July 8th, 2024, marks the 100-year anniversary of the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll legend, pioneer, architect, and proud West Virginia native, Johnnie Johnson.
Born in Fairmont in 1924, Johnson came to fame as Chuck Berry’s piano player for 28 years. He collaborated with Berry on rock ‘n’ roll standards including Maybellene, Sweet Little Sixteen, School Days, and Roll Over, Beethoven. Berry’s hit Johnny B. Goode was written as a tribute to Johnson.
When Johnnie Johnson was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, it was Keith Richards who gave the induction speech, a man who knows a little about rock ‘n’ roll. He said, “Chuck Berry drove the train in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, but Johnnie Johnson was the man who stoked the engine. His rollicking boogie-woogie was the driving force behind Berry’s songs.” Richards continued with his assessment suggesting that Chuck Berry may have adapted Johnnie Johnson’s piano riffs for the guitar chords and riffs that came to define his songs.
In 2007 Johnnie Johnson was inducted into the first class of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
The Johnnie Johnson Festival is scheduled for 6pm Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Palatine Park in Fairmont, WV.
Stay tuned for our full profile of Johnnie in an upcoming Heritage & Legacy feature later this month.
Recommended Listening
Chuck Berry– Johhny B. Goode.
Listening closely to Johnson’s piano playing throughout this classic as it is the secret ingredient that keeps all of Berry’s driving and percolating music moving along.
