Blues had a strong impact on rock and roll, and various British rock acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones found inspiration in American R&B artists. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Matthew Parris, former Slade guitarist Noddy Holder touched upon this impact and detailed how Chuck Berry, the father of rock and roll, inspired both acts.
“‘Roll Over Beethoven,’ ‘Too Much Monkey Business,’ ‘You Never Can Tell,’ which has been used in movies recently, and ‘Maybellene,’ which was his first big hit,” said Noddy Holder when asked about his favorite Chuck Berry songs. “Oh, yeah, he had so many; he just had so many. I mean, the Beatles and the Stones took his music back to America.”
When Parris told him if he had thought ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ was a Beatles song, Holder said, “So did a lot of people. They did! ‘Come on, that was what the Stones first did!’ People thought it was a Rolling Stones song; it was a Chuck Berry song. He had so many; he had dozens of songs.”
Influenced by blues riffs and the showmanship of blues artists, Chuck Berry pioneered rock and roll. He used the elements of rhythm and blues, refined them, and developed them into his unique music style. Berry laid the groundwork for a rock and roll sound and stance and was the primary inspiration source for many prominent rock bands.
Apart from Noddy Holder, Gene Simmons also believes that Chuck Berry was the role model for John Lennon and Keith Richards. Mick Jagger, on the other hand, once confirmed that he owed his signature moves to James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course, Chuck Berry.
