His career was to last just under two years – the influence of his songs, on the other hand, continues to this day. Above all, the original freshness of his songs, which transcend the genre boundaries of rhythm'n'blues, rockabilly and country, rightly secures him a prominent position in music history. Later, the label rock'n'roll would be attached to the songs of Buddy Holly, but this was not the case during his lifetime.
But the new energy contained in the songs of Buddy Holly & The Chirping Crickets is something that people today feel all too keenly, and the vinyls are selling in huge numbers. Several singles storm to the top of the charts, such as “That'll Be The Day” in May 1957, the first release by Buddy Holly together with his band the Crickets, recorded under the direction of producer Norman Petty.
Honoring a Legend: Buddy Holly's Iconic Glasses and Zenni's Tribute (Source: www.zennioptical.com)
Unique Recording Techniques
Over the next two years or so, Holly and Petty really got going, experimenting with various recording techniques (echo, double tracking) and subscribing to the top positions in the charts with the singles “Oh Boy”, “Peggy Sue” and “Rave On”.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the songs sometimes appear in stores under the name Buddy Holly, but then again as “mere” The Crickets records, which, however, does not change the content: they are all recorded by Buddy Holly with his Crickets and they all storm the charts.
Buddy Holly | Biography, Songs, Death, Rock and Roll | Britannica (Source: www.britannica.com)
Origins of Buddy Holly
An incredible success for Charles Hardin Holley, born September 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas, who initially made a living as a local country musician until he met the young Elvis Presley. Impressed by his music, Holly opened up to R'n'B and recorded a few singles in Nashville. But it was only when the triad of producer Norman Petty, the musicians The Crickets and frontman Holly had found each other that success also came.
Love life of the Singer
Privately, the future also looked bright. Holly married in 1958 and moved to New York. Inspired by his marital bliss, he released a few singles and was on tour with The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens in the winter of 1959 when their plane crashed, killing all three musicians. It was February 3, 1959, or “The Day The Music Died,” as Don McLean would sing about it in “American Pie” in 1971.
Buddy Holly's musical legacy outlasted him by years. Artists like Paul McCartney emphasized his influence on their work and the Rolling Stones honored him with a cover version of “Not Fade Away”. In 2011, the star-studded tribute album “Rave On Buddy Holly” was released in honor of what would have been his 75th birthday, with young and old fans paying homage to him.
“If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'": this sentence, spoken by Beatles singer John Lennon, gets to the heart of what others need entire books for. And one thing is still true even after all these years: every attempt to get close to Charles Edward Anderson Berry sooner or later ends in an orgy of superlatives. It's no wonder that rock 'n' roll owes so much to the man from St. Louis, where Charles was born on October 18, 1926, the third of six children.
Chuck Berry's upcoming
His father worked as a deacon in the Baptist community in “The Ville,” one of the few neighborhoods where blacks were allowed to purchase property, which mainly attracted wealthy families. Berry discovered his love of photography at an early age through his cousin Harry Davis, a passion that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Even before graduating from Sumner High School, where Tina Turner also went to school, Berry came into conflict with the law: in Kansas City in 1944, Berry and two friends found themselves in the local police station and were subsequently sentenced to ten years' juvenile detention for armed robbery.
Chuck Berry | Spotify (Source: open.spotify.com)
After about two years behind bars, freedom welcomed him back on his 21st birthday. Shortly thereafter, he married Themetta Suggs and kept his head above water with odd jobs until he made his first public appearance with Sir John's Trio on New Year's Eve 1952. Bandleader and pianist Johnnie Johnson and drummer Ebby Hardy quickly chose the charismatic guitarist Chuck Berry as the new name of the combo and made a name for themselves in the local scene.
It all began in Chicago
In 1955, Berry went to Chicago to meet his idol Muddy Waters, who put him in touch with Leonard Chess, the owner of Chess Records, one of the best addresses for blues and R 'n' B in those days. Chess was thrilled by Berry's “Ida Red” and released it under the new title “Maybellene” on May 21, 1955. Chess also got the song played on the radio show of legendary DJ Alan Freed, who made Chuck Berry's debut a chart hit. It's a success that comes at a price, because Chess promises Freed the copyright of the song for his promotion. “Maybellene” makes it to number five in the charts and Berry is an overnight sensation. In the following months, Berry wrote some of the greatest rock 'n' roll classics, such as the almost punk-like “Thirty Days”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, the anthemic “Johnny B. Goode”, “Rock And Roll Music” or “Sweet Little Sixteen”, all of which worked their way up the charts but could not repeat the success of “Maybellene”. The album “Chuck Berry Is On Top” brings together some of his greatest hits.
Chuck Berry - Walk of Fame (Source: stlouiswalkoffame.org)
Berry's TV Appearance
In 1958, Berry appeared in front of the camera in a few music films initiated by Alan Freed and toured the United States with his friend Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis, the newcomer at Sam Phillips' Sun Records, as part of the “Big Beat Tour”. During the tour, Berry and Lewis experienced a series of jealousies because both wanted to close the shows as the top act. In retrospect, both of them look back on this chapter with a smile.
