3 rock ’n’ roll legends
plan Oct. 25 isle concert
A trio of rock 'n' roll legends is coming to Honolulu next month: Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.
The three, all members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will hit the stage at Blaisdell Arena at 8 p.m. Oct. 25. Ticket prices and when they will be available will be announced this week.
Richard has never performed in Hawaii. Berry's first performance here was Nov. 29, 1957, at the Civic Auditorium, with tickets going for 90 cents and $1.50. Lewis first performed in Hawaii in 1958 with Paul Anka and Buddy Holly and the Crickets at the Civic Auditorium.
Lewis is the personification of '50s rock 'n' roll at its best with his rowdy, raw, rebellious and outrageous piano-playing and a voice that exudes arrogance. His greatest hits include "Great Balls of Fire," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Breathless."
Berry's music has transcended generations. He signed with Chess Records in 1955, and "Maybellene" reached No. 5 on the pop charts and No. 1 on the R&B charts that summer.
Berry's success continued with "Brown-Eyed Man," "Too Much Monkey Business," "Memphis," "Roll Over, Beethoven!" and "Johnny B. Goode," which is considered Berry's masterpiece because it brought together all the elements of his unique musical sound.
Little Richard, the self-described "Originator, Emancipator and Architect of Rock and Roll," exploded onto the American consciousness in the mid-'50s featuring his signature "awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom" in the hit "Tutti Frutti." He laid the foundation for a new musical form called rock 'n' roll.
His megahits include "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Jenny, Jenny," "Keep A Knockin'," "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and "Ooh, My Soul."
