News Archive
Ongoing
petition against Chuck Berry animal abuse gig great success
Thursday, 26.
June 2008 - 18:51
The ongoing petition against Chuck Berry's animal abuse gig has proved to be an overwhelming success.
We
would like to thank all fans, promoters and artist representatives who have
signed the petition.
Please continue to do so as long as the Pamplona date stays on the schedule.
Our
extented thanks go to the webmasters of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little
Richard websites,
Jim Driver, the UK's No. 1 promoter for Rock & Roll and Blues shows, who have
signed the petition as well as the
Jerry Lee Lewis ranch in person of Phoebe Lewis (Jerry Lee's daughter), Cecil
Harrelson and Stacy Ice,
showing there is no room for animal abuse in Rock'n'Roll music.
We
also would like to thank PETA & Comité Anti Stierenvechten (CAS) who have
received numerous
complaints about Chuck Berry playing this festival and who will naturally start
protest
actions.
The Tour Information
has been updated. We recommend to have a look at Jerry Lee Lewis' & Little
Richard's
schedule which have both been updated. Both these Legends are active supporters
of animal rights.
Even though Chuck Berry's representatives are aware of the St. Louis / Sete date
clash for weeks, no action has
been taken to resolve the matter. We therefore have removed all of Chuck Berry's
upcoming European shows from the schedule
since we cannot consider them confirmed. At this point we can not recommend to
buy tickets for Chuck Berry shows
for above mentioned reasons.
Source: Wolfgang Guhl
A statement by
the editor regarding the Pamplona scandal
Sunday, 15.
June 2008 - 10:25
Dear visitor,
first
of all I would like to thank all those who have expressed their disgust about
Chuck Berry's scheduled
show at San Fermin Festival of Pamplona.
As
every half-decent educated European knows, San Fermin is probably the worst
bullfighting festival in the world.
The festival includes mainly bullruns and bullfights plus music, food etc. It is
featured in all major medias
in Europe as one of the dumbest festival that is of today known to mankind.
Countless bulls have lost their lives
at this festival as they have been killed for entertainment, regularly human
beings lose their lives in this
primitive celebration of death.
Chuck
Berry as the only major musical act in years (NO Jerry Lee Lewis, Little
Richard, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles etc.
have EVER played this festival) has sadly agreed to play this festival (www.sanfermin.net).
While it has been pointed out that he will not attend a bullfight and not stay
in Pamplona, his show remains
part of the festival and it therefore puts the festival in a light it does not
deserve. It puts Chuck Berry in
a light he does not deserve. Regardless of whether Chuck Berry supports
bullfighting or not, so far no official statement has
been made that clearly shows that Mr. Berry distances himself from bullfighting.
He therefore puts
himself in a light that is questionable, by not distancing himself he gets
political. By not distancing himself
his name will be damaged, he will lose a lot of fans that are supporting animal
rights. He will be featured
in the media associated with bullfighting.
The
professionality of Mr. Berry has also got to be questioned since he is scheduled
to do shows in St. Louis, MO
on the 16th of July and Sete, France on the 17th of July. It is not difficult to
figure out that due to
time difference it is impossible to play both shows. When a question about this
date clash
was asked on the Official Website, it was removed without explanation. We are
saddened that Mr. Berry
obviously ignores the request of many of his fans to cancel or distance himself
from the Pamplona date and that his
fans are obviously not worth it to get their questions answered.
SAN
FERMIN FESTIVAL FACTS
Official Website
Running Of The Bulls
BBC-Report
PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) San Fermin Protest Site
Source: Wolfgang Guhl
The Pamplona
scandal
Friday, 13.
June 2008 - 16:23
CHUCK BERRY HAS DECIDED TO PLAY SCANDALOUS SPANISH BULLFIGHTING FESTIVAL IN PAMPLONA
"CHUCK BERRY, DO YOU STOP THAT MESS" (Little Richard, 2006)
We have already received an tremendous amount of messages by fans from all over the world that are disgusted by this decision. So far no official statement has been made by Chuck Berry or his associates.
Here is a small selection of statements made by fans:
"Someone
so inhumane as to promote this type of event OUGHT to wear that red shirt and
suffer the consequences."
- Kay Martin, USA
"It
seems an icredibly stupid thing for the participants too."
- Graham Knight, Scotland
"I
and many fans are horrified that Chuck Berry has apparently agreed to play
at the disgusting bullfighting festival in Pamplona, in which animals are
tortured and then killed for spectator sport. Please cancel this gig immediately."
- Tony Papard, England
Source: Wolfgang Guhl
Chuck Berry
European Tour July 2008 saved
Thursday, 12.
June 2008 - 20:43
After further negotiations Chuck Berry's
European Tour July 2008
seems to be saved.
Indeed Chuck
Berry will play the scandalous bullfighting festival
in Pamplona.
chuckberry.de distances itself from an
event that sees killing of
animals as entertainment.
Source: Wolfgang Guhl
Chuck Berry
European Tour July 2008 cancelled
Tuesday, 10.
June 2008 - 18:20
Chuck Berry's European Tour July 2008 has
been cancelled.
More details on possible reschedulements and refunds soon.
The following dates are affected:
05.07.08 - Narbonne, France - To Be Announced
06.07.08 - Toulouse,
France - Halle Aux Grains
07.07.08 - Cordoba, Spain - Festival
De La Guitarra De Cordoba
10.07.08 - Opatija, Croatia - Open Air
Festival
12.07.08 - Pamplona, Spain - To Be Announced
17.07.08 - Sete, France -
Theatre De La Mer
18.07.08 - Newport,
England - Camp Bestival
19.07.08 - London, England - Hackney
Empire
20.07.08 - London, England - Hackney
Empire
25.07.08 - Maryport, England - Maryport
Blues Festival
26.07.08 - Malaga, Spain - To Be Announced
Source: Wolfgang Guhl
Chuck Berry
talks politics
Tuesday, 10.
June 2008 - 18:20
Chuck Berry won't sing for
"Johnny" in election
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/09/us-berry-idUSN0926357320080609
Bo Diddley
receives rocking send-off
Monday, 09.
June 2008 - 20:30
Bo Diddley receives rocking send-off
BO DIDDLEY's funeral held in Gainesville,
FL today (Saturday) rocked and rolled with as much energy as his music.
For four hours, friends and relatives sang, danced and celebrated the life of
the man who helped give birth to rock and roll with a signature beat that
influenced Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and many others.
As family members passed by the casket, a gospel band played his namesake song.
Within moments, the crowd of several hundred began clapping in time and shouting,
"Hey Bo Diddley!"
"In 1955 he used to keep the crowds rocking and rolling way before Elvis
Presley," BO DIDDLEY's grandson, Garry Mitchell, said before kicking his
legs sideways, high up in the air the way BO DIDDLEY did on-stage. Mourners
cheered. "I'm just telling it the way it is", he said.
BO DIDDLEY was remembered for much more than his songs. Friends recounted his
generosity, manifested in concerts for the homeless and work with youth groups
and other charities; and the way he loved to talk to just about anybody he met.
Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan referred to one of his most famous hits as she
told the crowd, "When the question is asked, "Who do you love?",
it's you, Bo".
Rock singer Eric Burdon attended the service and flowers were sent from
musicians including Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Petty, George Thorogood and others.
Last night's "Free Fridays" concert at the Downtown Community Plaza in
Gainesville, FL was the first of a month-long series of concerts celebrating
National Black Music Month and also marked the unofficial beginning of a weekend
celebrating the life of BO DIDDLEY. David Ballard, event coordinator with
Gainesville's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, hosted last
night's concert and began proceedings with a special acknowledgment of BO
DIDDLEY and his legacy.
The UK's BBC Radio 4 weekly obituaries program "Last Word" broadcast
yesterday (Friday), included extracts from a recorded interview with BO DIDDLEY
plus a poignant tribute to him from Paul Jones, lead singer with Manfred Mann
and The Blues Band. The program is currently available on-line to listeners
around the world for the next 7 days, by clicking the "Listen To The Latest
Edition" link at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/lastword.shtml
This week's edition of "The Beat", the weekly guide to global pop
music broadcast on the BBC World Service, featured a special BO DIDDLEY tribute.
To mark his genius, music writer Charles Shaar Murray discussed BO DIDDLEY's
legacy and the British electro-blues outfit Alabama 3 provided a unique musical
tribute. The program is currently available on-line to listeners around the
world for the next 7 days, by clicking the "Listen" link at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/the_beat.shtml
We have posted a YouTube video in the BO DIDDLEY-The Originator website Forum of
a 2-minute radio interview from last Monday with ZZ Top guitarist Billy F.
Gibbons, paying tribute to BO DIDDLEY. This and other tribute videos and
comments are available in the BO DIDDLEY-The Originator website Forum, located
at http://members.tripod.com/~Originator_2/guestbook.html
and then by clicking on the "Enter My Forum" button.
A new DVD containing what is believed to be BO DIDDLEY's last extended filmed
interview, taped in March 2006, is currently ready to ship. The documentary
movies "Electrified: The Story of The Maxwell Street Urban Blues" and
"Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street" are available to order
on-line on DVD from: http://store.electrifiedthemovie.com/StoreBox/index.htm
Top radio personality Jim Ladd paid tribute to BO DIDDLEY this week with a
90-minute live special broadcast on 95.5 KLOS-FM Classic Rock in Los Angeles
that included phone calls from George Thorogood and drummer John Densmore of The
Doors.
UK singer/composer Peter Gabriel, speaking to BBC Radio, paid tribute to BO
DIDDLEY thus: "He appears in a lot of writing that I've done over the years
because of the groove with which he was associated, which is the "Bo
Diddley rhythm". He was really one of the first people to make an African
element a central part of pop music and it was done with a lot of feel and a lot
of style. I was sad to see him on the departed list". Gabriel also spoke on
BO DIDDLEY's legacy: "It'll be songs using that rhythm, which is great. I
mean, to be remembered by a groove - I hope that people visit his grave, they'll
hear it".
Rock singer Eric Burdon paid this tribute: "Bo's one of the guys who
invented rock 'n' roll. He took two cultures that existed in separate forms -
country and western and the kind of blues that used to be known as "race
music" - and put them together. His beat was a jungle beat. That's what he
called it".
A leading UK politician, Lorraine Barrett, Assembly Member (AM) for Cardiff
South & Penarth, has been reminiscing about the time she met BO DIDDLEY:
"I only met him once, but he was a lovely man. My husband Paul was acting
as the MC for Bo's UK tour with Carl Perkins in 1977. I went up to see the show
at Hammersmith Odeon and it was amazing to be watching these incredible rock 'n'
roll musicians from the wings. Carl was great, but Bo was amazing. It was one of
those magic moments in life. Bo was such a nice guy. I've met quite a few
American musicians over the years, but he was one of the best. He'd previously
played in Cardiff and he said he wanted to come back to Wales to get some images
of Cardiff and Caerphilly castles. His wife had a ceramics business. He was due
to play at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff in one of the last gigs before it closed,
but he had a stroke and unfortunately
couldn't make it. The death of Bo is very sad, because it means there are only
two of the truly rock 'n' roll originals left - Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.
Everyone who is into rock 'n' roll knows the Bo Diddley riff - he was a real
legend".
Paul Barrett, former manager of the popular UK singer Shakin' Stevens, had this
to say about BO DIDDLEY: "Bo was really incredible. At one gig in London
some rockabilly kids turned up with a Confederate flag and Bo wondered what was
going on. I explained it was nothing to do with racism - they just liked
Southern music. Bo insisted on having a picture taken with them because he said
the folks back home wouldn't believe the story otherwise".
Radio presenter "Uncle" Joe Benson, from 95.5 KLOS-FM Classic Rock in
Los Angeles, has paid this tribute: "The first time Bo Diddley entered my
consciousness was at a sock hop in late 1963: his song came on and the kids
started dancing like crazy, like they were being driven by some mysterious
force! In short order we learned that being able to play that beat could turn
neophyte guitarists into rock stars (albeit for two minutes at a time). And when
The Rolling Stones covered Buddy Holly's 'Not Fade Away' and really worked that
Bo Diddley beat, and when The Yardbirds covered 'I'm A Man,' the power of that
Bo Diddley beat was ours! Think about it - primal music that empowered and
inspired kids to dance and want to play music. We're all born with a gift of
some talent and I still think that touching millions by channeling that beat was
Bo's".
