Library Rock's Backpages

What Have They Done To My Roots, Ma? Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley

Richard Williams, Melody Maker, 30 October 1971

WHEN JOHN LENNON ended a recent epistle to Mailbag with a line saying "LP Winner: I’d like Chuck Berry, please," he wasn’t joking. Modern rock music would not have taken the course it did had it not been for two men, Berry and his label-mate Bo Diddley.

Total word count of piece: 1219

Subscribe

Becoming a member is easy. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library.

Click here to go to Subscribe page.

Click here for academic and other group subscriptions.