Rock and Roll; Interview with Johnnie Johnson [Part 3 of 3]

It's hard. No problem. OK here we go. That's what I want to. Start. No problem. OK here we go. That's what I want to. Do you were talking about Chucks. You know interest in the country style music. But he also seemed like he was really aiming toward the big white teen audience. Could you talk about that. Well this type of music. I mean he got it he got into it he got into it more and more and I think he become more proper and whatever I guess Brame closer to you know the stardom that he was looking for. And I think he reached it. He you know intentionally wrote songs that would appeal to white teenagers. And I think he just wrote the song The Day. That. That was you know that he could get together one particular aimed at no one and one race

of people because you know when he first started out Chuck was done song mostly about cars. Maybelline that was about a car. And then he put me to a car so later then he changed started on bike. So actually whether just one type of person or. One goal he was trying to reach everybody in his song. He also wrote some songs that had. A bit of a racial message. I mean brown eyed handsome man it's really you know brown skin and Johnny be good little country boy. Do you think he was trying to get some kind of message across about the position of black people in the country.

For me in a reading. On this big tour I was telling you. Which would be like 9:30 at night. Whatever said he was in I would find I were a jazz band someplace. And yet we finished I would go sit in with these jazz band. So I keep up my energy. I mean my image of being more than just one type of piano player and I fooled around and you know. It sometime I'd have to call back Chicago to learn a chess or somebody to watch me some money. So our kids are playing catch up with the band and he was saying wow Why'd you do this to be because Be good be stay with the band and next thing I know he come up with a record. So that was actually written for me. That's great. Let's touch on this. Fats Domino. Tell me a little bit about.

What he brought to this music and maybe you can just demonstrate a little of his thought and to use his name when you start talking about someone no. Well actually I didn't know too many songs that. Fast domino put out except. Going home tomorrow that was just strictly blues you know. Going home. Just repeating that over and over and over. And it. Wasn't too many upcoming artists try to copy his style. Maybe his song whatever the piano playing was kind of strange.

And I think only fans play it make it go. Trad it just didn't work out. They call it hamstring and it's out. So he had some air in his piano playing. But it was just something that anybody could copy I know I could and. My my well I had a couple of influence piano players but they were blue such as Art Tatum one of my favorite and I ask people like that. So THAT'S why would more want to more of a jazz and. RB to you than I was the type of music you Chuck was my head. But this is where the money was coming in and so I learned church music and now when people ask me to play a Chuck Berry song using. My band

I'm a guitar player Saints quite a few of Chuck's songs so I can for requests of Chuck's Naaman still play what I'm going to play in a lot of blues or jazz. So this is what's helping me out. Little Richard what do you think was his unique. Thank you. Richard for the man I couldn't you know kind of way. I mean a man is a great musician he's a great entertainer and he had a beautiful personality and he had a personal friend of mine. But to play some of that music I could not do that because I never was close enough for him doing the time of his plan that I could see what he was doing to even try to cop it. But here one of. Richard's. Always our spot you know remarked over the way that he come through as an entertainer he was telling me the last time we talked he was telling me about some of the hazardous things he went through you know he changed

or want us to be into ministry and whatever and he came back to the blue you know like get home we're out there and come back go where he's better known as a musician. And. Just one last thing I want to ask you about Mr. Barry. What do you think it was Chuck Berry Chuck Berry's greatest contribution to this rock n roll. What did he bring that wasn't there before why why will he always be remembered. Well I think you'd be remembered for. Well this types of songs that he put out. And that's they I know he had three big hit in this one I was sweet 16. The rest is all I think so but those are the three biggest hits and the most groups is I've been around while traveling all over

the world. They play all of this to all of his music. I mean all of his songs whatever that the first thing they axed me. When I go someplace new fires are banned the first thing you want to know what Chuck Berry saw that I'm doing because they play a Mario couple of Johnson songs on this show you know. So. I think that was a big influence. Kitchen to the public. Now this one namely you know they are one. And. He made a rock and he put some of their own. I am.