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Chuck Berry the first crossover artist paved the way for Michael Jackson and Moonwalk (video)
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Chuck Berry's Duckwalk paved the way
for Michael Jackson's Moonwalk
and black performers to play for mixed race audiences.
Even before Michael Jackson was born a fellow Midwesterner Chuck Berry was breaking the barrier between black and white musicians. Long before Jackson ever became famous for his onstage Moonwalk Berry was causing teenagers to scream with his patented Duckwalk (see video).
Berry was also one of the first artists to perform to mix race audiences, even though black and white teenagers were initially separated with each race on opposite sides of a thin rope. Within a short time, the enthralled audiences soon broke through the barriers both symbolically and in reality. Thus, white audiences crossed over to listed to formerly "colored" or "race" music. And that paved the way for Michael Jackson to become a black superstar with the best selling album of all time.
Amazingly, even at the age of 82 Chuck Berry continues to perform the music that he created – rock and roll. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes the following testimonial:
"While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Chuck Berry comes the closest of any single figure to being the one who put all the essential pieces together."
John Lennon was more succinct when he said,
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
So I humbly suggest that the one person who should perform at Michael Jackson's Memorial Service on July 7 and Duckwalk one more time is the inventor of rock and roll, Mr. Chuck Berry.
May we all have as fruitful careers and contributory and Michael Jackson and Chuck Berry. And may we recognize and honor the pain both these men have suffered to champion the causes of love, peace and joy.
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