The money from the hit singles goes towards a piece of land near St. Louis that Berry had already purchased in 1957. Almost a year later, he opened his own nightclub, Bandstand, where racial barriers were not an issue, which was unusual in pre-Civil Rights Movement America. This made Berry an enemy of the local authorities, who closed the club in 1959 when allegations were made against Berry that he was promoting the prostitution of minors. Once again charged, a judge who was proven to have made racist remarks sentenced Berry to three years' imprisonment and a fine.
Chuck Berry's influence on rock 'n roll was incalculable ... (Source: www.csmonitor.com)
Legal troubles for the Chuck Berry
Although Berry's lawyers challenged the verdict on the grounds of the judge's bias, an appeal led to the same sentence being imposed, and so the father of rock 'n' roll began his second prison term on February 19, 1962. While he was behind bars, England was gripped by beat fever. The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were the bands of the time. And both paid tribute to Chuck Berry with cover versions of “Come On” and “Roll Over Beethoven”, which made Berry and his idiosyncratic “duckwalk” widely known in Europe for the first time.
In prison, Berry worked on new songs that further fueled the Berry hype in the mid-60s. His single “Promised Land” was later covered by the King. However, Berry had to wait until 1972 for his first number one hit, when his single “My Ding-A-Ling” finally stormed to the top of the charts. In 1979, Berry once again came into conflict with the law due to tax evasion and served a short prison sentence.
Chuck Berry's 'Live From Blueberry Hill' Announced (Source: www.rollingstone.com)
His strong will power
But the resilient Berry was not to be defeated. In 1986, Chuck Berry was one of the first musicians, along with Fats Domino and Elvis Presley, to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The following year, he wrote his autobiography. In 1993, he received an invitation from President Clinton to play at his inauguration. This was undoubtedly one of the highlights for the man who had to fight against the racial prejudices of his fellow Americans all his life.
In 1994, John Travolta and Uma Thurman danced to his song “You Never Can Tell” in “Pulp Fiction”. For the rest of the decade, Berry cultivated the image of the inventor of rock 'n' roll, more badly than well, and alienated many fans with some second-rate performances. Nevertheless, he continued to tour tirelessly even after his 75th birthday.
At the end of 2016, Chuck Berry announced a new album entitled “Chuck” that was to be released in 2017. When Berry died in March 2017 at the age of 90, his family declared that they wanted to stick to the release plan.
Meanwhile, the music world agrees that it has lost one of the greatest: “Chuck Berry was rock's greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock ‘n’ roll writer who ever lived.” (Bruce Springsteen). “All of us in rock have now lost our father.” (Alice Cooper)
Nat King Cole: Life and work as a musician and singer
Even decades after his death, the discussion is still ongoing as to which aspect of his work has earned Nat King Cole a more important place in music history. Is it his talent as a jazz pianist, or is it rather his charm as an entertainer who was permanently resident in the upper echelons of the charts? Whatever the case, his unbroken popularity, as evidenced by countless best-of compilations and rarity releases, shows that he remains a force in the business.
Early Life
Nathaniel Adams Coles was born into poverty on March 17, 1919 (according to other sources 1917) in Montgomery, Alabama. His father initially worked as a butcher, but took up a calling as a preacher when the family moved to Chicago four years later.
As a child, Cole learned to play his mother's piano and, like his brother Eddie (double bass), was enthusiastic about music. Together they founded the Eddie Cole's Swingsters, toured the Chicago area and signed a recording contract with Decca. The combo also included dancer Nadine Robinson, who married Nat Cole in 1937.
In the same year, the brothers go their separate ways, without their studio recordings ever seeing the light of day. Nat Cole tried his hand as a solo pianist in Los Angeles before performing with bass and guitar accompaniment as a regular guest at the Swanee Inn between 1937 and 1940. The band derived the name King Cole Trio from the first line of a popular children's song (“Old King Cole was a merry old soul”).
Starting a career
With a new contract from Decca, they released their first single “That Ain't Right” in 1941, which climbed to the top of Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade. It was the first of many successes throughout the 40s: the following singles “All for You” (1942), “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You” (both 1944) made the trio famous nationally, while “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” (1946) and “Nature Boy” (1948) even made it to the top of the charts. “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” (1946) only reached third place, but in the decades that followed it became a Christmas classic.
This success was no fluke. From the middle of the decade, jazz took new directions such as bebop and, like swing, lost the favor of the general public. The new trend was pop, and Nat King Cole jumped on board with conviction. This decision cost him many fans, but also opened up an audience of millions.
Conquering the Charts
When he reached the top of the singles charts for the third time in 1950 with “Mona Lisa”, the band name had changed to Nat 'King' Cole & the Trio. Soon the last part was dropped, and in the following years the accompaniment changed between a minimal line-up and a full orchestra, depending on the occasion and the show. Cole only occasionally hit the piano and preferred the position behind the microphone.
