Chuck Berry, 1926-2017

Prior to buying The Great Twenty-Eight as a new release in 1982, I thought of Chuck Berry as the guy responsible for the novelty hit “My Ding-a-Ling.”  The compilation rectified that misleading impression.  The euphoric aggressiveness of Berry’s earth-shaking songs was of a piece with a few of my other favorite albums of 1982, including the Clash’s Combat Rock and George Clinton’s Computer Games.

I attended my first Berry concert a year or two later.   It was terrible.  He was clearly going through the motions.  Yet I didn’t give up.  My persistence paid off the third or fourth time I saw Berry.  Lou Whitney and his cohorts in the Skeletons and the Morells acted as Berry’s backing band at Parody Hall in Kansas City.

Fondly remembered in these parts as ”the best bar band ever”, the quality of Whitney’s group clearly surprised Berry.  The legend became increasingly elated as his exceptional pickup band survived each of his challenges.  Against his contrary inclinations, Berry went all-in on that memorable night.  I never saw him try half as hard again.  Berry died yesterday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Lou Whitney

Chuck Berry still maintained a heavy tour schedule when I became old enough to sneak into nightclubs.  What a disappointment!  The first two times I caught him, the legend was clearly going through the motions. 

Ever the glutton for punishment, I once found myself at Parody Hall to give the man another go.  Berry's demeanor shifted from contempt to delight upon recognizing the expertise of the pickup band.  That outing remains the only time I've seen Berry give a damn.  Lou Whitney and his cohorts in the Skeletons/Morells were the men responsible for inspiring Berry.

I spent several nights dancing to Whitney's bands during the next few years.  On the two or three occasions I spoke with him, he was funny and gracious.  Whitney died this week.  C.J. Janovy wrote a nice piece about the beloved Missourian. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)