Singer/songwriter Willie Nile, who recently penned the song "The Day I Saw
Bo Diddley In Washington Square", recalls watching a BO DIDDLEY performance
in the early 1960s: "I just heard that Bo Diddley passed away. I'm very sad
to hear that. As Dave Marsh pointed out in our last interview, it's great that I
got to write and record "The Day I Saw Bo Diddley In Washington
Square" while he was still alive. The version on the new DVD is really
good. I'm really happy about that. I first saw Bo play when I was in high school
in Buffalo, NY. I went with my girlfriend and two friends to a club on the east
side of Buffalo called The Pine Grill. We were the only white people in the
place. It was an incredible performance, soulful, rockin', lowdown and with
rhythm to spare. It was a great night. He raised the roof. Though people looked
at us strangely, wondering what these white kids coming down to
a place like this were doing there, it was what you always dream of seeing and
experiencing - a master, at the top of his game".
Source: David Blakey
Bo Diddley
upcoming Gainesville services
Thursday, 05.
June 2008 - 15:52
Friday (June 6th) Wake - 2.00pm-8.00pm
(Family and Invited Friends only)
Saturday (June 7th) Funeral Service - 2.00pm
(Open to the Public)
Showers of Blessing Harvest Center
2615 SE 15th Street, Gainesville, FL
Pastor Willie King, Pastor
Saturday (June 7th) Memorial - Non-Religious - 6.00pm-9.00pm
A celebration of BO DIDDLEY's life, featuring members of his touring band and
guest musicians.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Purpose Center
1028 NE 14th Street, Gainesville, FL
Source: David Blakey
Bo
Diddley dead at 79
Thursday, 05.
June 2008 - 15:52
THE
ORIGINATOR, THE MAN WHO PUT THE ROCK IN ROCK'N'ROLL,
THE MIGHTY
BO DIDDLEY
1928 - 2008
It is with profound regret that we announce that BO DIDDLEY died of heart failure on Monday June 2nd 2008 at his home in Archer, FL. He was 79. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. He had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation. We mourn the passing of our friend Ellas McDaniel, the man known around the world as BO DIDDLEY. One of the founding fathers of rock & roll, a truly unique talent and an influence upon generations of musicians, Ellas' commitment to issues close to his heart, including human rights, the state of the Nation, homelessness, unemployment and the importance of education, touched many people across America and beyond. Born to entertain, he was a man of great innovation and energy. The BO DIDDLEY beat, his trademark square guitars, his pioneering use of female musicians and his exciting and highly idiosyncratic performances over five decades, form part of his lasting legacy. Ellas leaves behind his devoted family, their fine families and fans and admirers around the world that join them in honoring a good life of kindness and musical vision.
Source: David Blakey
Chuck Berry
European shows July / August 2008
Thursday, 05.
June 2008 - 15:52
Chuck Berry will play the following shows
in Europe
in July / August 2008 backed by his European Band:
05.07.08
- Narbonne, France - To Be Announced
06.07.08 - Toulouse, France - Halle Aux Grains
07.07.08 - Cordoba, Spain - Festival De La Guitarra De Cordoba
08.07.08 - Off
09.07.08 - Off
10.07.08 - Opatija, Croatia - Open Air Festival
11.07.08 - Off
12.07.08 - Pamplona, Spain - To Be Announced
13.07.08 - Off
14.07.08 - Off
15.07.08 - Off
16.07.08 - Off
17.07.08 - Sete, France - Theatre De La Mer
18.07.08 - Newport, England - Camp Bestival
19.07.08 - London, England - Hackney Empire
20.07.08 - London, England - Hackney Empire
21.07.08 - Off
22.07.08 - Off
23.07.08 - Off
24.07.08 - Off
25.07.08 - Maryport, England - Maryport Blues Festival
26.07.08 - Malaga, Spain - To Be Announced
16.08.08 - Boleslawiec, Poland - Blues Rock Festival
Source: Patrick Rocher