[Bunnyears]

For everyone who knows and loves the music of Chuck Berry, it is sad to note that Johnnie Johnson, the pianist who gave Chuck Berry his famous sound, passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2006. He started in the Chicago clubs, playing with Muddy Waters and Albert King, but is most famous as the inspiration of the song Johnnie B. Goode. It wasn't until Taylor Hackford made his documentary film, Hail, Hail Rock n' Roll that people began to understand how deeply Johnson had influenced Berry. His solo albums, "Blue Hand Johnnie" (1988), "Johnnie B. Bad" (1991), "That'll Work" (1993) and "Johnnie Be Back" (1995) were released as a direct result of the recognition he received from the documentary.

You can read more about him in the NY Times.