Chuck Berry, the man often called the “father of rock and roll” is still performing at 85. Another music great, Smokey Robinson, has described Chuck Berry as “the inspiration for all of today’s rock 'n' roll guitarists." And, Anthony Kiedis calls him “a musical scientist who discovered a cure for the blues.”
On stage, he became known for his wild performances, and his “duck walk” that many musicians copied. But his songwriting skills—some call him a rock and roll poet—and his guitar work really set him apart. Early in his career he played mostly blues for black audiences in clubs in St. Louis, Missouri. But the most popular music in the area was country. So this musical scientist mixed country and blues.
Chuck Berry was born on October 18th, 1926, in St. Louis, where he still lives. His mother, Martha, was a high school principal. He was born the fourth of six children. He started singing in church when he was six years old. His interest in music stuck with him.
A lot of Chuck Berry's material is about teenage life, especially school. Chuck Berry and two friends were arrested after they used a gun to steal a car. He was released from prison four years later. But that would not be the last of his legal problems over the years.
Filmmaker Taylor Hackford made a documentary called “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll,” named for a Chuck Berry song. It centered on the making of a concert to honor the musician on his sixtieth birthday in 1986. More than seventy-five artists and bands have done their own versions of Chuck Berry songs. Many have done several, including the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty and Bruce Springsteen.
5. Which of the following makes Chuck Berry different from other musicians?
A. Wild performance and duck walk.
B. skills of creating songs and guitar work
C. Duck walk and skills of creating songs.
D. Guitar work and wild performance.
6. According to the text, Chuck Berry ______ .
A. was influenced by the education of his mother.
B. wrote most of his songs that reflected his teenage life.
C. show his musical talent at an early age.
D. didn’t have legal problems after he became a successful musician.
7. What can we learn from the text?
A. Chuck Berry had a lot of music used in filmmaking.
B. Chuck Berry is also interested in performing in movies.
C. Chuck Berry had a concert to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.
D. Chuck Berry has a great influence on many musicians.