R.I.P Chuck Berry...

The band that played before us last nght played Johnny Be Goode, and I duckwalked the solo in Hands To Yourself.

When I was in High School (or shortly after that), I subbed with a band for a few weeks while their regular guitarist was recuperating from an illness (they were all much older). It was the kind of band where everyone had a big, fat book of lead sheets, and the band leader would call out the song number, and you would quickly turn to that page, and play the song. Standards, Country, Ballads, Pop songs, etc. We went "off book" once. The leader turned to me on stage one night, and said " We've had a request for Johnny Be Goode. You will be singing it. Select a key." Unlike all the other songs, it was expected that any guitarist would know how to play it, as well as sing it.

Thanks Chuck - we would all have learned to play some other instrument, if not for you.

Quote from paults

The band that played before us last nght played Johnny Be Goode, and I duckwalked the solo in Hands To Yourself.

When I was in High School (or shortly after that), I subbed with a band for a few weeks while their regular guitarist was recuperating from an illness (they were all much older). It was the kind of band where everyone had a big, fat book of lead sheets, and the band leader would call out the song number, and you would quickly turn to that page, and play the song. Standards, Country, Ballads, Pop songs, etc. We went "off book" once. The leader turned to me on stage one night, and said " We've had a request for Johnny Be Goode. You will be singing it. Select a key." Unlike all the other songs, it was expected that any guitarist would know how to play it, as well as sing it.

Thanks Chuck - we would all have learned to play some other instrument, if not for you.

strange thing about this is that Johny B Goode is one of the first songs i really wanted to be able to play on a guitar. Now, after 2 years and a half after picking up a guitar and starting to play, yesterday i finally nailed "Johny B Goode" at the orginal tempo. Only to learn today that at exactly that day the master himself died... That feels strange, thats for sure...

RIP Chuck, and I hope your legacy will continue to inspire a lot of new talent to come...