Behold Chuck Berry‘s signature moves set to one of his many signature songs in this clip from Hollywood a Go Go, a music variety show, circa 1965. In it, the St. Louis, Missouri-born rock-and-roll pioneer performs his semi-autobiographical Johnny B. Goode.
“Johnny B. Goode” is considered one of the most recognizable songs in the history of popular music. Credited as “the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom”, it has been recorded by many other artists and has received several honors and accolades. The song is also ranked seventh on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
It’s also the only rock-and-roll song on Voyager’s Golden Record.
See a live performance of the song, along with his performance of Promised Land, in this clip from the Face au Public TV show, recorded in Waterloo, Belgium in 1965. It starts around 2m40s. You can find the entire show here.
Berry also performed the song live with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band in 1995 for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was 68 years old.
Next, watch Sister Rosetta Tharpe perform Didnβt It Rain live in Manchester.Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.