We say happy # 83 to Chuck Berry, one of the Founding Fathers of rock music!

Chuck Berry celebrated another big birthday this week!

Here is a quote from John Lennon of The Beatles:

"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."

Here is a quote from Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones:

"To me, Chuck Berry always was the epitome of rhythm and blues playing, rock and roll playing."

Chuck Berry was a huge influence on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He was the father of those rock guitar rifts that we grew up listening to!

In fact, it's hard to think of rock and roll without Chuck Berry!

According to his official website:

"Born in St. Louis on October 18, 1926 Berry had many influences on his life that shaped his musical style......

Berry, also known as "The Father of Rock & Roll", gained success by watching the audience's reaction and playing accordingly, putting his listeners' amusement above all else.

For this reason, tunes like "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene" and "Memphis" have become anthems to an integrated American youth and popular culture.

Berry is a musical icon who established rock and roll as a musical form and brought the worlds of black and white together in song."

His songs were all over the charts!

His songs were covered by just about every rock group, including the afformentioned Beatles and Rolling Stones!

We are so happy to say "happy birthday" to a real American legend, the one and only Chuck Berry!

Our first video is "Roll over Beethoven", a song also recorded by The Beatles:

"I'm gonna write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local DJ

It's a rockin' rhythm record I want my jockey to play

Roll Over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today

You know, my temperature's risin' and the jukebox blows a fuse

My heart's beatin' rhythm and my soul keeps on singin' the blues

Roll Over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news

I got the rockin' pneumonia, I need a shot of rhythm and blues

I think I'm rollin' arthritis sittin' down by the rhythm review

Roll Over Beethoven rockin' in two by two

Well, if you feel you like it go get your lover, then reel and rock it

Roll it over and move on up just a trifle further

and reel and rock it, roll it over,

Roll Over Beethoven rockin' in two by two

Well, early in the mornin' I'm a givin' you a warnin'

don't you step on my blue suede shoes

Hey diddle diddle, I am playin' my fiddle,

ain't got nothin' to lose

Roll Over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news

You know she wiggles like a glow worm,

dance like a spinnin' top

She got a crazy partner, oughta see 'em reel and rock

Long as she got a dime the music will never stop

Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven,

Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven,

Roll Over Beethoven and dig these rhythm and blues"

The second video is "You never can tell", about the newlyweds who couldn't stop dancing. This is a great homemade video! Congratulations to the young couple who put Chuck Berry's song to their video:

"It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well

You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle

And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell,

"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale

The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale,

But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well

"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast

Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz

But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell

"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry red '53,

They drove it down New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary

It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle

"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell"