Saturday, July 30, 2011

Chuck Berry

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Chuck Berry 1

Hail, hail rock and roll!

85 year old St. Louisan Chuck Berry was honored yesterday at the dedication of his statue in the University City Loop. The work, by sculptor Harry Weber, is full of the vitality and the, well, just happiness of Berry's music.

I didn't actually get to meet him. Weber had invited me and we had only discussed the event by email. It was way more crowded that I expected on a baking Friday morning. However, Weber got me in to the reception afterwards at Blueberry Hill across the street, where Berry still plays every couple of months. After some brunch with his family, he signed autographs for fans. That's when I got close enough to take the top picture.

Sorry for no comments yesterday. I was out of the office all morning, had a frantic afternoon at work and then went to the baseball game with my wife and some friends. And who threw out the ceremonial first pitch? Chuck Berry!

Chuck Berry Statue 3

Chuck Berry At Busch Stadium
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13 comments:

  1. Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.comJuly 30, 2011 at 1:13 AM

    What a wonderful photo, capturing his warmth.

    There is a great documentary of a tribute concert to Chuck Berry that they show on PBS every once in a while. I think it might be called "Hail, hail, rock and roll." The performers in the band include Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt, and more.

    The interview segment with Chuck Berry includes him reminiscing about how he as a youngster could not get into the Fox Theater where the concert was held because it was segregated at that time.

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  2. PerthDailyPhotoJuly 30, 2011 at 2:01 AM

    How fabulous Bob, he looks so good for his age, wonderful sculpture by Harry Weber. He obviously wasn't into the 'sex, drugs and rock and roll' lifestyle that many musicians fall into...although...his T shirt.. Father of 84...haha!!

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  3. cieldequimperJuly 30, 2011 at 4:25 AM

    Fabulous!!! And the prize for a hard day at work!

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  4. Stefan JanssonJuly 30, 2011 at 4:47 AM

    Sorry that you didn't get to meet the legend. But you did get the portrait as promised!

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  5. brattcatJuly 30, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    oh, baby, what a day you had! A GREAT portrait!

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  6. William KendallJuly 30, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    Chuck's got a lot of character in his face, and that statue really does a wonderful job of depicting his personality. It reminds me of a statue in my area of the late jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, which has him sitting at his piano, as though he's just finished a set and is taking in the applause of the crowd.

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  7. T. BecqueJuly 30, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    That is an awesome portrait Bob! I love the expression on his face.

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  8. PatJuly 30, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    Amazing. He never gets any older...I love his expression.

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  9. SallyJuly 30, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    Great picture, Bob. It truly captures his warmth and love of life. I have been in StL since July 21 for my annual summer trip and enjoyed the Loop in past years, but we decided to skip it on Friday due to the antcipipated crowds. Regardless of the heat and more so, the humidity, I love my home town. We return to ever cold SF tomorrow. Also, Thanks for the Shaw park pics from last weekend- we got there in late afternoon just in time to catch Henry's house before it closed. Sal

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  10. VirginiaJuly 30, 2011 at 9:44 PM

    Allow me a few minutes to get my breath and .........now I can gush properly. B, this takes the cake as my grandmother use to say. Your best portrait .......take another bow my friend.
    PS I LOVE me some Chuck Berry too!
    V

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  11. BirdmanJuly 31, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    What a great portrait. Sell that baby!

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  12. JillyAugust 1, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    What a great looking guy - he obviously loves his life and you captured him so fabulously.

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  13. KateAugust 3, 2011 at 6:58 AM

    What a fantastic experience and great photos!!

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