everyone says elvis but i'm going with the killer jerry lee lewis. come on he played an instrument at almost a prodigy like level in terms of being a rock pianist, he sang better and his live performances were wilder. elvis stopped actually rockin in the mid 60's while if you bought one of jerry lee's country albums you'd find only the singles were country.

Totally agree, his performances are amazing ! And he's still going strong !

Apparently his last concert in Paris (only a few days ago) was fantastic, but stupid me didnt get tickets in time.

Will have to see him next time round, so keep on rocking Jerry Lee !!!

CHUCK BERRY
The biggest influence.

CHUCK BERRY

Chuck Berry.

Gotta be Chuck Berry

yeah chuck berry is great too but the question was more along the lines of the guys who shot rock into the mainstream in the late 50's. sadly chuck berry got little airplay or recognition back then. he is more like the father or rock n roll though the guy who invented it.

what other mainstream 'solo' rockers were there in the 50's besides CB and Elvis? If not CB, then I guess the nod must go to Elvis. He was huge...but I think Chuck was more rocknroll

back then jerry lee lewis, elvis, chuck berry, carl perkins, johnny cash, buddy holly, richie valens.

Forgot about Jerry Lee Lewis. But Buddy Holly I dont consider a 'solo' act. Richie Valens?...please. Cash, Perkins = country

tho I will concede that Cash and Perkins were influential

well cash and perkins played rockabilly. cash is in the RnR hall of fame and perkins wrote blue suede shoes.

ahhh..true enough! Thanks for reminding me! Still, I'd have to say that Chuck and Elvis did more than any others in terms of mainstreaming rnr. They are, by far, the biggest names.

fair enough also. i just feel like jerry lee was a better performer than elvis and a better musician thatn berry.

Chuck Berry

"THE KILLER" by a hair´s breath,then Chuck BERRY -

I´d travel thousands of miles to see both of them on stage again!!!

Hank Williams y'all.

Rock n Roll is as much "country" music as it is blues.

Jimi Hendrix

He did it all in a couple of years.

Jimi Hendrix he is the ultimate rock star, genius musician, died young, unhappy, drugs, 60s, the image, the coolness everything. The music of course, different kindes of music. Woodstock. Machine gun. Black Elvis.

Hey at certain times many of 'em wore the crown...

Mystery Train...Elvis Preseley
Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On...Jerry Lee Lewis
Blue Suede Shoes...Carl Perkins
Be Bop A lula...Gene Vincent
One Hand Loose...Charlie Feathers
Johnnny B Goode...Chuck Berry
Oooby Dooby...Roy Orbison
Flyin' Saucers Rock & Roll...Billy Riley
Ubangi Stomp...Warren Smith
Rockin' Daddy...Sonny Fisher
Come On Little Mama...Ray Harris
Aint Gonna Rock Tonight...Hender Saul
Wore To A Frazzel...Tommy & Jackie Lamie
All Messed Up...Jess Hooper

And dont forget Wop Bop A Loo Bop A Lop Bam Boom....or that intro
to Lucille....salvation in twenty seconds...!!!





ROCKMAN

LA FORUM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jimi Hendrix he is the ultimate rock star, genius
> musician, died young, unhappy, drugs, 60s, the
> image, the coolness everything. The music of
> course, different kindes of music. Woodstock.
> Machine gun. Black Elvis.
his songs are too trippy to be considered in the same breath as the original RnR artists we are talking about. i did commit a sin though when i was listing artists and forget little richard but i thank the poster who reminded me.,

Orbison and Li'l Richard ought to be in up there,
as oool' Rockman says...

Johnnie Johnson

Solo artist?

he was one person, no? he was an artist, no?

Chuck Berry

Solo artist = One person, artist?

that's about as solo as you get! how solo can you go?

Sorry guys but Chuck fcukin' Berry would be nothin' and I mean nothin' without the late great Johnnie Johnson. It was Johnnie that did all those great intros that Chuck stole. Notice how Chucks songs are all in Piano keys such as Bflat, Eflat, F, C and G. Guitar keys for R nR are E, A and D.

So Chuck is lyrically great and captured the times perfectly but without Johnnie he's screwed!!

NickB

ps Louis Jordan does it for me every time!!

keefriffhard4life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Jimi Hendrix

> his songs are too trippy to be considered in the
> same breath as the original RnR artists we are
> talking about.


It was just an answer to a headline "king of rock", but ok: original R&R. Yes, agreed: Jerry Lee is great.

btw, Berkeley-70:

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