If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call
it 'Chuck Berry'. John Lennon
‘Sweet Little Sixteen’:
The video above features a 1958 television performance by Chuck
Berry, a famous Rock and Roll performer who was also a pioneer of Rock and
Roll, along with other notable people such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly,
Little Richard and many more. Within this performance, there are many sections
in which will lead to further discussions surrounding context, politics, music
and African American assimilation. Firstly, the host of the television show
‘Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beech-Nut’ asserts that they must ‘turn
(Berry) loose’, which could either suggests that he, like other ‘Rock and
Rollers’ were uncontrollable, or because he was a Black man, with a cultural
history rooted in slavery and so was uncontrollable. This reveals that, what
was presumably an innocent comment, has a darker historical context surrounding
it. Secondly, it is revealed that Berry is singing to a white audience, both
literally and lyrically.
As a result of the discourses raised by this video, it is
evident that attention should be paid to Chuck Berry as an example of African
American assimilation into ‘white culture’. Throughout this commentary, we will
focus on the historical context behind Chuck Berry and the development of Rock
and Roll, while also analysing lyrics to some of Chuck Berry’s hits including ‘You
Never Can Tell’ and ‘Promised Land’.
Chuck Berry: “BIO”
Chuck Berry was born in ST Louis, Missouri on October 1926.
His parent’s grandparents were slaves, making him three generations apart from
Slavery in the United States. Berry’s upbringing in ST Louis was dominated by
the shadow of segregation in which was initiated by the Jim Crow Laws, of which
segregated Blacks and Whites until 1965. Berry claimed that he first encountered
a white person at the age of 3, and that this experience frightened him. During
his teenage years, Berry began to rebel against the system, and was eventually sent
to prison in 1944 for armed bank robbery. He was sentenced for ten years, of
which he only served three due to good behaviour.
Upon his release he undertook numerous jobs, until he began
taking his Blues guitar playing more seriously, and headed to Chicago, in which he
cut a record deal with Chess Records. Until the 1960s, Chuck had numerous hits
with songs such as “Maybelline” and “Johnny b Goode”.
“You Never Can Tell”:
Berry claimed his songs were ‘made records for people who
would buy them’, and that there were no political or ethnic influences behind
his work. Although Berry’s songs may have been intended for anyone ‘who would
buy them’, it is without a doubt his songs are about a black man singing about
white culture, and so are therefore are an example of African American
assimilation into white culture. Critic Lhamon reveals the irony in Berry’s
comment by asserting that ‘Berry’s apparent desire was to ignore race somehow
and grab the same American promise (of) Fords and proms, jukeboxes and guitars
(which was) offered ever American adolescent.’ Lhmons comment shows that
despite Berry claiming to be singing about all American teenagers, he ignored
the fact that Black people did not have the same experience of white people.
So, with this comment in regard, it is obvious that Berry wrote songs about
white culture, with the idea that all could engage with the music and lyrics.
An example of one of Berry’s hits in which can be discussed in terms of African
American assimilation is the song “You Never Can Tell”.
Within the Song it is obvious Berry is singing of White
Culture. His references to cars and consumerism the (“cherry red '53” and “two room Roebuck sale”) both exemplify this assertion. Although, Berry’s
ability to write about a culture he could never be a part of should be praised
as a successful effort in which one man was able to bridge the gap between two
cultures by just merely singing and swinging a guitar.
“Johnny b Goode”: Prison and the British
Invasion
During 1961, Chuck Berry was once again sent to prison for
violating the ‘Mann act’ for illegally transporting a minor across state lines for
‘immoral purposes’. While Berry was in prison, America was dominated by a new
wave of Rock and Roll. While the other American pioneers of Rock had disappeared
a new British group called the Beatles began to dominate the American Music
scene. There sound and music although, was familiar…
As well as the Beatles, many other groups (such as the Beach
Boys) continued to use the same format and/or appropriate the style of Chuck
Berry’s blues influenced music. Furthermore many to this day many continued to be
influenced by the music of Chuck Berry (exemplified in the video below).
(Video and Music contributed by Harry Swinerd)
These examples show how influential Berry’s music has been,
not only in terms of his lyrics and rhythm, but also in terms of bringing
together two separate cultures, in which long ago were segregated.
Now, at the age of 90 Chuck berry has recently made a
statement that he will be making one last record despite not releasing an album
for 38 years. His finally record, titled ‘Chuck’, will be released in 2017, and
is dedicated to his wife of 68 years, Themetta Berry. Although he has also
continued to play live into his old age, and occasionally continues to do so.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Primary Sources:
Hail! Hail! Rock 'N'
Roll .DVD. Dir: Taylor Hackford.
USA: Rhino, 2007
Secondary sources:
Allen, Ray. “Unifying the Disunity: A Multicultural
Approach to Teaching American Music” American Studies Vol. 37, No. 1 (1996):
135-14
Chuck Berry Biography = <http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-berry-9210488#synopsis>
Rolling Stone Magazine top 100 artists = <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/chuck-berry-20110420>
Rolling Stone: Chuck Berry Page
W. T. Lhamon Jr, “CHUCK BERRY AND THE SAMBO STRATEGY IN
THE 1950s” studies in Popular Culture Vol. 12, No. 2 (1989): 20-29
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