more at: http://chuckberry.com/about/quotes/#sthash.LkdkE7WF.dpuf

Posted

Yeah, I think the clip of him and Richards butting heads has been around for a while. No doubt Berry is one of the biggest jerks and prima donnas ever. However, lost in all the love for Chuck ...lol....is my point: there's no expiration date on your guitar playing. If a total jerkwadd can play in his mid-80's, why not us?.....I've read numerous comments over the last couple years of people saying they're getting rid of guitars because they're 70-80 years old and they're too old to gig or they're too old to learn, yata yata yata. Too me, that's bullcrap. I'm playing until I drop. My parents are both in their 90's, so with a little luck I figure I've got a lot of coffeehouses to play and guitars to buy.........BTW, anyone selling anything cool? [thumbup]

Posted

Never mind the cameras in his toilets.

 

That was him ? Right ?

 

 

Yes, it was.

 

This industry is full of people who are not particularly nice. For all his undeniable talent and importance in the history of rock n' roll, Berry appears to be a pretty good example of that, unfortunately.

Posted

Worse than Thorogood?

 

rct

 

I was a rabid fan from 1979 to about the time "Bad to the Bone" came out. It's become his signature song and it sucks. Much like Devo and "Whip It".

 

I read one brief interview with him in the 80s and your comment (if you were serious) comes as no surprise. Care to elaborate?

Posted

George thorogoods live tape was worn out in cars when we were younger. Can still picture it , yellow cassette with no writing left on it

 

I didn't know he was an arse too !!

 

One Bourbon one Scotch and one beer was killer !

Posted

Yeah, I think the clip of him and Richards butting heads has been around for a while. No doubt Berry is one of the biggest jerks and prima donnas ever. However, lost in all the love for Chuck ...lol....is my point: there's no expiration date on your guitar playing. If a total jerkwadd can play in his mid-80's, why not us?.....I've read numerous comments over the last couple years of people saying they're getting rid of guitars because they're 70-80 years old and they're too old to gig or they're too old to learn, yata yata yata. Too me, that's bullcrap. I'm playing until I drop. My parents are both in their 90's, so with a little luck I figure I've got a lot of coffeehouses to play and guitars to buy.........BTW, anyone selling anything cool? [thumbup]

yes! i've never understood the herd mentality of musicians too old to play- if they are able and there is an eager audience, then bop til ya drop.

MP i have a 1952 j45 that would love a new home, rather than slumbering in my closet- pm if interested.

Posted

I learned a long time ago to like music for what it is not for who is performing it.

 

Growing up in white America in the late 50's and early 60's, I didn't even know who Chuck Berry was. I can see where he would have a chip on his shoulder.

 

When Johnny Rivers (who should be in the Rock n Roll HOF) start covering his songs I started learning who he was. Then all of a sudden the Stones, Animals and Beatles were covering him.

 

I have a friend in a band that backs up most of the oldie acts that need a band when in town.

 

When Chuck was here a couple times in the 90's for some Oldie Fest, his band backed him. Playing lead, he did not get to do much. He said Chuck had to tell them a few times to not get too fancy and geplay it basic like they did in the '50's, other than that he said he was nice and generous with the band.

 

I also liked Santana's Havana Moon and did not realize it was a Berry composition.

 

I like his music, realize his contribution to R&R and I give him a pass on everything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted

"Gotta be rock and roll music, if you want to dance with me!!!"

 

I was on the side of the stage when he played here about 1973 and his great big triangular pick flew to ME! A sign from above. [smile]

 

That video posted above is no different from what I saw that night.

 

My first band was a song from here and a song from here, but ALL and EVERY one of Chuck's that we could do.

 

Now I saw many years later on, his great piano man, arranger, songwriter, lyricist, producer and generally everything that glues Chuck together on the first and most famous records - Jimmy Johnson. Fabulous.

 

After they split, I think Chuck went "Freelance'.

 

 

(And another story to show how long I have been with the Princess - we went to George T's first tour gig here and she got sick just as George was hitting his straps and she wanted to go home. I could hear the big hits from the car park as we were leaving, with Bad To The Bone doing a slow fade as I went down the Beach Road....... [angry]

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

Posted

I was a rabid fan from 1979 to about the time "Bad to the Bone" came out. It's become his signature song and it sucks. Much like Devo and "Whip It".

 

I read one brief interview with him in the 80s and your comment (if you were serious) comes as no surprise. Care to elaborate?

 

He's ten years older than me, but we frequented the same music shop and up here outside Philly was a pretty healthy part of the club circuit of the mid-late 70's, so we were in the same places on different and same nights. Any time I ran into him he was always decent, and I never understood why he had a bad rep. The main music shop guy parted ways with him before I got married in 1980, something happened there. He would be in there sitting in the corner whacking at some Starcaster or other. I can only listen to a slide being run off the strings for so long as a "riff" and I've had it, so I was never all that impressed. Mostly I remember him being sullen, sulky. After the big time of course we didn't see him around much, but he never lost that rep for being a pr1ck.

 

rct

Posted
However, lost in all the love for Chuck ...lol....is my point: there's no expiration date on your guitar playing....

 

[biggrin]

 

Yep, my dad's still playing his Gibbie LP at age 94 - one of few things left he can do - though I expect his left hand/wrist can get pretty painful. I'm starting to see some left hand problems myself - thumb sprain, carpal tunnel, I don't know. That could slow me down.

Posted

I always try to separate the person from his/her art. I'm sure I would be very disappointed if I were to meet many of my musical heroes. When it has happened I have been lucky (Ray Wylie Hubbard, Darrell Scott and Malcolm Holcombe). They were very gracious.

Posted

I can back up that Thorogood is a Class A jerk.

 

I've interviewed hundreds of musicians over the years for various weeklies, dailies, magazines and websites and George ranks along with Ted Nugent as the most egotistical idiots I've spoken with.

 

Ted let me know that he'd done more that day than I'd done in my entire life (this was on the phone) and proceeded to talk about how his "Stranglehold" was the greatest riff ever written. (Um, no.)

 

George was also done on the phone and he berated me for suggesting that he performed 'covers'. According to George, he does interpretations of other people's songs. When I asked him if he'd had any musical instruments in the house when the Beatles hit Ed Sullivan and spurred his interest, he acted like the idea was impossible to grasp. He even yelled to his bandmates, "Hey, get a load of this. This guy wants to know if I had any guitars lying around the house?" He continued to act like he was a bully in Jr. high. I ignored it and filed the piece.

 

Considering how mediocre his skills and how repetitive that slide lick of his becomes in short order, it's appalling to me that he was so awful.

 

Richard Thompson was polite. Leonard Cohen was a prince. Elvis Costello was informative and helpful. Warren Zevon was a gas. Natalie Cole was elegant. Mark Kozelek told the truth no matter how uncomfortable it made him. Johnny Marr is a sweet guy who loves music and music fans. Paul Westerberg showed great humor and class. Bob Mould was friendly and answered every question I had about the Husker Du days, despite promoting a new record. The list goes on. All these people I consider a million times more talented than a hack like Thorogood.

 

Yet, it's ol' Georgie who acts like a clod from the beginning.

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