LINK (click here): List For All Honorees & Inductees
HONOREES
B.B King
Although BB King can probably be best described as a blues artist, his impact on rock n roll is felt not only though the influence of his songs on the likes of Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, and the Rolling Stones, but in his guitar work as well. His string bending and distinct solos were to be emulated and adopted by many guitarists who followed. King toured tirelessly, playing upwards of 200 shows a year, won 15 Grammy's over a 39 year period and recorded 43 studio albums. He routinely had his songs in the top 10 of the R&B charts and sold over six and a half million records. All Music states that King "is the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century."
Dick Clark
The seemingly ageless Dick Clark was a true ambassador for rock n roll. His greatest claim to fame may be the Dick Clark Rockin' New Year's Eve specials he hosted every year, but his most lasting impact was as the host of American Bandstand. American Bandstand was a popular program that highlighted Top 40 pop music every week for 37 years. Artists would promote their music by lip syncing their songs while teenagers danced, after an enthusiastic introduction from Clark. In its' earliest form, American Bandstand as a local program wasn't integrated, so only white audience members were allowed, but Clark insisted on integrating the program when it went national. Clark and the program were responsible in part for launching the careers of artists such as Prince, The Jackson 5, and Aerosmith, with their TV debuts being made on the show. For many "baby boomers", Dick Clark is synonymous with rock n roll and was a memorable part of their exposure to music and also to their favorite artists in a visual format.
INDUCTEES
My second set of inductees are similar to the first. Both had a profound impact on budding musicians and performers. While their styles and tones couldn't be more different, they found a common ground with the passion they inspired from their fans and the musicians that emulated them in both style and substance.
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas during the height of the Great Depression. He came from a family that embraced a gamut of music, including gospel, country, swing, and R&B. Holly started out opening for acts such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley when they would come through Texas. Holly was enamored by the thought of making a living playing music and was discovered by Decca records. He formed a band called "The Crickets" with Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, and Joe Maudlin and they recorded their first hit record "That'll Be The Day" in 1957, peaking at #3. The Crickets were the basis for many rock bands to follow. Instead of just being a backing band for a singer, musical groups started being consistent in their members, with each musician bringing their own talents and production efforts to the music. While Holly was only able to take advantage of his rise to stardom for a couple of years, his three albums and songs would inspire singer/songwriters that created some of the greatest rock and country music ever made. His best work still holds up over 60 years later, as "True Love Ways", "It's So Easy", "Rave On", and "Peggy Sue" are familiar tunes to almost all music lovers.
Buddy Holly made only 3 standard studio albums, but his music spawned some 29 compilations after his untimely and infamous death in 1959. Holly and The Crickets have sold over 2.5 million records worldwide and as a side note, one of the first two compact discs I bought was "Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits" (the other being Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). No need in pouring over the details of his death, as you can find more on that from better writers, such as this article at ALL THAT'S INTERESTING. His star burned briefly, but left a legacy behind to be picked up on by countless musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Elton John, and so many others that came of age in the years following Holly's death. The nature of his music and story has led to a feature movie on his life and of course the great Don McLean song "The Day The Music Died".
Freddy’s Buddy Holly Playlist: 5) Oh Boy 4) Brown Eyed Handsome Man 3) Maybe Baby 2) Everyday 1) That’ll Be The Day
Chuck Berry
While there are plenty of musicians and artists that led to the rise of rock n roll music, Chuck Berry may well be the single most important and influential "Founding Father" of them all. Berry took his love for blues to another level, bringing the tempo up, and showing a flare for the dramatic, he was as great a showman as he was an artist.
Berry planted his musical roots though gospel, country, and blues, getting his start singing in his church choir in St.Louis. After completing a short prison sentence for armed robbery while still in high school, he began his music career by performing at small clubs. He decided that he wanted to make a career of music and left for Chicago, where he befriended Muddy Waters and was eventually signed to a recording contract in 1955. In that same year, he recorded the top 5 hit "Maybellene" and over the next few years had massive hits with "Roll Over Beethoven", "Rock and Roll Music", "Sweet Little Sixteen", and "Johnny B. Goode". These up beat songs about teenage life touched a nerve with young audiences and almost every rock band formed and performing around the early 1960's had at least one if not several Chuck Berry tunes in their playlist. His career didn't stop with those 50's staples, in 1964, he had a hit with "No Particular Place To Go" and in 1972 scored a #1 hit with "My Ding-A-Ling".
Berry continued to do shows through the 70's and 80's and his impact can be measured in the artists that covered his songs and praised him as influencing their own music and motivations for wanting to be a musician. Elvis, The Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, and The Rolling Stones were all disciples of Berry and we may not know them as the musicians we enjoy today without the role he played in their love for music.
Berry recorded 20 studio albums, 12 live albums, and over 30 compilation records of his music have been released. He charted 25 singles (3 of those making the top 10) and 5 albums.
Freddy’s Chuck Berry Playlist: 5) Roll Over Beethoven 4) Johnny B Goode 3) Rock n Roll Music 2) No Particular Place To Go 1) You Never Can Tell
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