Johnnie B. Goode

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Johnnie Johnson died this week in his adopted hometown of St. Louis at the age of 80. It was Johnson, who played piano for Chuck Berry in the '50's and was the namesake for "Johnnie B. Goode," who really invented Berry's sound, which in turn helped to usher in the rock 'n' roll era.

Johnson profoundly affected many rock musicians who followed after him. I remember once reading an interview with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, where Richards said something along the lines of "Whenever things get tough, it helps me keep going to remember that tonight, in some bar in some part of St. Louis, Johnnie Johnson is playing his piano."

I had a brief chance to meet Johnson once in the 1980's. He was sitting in with a band (I don't even remember who they were, but they were way overachiving to have Johnnie Johnson sitting in with them) which was playing a huge Halloween party at the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis. I was the DJ for the event, playing music during the band breaks to keep the crowd going. He was reserved but polite, and having already heard many of Richards' many quotes about him, I knew I was in the presense of largely-unrecognized greatness and did the best I could to soak up the experience.

Tonight Johnnie Johnson won't be playing his piano in some bar in St. Louis. But he helped create an entire art form, which isn't a small legacy to leave behind.