Elvis Presley occupies a unique niche in American culture. He transcends almost all categorization. Many in the know consider him to be one of the seminal figures in 20th-century culture. His hip-gyrating dance moves scandalized parents and thrilled a generation of wholesome teens. The pandemonium he inspired presaged Beatlemania in the early 1960s. He was a phenomenon like no one had seen before. But with so much to his credit, Elvis reportedly thought that someone else deserved the title of King. Who was it?
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Elvis Presley Reportedly Confided His Admiration Of Chuck Berry To Singer Tom Jones
Elvis Was A Fan And Admirer Of Berry's Work
Per American Songwriter via goldradio.com, Tom Jones said, "One night, Elvis said to me, 'Chuck Berry's playing tonight do you want to go see him.'" I said, 'Sure.' So we go to see Chuck Berry where he was singing and playing and Elvis is looking at him on stage. Elvis turned to me and said, 'There's the real King of Rock and Roll up there right now.'"
What Made Chuck Berry Such An Important Figure In The Annals Of Rock?
Listen To Berry's 1958 Song 'Johnny B. Goode' And You Will Learn A Lot
Berry, who died in 2017 at the age of 90, was every bit as key to the early evolution of rock music as anyone out there. He was an innovator and a bold pioneer. Per Britannica, this musician "was one of the most popular and influential performers in rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll music in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s."
A virtuoso on the guitar, Berry was a towering formative force in the birth of rock and roll. He brought together many of its signature elements in revolutionary ways, like the guitar riffs on "Johnny B. Goode," electrifying stage productions, and generous dollops of other genres such as the blues and country. The stunning fusion Berry pioneered made people sit up ramrod straight. There would be no going back. Rock and roll muscled its way onto the music scene and it was here to stay.
Forty years ago, Berry earned a lifetime achievement Grammy. Per the outlet, "He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986."
No wonder Elvis Presley was awed by this amazing performer!
