Rolling Stones axeman Keith Richards has always been a lover of rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form; that of the 1950s when it was transformed from the mellow blues into something more electrifying. While this was the music that made his young self want to forge a career in music, with the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Bo Diddley among his ultimate inspirations, according to Keef, one of his most pivotal heroes was Chuck Berry.
This makes a lot of sense given both men’s respective spirit. Since his early teens, Richards rebelled against the status quo, which was something that Berry embodied during his heyday. With tracks such as ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’, Berry soundtracked the rock ‘n’ roll era, and all it entailed, from creative to sexual liberation, and would later rightfully earn the moniker of ‘The Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll’.
One of the first to practice what he preached in his music, his hard-living paved the way for figures such as Richards and his bandmate Mick Jagger to take things to a different level entirely when their time came. Given his love of swaggering grooves and natural propensity for pushing life to the limit, there is no surprise that Richards deems Berry as one of the best to ever do it.
When appearing on the BBC’s legendary show Desert Island Discs in 2015, Richards named his favourite Berry song of all time, ‘Wee Wee Hours’, which was originally released as the B-side of his debut single, 1955’s ‘Maybellene’.
The Rolling Stone explained: “‘Wee Wee Hours’ Chuck Berry, first off a great inspiration to me, and I thought also that I would like to hear something that is not obviously Chuck Berry, to be surprised. And it’s always surprised me this track, such a supple blues, almost Nat King Cole in style with the brilliant piano of Johnny Johnson.”
Famously, after The Rolling Stones had become world-beaters, they would become friends with their hero Berry, and he would even support them on some dates of their notorious 1969 US tour. Then, years later, Richards would be on hand at Berry’s star-studded 60th birthday bonanza, the two shows immortalised in the documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll held on October 16th, 1986 at the Fox Theatre, St. Louis.
While Richards wouldn’t play ‘Wee Wee Hours’ with Berry, but the apt ‘Rock and Roll Music’ – one of the highlights of the film – in a reflection of both men’s tempestuous nature, they clashed during rehearsals, with Berry telling his British disciple, “You’re gonna have to let me lead on the songs I sing… “I’m responsible for how they go over.” This led to Richards silently putting his guitar down and leaving the stage, a rare, humbling instance for the notoriously brazen guitarist.
This wasn’t the only time the pair would clash. Once in New York, Richards was even given a black eye by Berry for playing his guitar backstage.
He told Rolling Stone in 2017: “Chuck Berry once gave me a black eye, which I later called his greatest hit. We saw him play in New York somewhere, and afterward I was backstage in his dressing room, where his guitar was lying in its case. I wanted to look, out of professional interest, and as I’m just plucking the strings, Chuck walked in and gave me this wallop to the frickin’ left eye.”
Alas, Richards realised he was in the wrong, and if he walked into his dressing room and saw somebody playing his guitar, he would also be in the right to “sock ‘em”.
