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CHUCK BERRY AND LITTLE RICHARD ARE REELIN' AND ROCKIN' AT CAESARS PALACE AUGUST 8 - 10, 12 - 13

14/07/2000

July 14, 2000
LAS VEGAS-Rock icons Chuck Berry and Little Richard headline at Caesars Palace Aug. 8 - 10, 12 - 13. The legendary performers bring classic rock 'n' roll to the Circus Maximus Showroom, with hits that span several generations and that still influence today's rockers.

"If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it [Chuck Berry]," John Lennon once said. Lennon knew what he was talking about. Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones played many of Berry's songs note for note during the 1960s, acknowledging Berry's influence as the premier rock and roller of the '50s. Some music historians trace rock's birth directly to Berry's "Maybelline" in 1955. Berry's other hits include "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode," "Nadine," "Sweet Little Sixteen," and "Reelin' and Rockin'."

Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry in St. Louis. He grew up in a lower middle class, church-going family. Berry's parents sang in the choir and his three sisters played piano. He was picking out boogie woogie rhythms on the piano when he was 7 and began to perform as a singer/guitarist at church affairs and house parties in his teens.

After high school, Berry began working on an auto assembly line to support his wife and children. By 1953, he was leading a three-piece blues group that played on weekends. In 1955 he had his first hit, "Maybelline," and the rest is musical history. In 1987 Berry wrote his autobiography and he was featured in a 1988 film, "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll."

Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Ga. He sang and played piano in church choirs and with gospel groups. In 1951 Little Richard signed a recording contract with RCA, but it wasn't until he moved to Los Angeles that his became a national name. He cut a rock 'n' roll version of "Tutti-Frutti," using his falsetto voice and distinctive piano playing, and soon sold three million records and launched his rock-and-roll career. His hits include "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Jenny Jenny" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly."

After a self-imposed hiatus from the industry, Little Richard returned in 1985 for an appearance in the hit movie, "Down and Out in Beverly Hills." He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and at the 1997 American Music Awards, an Award of Merit.

At Caesars Palace, Chuck Berry/Little Richard performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and at 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are priced at $50 Tuesday and Wednesday, $55 Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Prices include tax, but not the $3 ticket-handling fee. For tickets and information, phone 702/731-7333 or 800/445-4544.

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