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R.I.P. Chuck Berry

If he didn't invent R&R, he was damn close. I think he even played at Wait Chapel

RIP
 
I know a couple of guys that played in his backing band when he would come to their town. The stories are unreal. CB always hired local musicians for his backing band in whatever town he was in. Chuck would demand to be paid in cash before he would get on stage, and would give zero info to the backing band about what was going to be played and when. He would literally walk on stage and start playing without ever even speaking to the band. They wouldn't even know what song was coming first. He would just start playing and you better follow along or you got some cold stares and cussings. He would change keys in the middle of songs without letting the band know. And on and on.
 
guitardeac said:
I know a couple of guys that played in his backing band when he would come to their town. The stories are unreal. CB always hired local musicians for his backing band in whatever town he was in. Chuck would demand to be paid in cash before he would get on stage, and would give zero info to the backing band about what was going to be played and when. He would literally walk on stage and start playing without ever even speaking to the band. They wouldn't even know what song was coming first. He would just start playing and you better follow along or you got some cold stares and cussings. He would change keys in the middle of songs without letting the band know. And on and on.
Click to expand...

probably just gave his band instructions like this:

 
BarcaDeac said:
probably just gave his band instructions like this:

Click to expand...


eh, during NPR's thing this morning the guy did say that Berry would tour w/out a band because the 12 Bar Blues style was so easy to pick up local bands could back him. I don't think it's that much of a stretch
 
ImTheCaptain said:
eh, during NPR's thing this morning the guy did say that Berry would tour w/out a band because the 12 Bar Blues style was so easy to pick up local bands could back him. I don't think it's that much of a stretch
Click to expand...

Oh I know I just wanted to post the video
 
He did play at Wait Chapel in September, 1972. And he used 3 students to back him up. Don't recall who they were. Great concert!
 
ImTheCaptain said:
eh, during NPR's thing this morning the guy did say that Berry would tour w/out a band because the 12 Bar Blues style was so easy to pick up local bands could back him. I don't think it's that much of a stretch
Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty much everything he did was 1,4, 5 in whatever key - which was/is pretty much the rock n roll standard as far as making hits. It's easy to play. But Berry was known for - at least later in life - for changing keys and tempo all over the place - mid song. Guys that backed him have told me they would spend much of the night looking at each other with looks on their faces like "what the hell just happened?".
 
74 plug said:
He did play at Wait Chapel in September, 1972. And he used 3 students to back him up. Don't recall who they were. Great concert!
Click to expand...

Two of the backup guys were from Laurinburg: Fred Hubbard on bass and Jim Morgan on keyboard.
 
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