In the 50s, he is one of the most popular names alongside Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Dean Martin. His disadvantage compared to them: he is black. He is committed to fighting the omnipresent racism, suing hotels that do not want to accommodate him or moving to a neighborhood in Los Angeles that until then had only been inhabited by white people. At the same time, he tries to smooth things over, which earns him enemies on all sides. He is physically attacked in Alabama during a performance.
Cole's unique features
With his soft voice and flattering appeal, he played his way into the hearts of a worldwide audience. His tireless touring took him not only across the U.S., to Las Vegas and on television, but also to Europe, Asia and Latin America. His forays into the film industry were less successful. His most important role came in 1957 as W.C. Handy in the biographical film “St. Louis Blues”.
With the rise of rock 'n' roll in the second half of the 50s, Cole turned increasingly to jazz again. The album “After Midnight” was released in 1957, but it only had modest commercial success. In 1956, King was the first African American to receive his own television show, which, after initial success, was discontinued in December 1957. The official reason given was that not enough program sponsors could be found. King explained the failure with racism in the business world, where no black artists were supported.
Going to the Broadway
In 1960, he put together a Broadway show that never made it to the stage. In 1962, however, he had one of the biggest successes of his career with the country-esque “Ramblin' Rose”. This came to an abrupt end three years later: diagnosed with lung cancer in December 1964, Cole died on February 15, 1965 at the age of 45.
His legacy is so great that he was able to achieve commercial success in the decades that followed. The biggest posthumous coup was “Unforgettable”, a duet with his daughter Natalie, who was born out of his second marriage to singer Marie Ellington. A minor hit in 1952, the song, with the added female vocals, not only established itself in the charts, but also won a Grammy in 1992 for “Best Record Of The Year”.
Little Richard: How the Son of a preacher became one of the most famous artists of his time
“I had always thought that 'A wop bop a loo lop a lop bam boo' said it all,” Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 autobiography, Chronicles Volume One. The incomprehensible verse comes from a song called ‘Tutti Frutti,’ which helped launch the career of an extravagant African-American singer named Little Richard some 50 years earlier.
Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia in 1932. One of twelve children of a preacher, he grew up in poverty and had to make a living with odd jobs at an early age. He was a hyperactive boy who absorbed the music of his surroundings and gained his first experiences as a singer of various gospel groups.
Little Richard Dead at 87 | Pitchfork (Source: pitchfork.com)
In 1951, he won a contest that earned him his first record deal. However, the four recorded tracks turned out to be flops. He performed in clubs in his hometown at night, washing dishes during the day. In 1952, he met the early rock'n'roller Esquerita, who taught him rudimentary piano skills, and the bluesman Bill Wright, who performed his concerts with make-up, highly teased hair and extravagant costumes. With a new look and expanded skills, Richard made a fresh start.
In 1955, he was sitting at the bar piano improvising a song with seemingly meaningless lyrics. Producer Bumps Blackwell immediately dragged him to the studio, and a quarter of an hour later the recording of “Tutti Frutti” was in the can, sealing Little Richard's rise to fame.
Today in Music History: Happy Birthday Little Richard (Source: www.thecurrent.org)
From the beginning of 1956 until the end of 1957, he rode the crest of a wave of success. Among the 50 songs he recorded were classics such as “Lucille”, “Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Long Tall Sally” and “The Girl Can't Help It”, the title track of a film in which he played alongside Jane Mansfield. After Elvis, he is the ultimate rock 'n' roll star, which is a sensation considering the color of his skin at the time.
During a tour of Australia with Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, Ricard suddenly decides to leave the business and become a preacher like his father. He moves to Alabama to attend a seminary. In 1959, he is back again – with a gospel show that is supposed to take him across the United States. But the performances are just as unsuccessful as the accompanying albums. When he tries to regain a foothold with rock 'n' roll in 1962, the genre is already doomed. Nevertheless, Richard manages to sign the as yet unknown Rolling Stones as the opening act for a European tour. For a short time, the equally unknown Jimi Hendrix is part of his backing band in the USA.
Little Richard" Penniman - New Georgia Encyclopedia (Source: www.georgiaencyclopedia.org)
Even though his studio work has since been virtually dormant, he has never really been out of the picture. In the 70s, he publicly came out as gay, and in the 80s and 90s, he appeared several times as an actor, including in the TV series Miami Vice and Baywatch, as well as in the movie “Down And Out In Beverly Hills”.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. Otherwise, Little Richard alternates between his work as a preacher and as a musician, and he can regularly be seen live on stage in Europe. In spring 2008, Little Richard thrilled an estimated 17 million TV viewers with an energetic performance at the Grammy Awards together with his old colleague Jerry Lee Lewis and John Fogerty. The old masters sat back to back at the piano and Fogerty took on the vocals for a rock'n'roll medley including the hits “Good Golly, Miss Molly” and “Goodness Gracious, Great Balls Of Fire”.
