In Memory Chuck Berry

UPDATED
FROM BBC NEWS 19MARCH 2017

Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry has died aged 90, police in the US state of Missouri report.

The singer was found unresponsive at lunchtime on Saturday, St Charles County police said.
Berry's seven-decade career boasted a string of hits, including classics Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode.
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

How can hits of the Seventies have Chuck Berry in it, well Chuck, born  Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born in 1926, and his hey day was in the 1950s and 1960s with classics like  "Nadine","No Particular Place To Go" and "Promised Land".

Chuck Berry had a surprise huge No1 hit in 1973 with the single "My Ding A Ling", which was the very first single I ever purchased, I knew it had rude connotations and it was great to force my parents to listen to it.Taken from the album "The London Chuck Berry Sessions", and actually comes from a record called  "Little Girl Sing  Ding A Ling"  in 1952. Two silver balls is what the record was about, that came on a string from a grandmother, and how to keep hold of them during events like swimming the creek, I am sure most people listening to the lyrics would think something different.




"My Ding A Ling" the lyrics

When I was a little biddy boy
My grandma bought me a cute little toy
Two Silver bells on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling


My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling won't you play with My Ding-A-Ling
My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling won't you play with My Ding-A-Ling


When I was little boy In Grammar school
Always went by the very best rule
But Evertime the bell would ring
You'd catch me playing with my ding-a-ling


Once while climbing the garden wall,
Slipped and fell had a very bad fall
I fell so hard I heard birds sing,
But I held on to My ding-a-ling


Once while swimming cross turtle creek
Man them snappers right at my feet
Sure was hard swimming cross that thing
with both hands holding my dingaling


Now this here song it ain't so bad
Prettiest little song that you ever had
And those of you who will not sing
must be playing with your on Ding-a-ling 

Mary Whitehouse a UK clean up TV campaigner took an instant dislike to the song, thus it topped the charts, becoming one of the hits of the seventies from a man famous for his music from the 1950s on..

During the 70s and even now Chuck is still on the road performing, and for many, many years the tax man has always keeps an eye  him, he did spend a little time in prison in the 70s, but he also performed at the Whitehouse for Jimmy Carter, so it was not all bad, if you know what I mean. However the next hit  was a minor hit "Reelin and Rockin"

Find out more from Chuck Berry Official Website

Chuck Berry LAST INTERVIEW