The local legend, and 1st mate on the SS Crazy Old Man, Chuck Berry was given a lifetime achievement award by the St. Louis Arts and Education Council Monday at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.
…and yes, he was wearing that damn captain’s hat.
Berry is one of the pioneers of rock `n’ roll with a string of hits that included “Maybellene, “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Johnny B. Goode.” He still performs every month at Blueberry Hill in the St. Louis suburb of University City. A statue of him stands on the University City Loop.
The award ceremony marked the council’s 50th anniversary.
Good for Chuck. Hell of a guy, and it’s a damn shame that his home town of Wentzville, Missouri continually chooses to ignore his existence. But seriously, that hat. Always with the damn hat. The RFT has a slide show of the event and the hat is the star. It doesn’t make any sense and it’s way past time for him to address the hat situation. Why that hat? Who told you looked good? Is it attached to your head? Is it keeping your brains in? Can you feel this when I touch your hat? How are you keeping it so clean? Do you have a closet full of these hats at home? Why haven’t you been promoted to Admiral by now?
Part of us wants to believe that he’s a brilliant troll, wearing the hat constantly to make us wonder because he lost a bet or just decided “You know what would be funny? I’m just going to start wearing this hat all the time.” …that would be awesome if true, but then you notice that he’s also always wearing a bolo tie and you realize that he’s just old and crazy. Awesome, but old and crazy.