By Hollie Gibbs
One of the fathers of Rock-n-Roll will get his due as The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University honors Chuck Berry for its 17th annual American Music Masters series Mon 10/22 through Sat 10/27. Many of the events are free (with RSVP), so if you’ve no particular place to go, check them out.
Rock and Roll Night School: A Spotlight on Chuck Berry – Mon 10/22, 7 p.m.
Free in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater
Explore all the jumpin’ little Chuck Berry records the jockeys played and their impact the world over. This event will also be streamed live on rockhall.com.
An Evening with author Nadine Cohodas- Tue 10/23, 7 p.m.
Free at the Rock Hall’s Library and Archives (2809 Woodland Avenue)
Make reservations at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office
Curious about the label that helped Berry afford that coffee- colored Cadillac? The Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records author will speak on the role the early rock-n-roll label played in Berry’s career.
Teachers Rock “Stop and Listen:” Using Spoken Word and Slam Poetry in the Classroom- Wed 10/24, 4:30 p.m. Free in the Rock Hall’s “Eat to the Beat”
Make reservations at education@rockhall.org or 216.515.8426
Inspired by Chuck Berry’s inventive wordplay, upper-elementary through high school teachers (who may or may not know how mean they look) are invited to learn how to bring spoken word and slam poetry into the classroom to help students connect with learning and with themselves.
Film Screening: Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll!- Wed 10/24, 7 p.m.
Free in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater
Make reservations at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office
Allow yourself to be delivered to (and from) the days of old as you watch this documentary of Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday concert featuring Etta James, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Julian Lennon, as well as interviews and rehearsal footage.
Oh, How We Rock that American Hunger: Charles Edward Anderson / Chuck Berry and the History of our Future- Thu 10/25, 7:30 p.m.
Free at Case Western Reserve University’s Harkness Chapel (11200 Bellflower Ave.)
Everything you want, we got right here in the U.S.A. Greg Tate, author of Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience and Everything but the Burdun: What White People Are Taking from Black Culture, will speak on the significance of Chuck Berry in American history.
Rick Derringer Trio Concert- Fri 10/26, 8:30 p.m on the Rock Hall’s Main Stage
Tickets are $15 at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office.
Get ready to rock and roll hoochie koo while throngs of Ohio State fans make poorly shaped letters with their arms.
American Music Masters Conference- Sat 10/27, from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater; Tickets are $25 (with $10 lunch voucher) at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office.
Admission to the Museum is free with the purchase of a conference ticket.
Featuring rare film footage and interviews with Marshall Chess, Ray Sharpe, Duke Robillard and more, the conference will look at the effects Berry’s reelin’ and rockin’ have had on rock and roll music. Portions of this event will be streamed live on rockhall.com.
American Music Masters Tribute Concert- Sat 10/27, 7:30 p.m.;
At Playhouse Square’s State Theatre
Tickets range from $30 to $80 and are available at playhousesquare.org,
(216) 241-6000, and at the PlayhouseSquare ticket office.
Joe Bonamassa, Rick Derringer, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, David Johansen, Ronnie Hawkins, Erinie Isley Steve Jordan, Malina Moye, JD McPherson, Lemmy Kilmister, Merle Haggard, Darryl DMC McDaniels, Chuck Prophet, Vernon Reid, Duke Robillard, Ray Sharpe, Earl Slick and M. Ward will all pay tribute to the brown-eyed handsome man. Berry himself is expected to be there playing guitar just like ringing a bell.
Hollie Gibbs has a BS in journalism from Kent State University and studied photography at School of the Visual Arts in Manhattan. Her articles and photographs have appeared in numerous local and national publications. She can also be found playing guitar with various bands and building life-size monster props.
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44114