WYE Valley rocker Dave Edmunds has paid tribute to music legend Chuck Berry, who gave the Welsh star the ‘proudest moment’ of his career.

Berry died aged 90 last week, and Monmouth-based Dave has revealed how he was asked to put a band together for Chuck’s 60th birthday concert in New York, and later played a surprise set with the guitar maestro after a gig.

Writing on his Facebook page, Dave said: “I don’t know if Chuck recognised I was copping his licks, or whether he was just feeling lazy, but he had me play all the guitar solos except My Ding a Ling.

“At the end of the final song he grabbed my arm and hauled me centre-stage; he held my hand aloft with his and shouted into the microphone to the screaming audience: “Who said the white man can’t play the blues?” It was my proudest moment.”

The birthday gig band, which included Dave on guitar, Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones keyboard player), John Entwistle (Who bass player) and Terry Williams (Rockpile/ Dire Straits drummer), had “no rehearsal whatsoever or any prior discussions with Chuck”, who ambled up to the side of the stage two minutes before the gig.

“We nervously introduced ourselves to him, but I am convinced he had absolutely no idea who we were,” says Dave. “I dared to ask if there would be a set-list. “Nooo, I always start my songs with this guitar riff” (he plays it – as if no one knows, already), “and then I stamp my foot when to end the song. Oh, and no drum fills.” And that was it!”

Dave had worldwide hits with I Hear you Knocking, I Knew The Bride, Girls Talk and Queen of Hearts as a solo star and with Rockpile, and has played with the likes of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and The Stray Cats, who he also produced.

But he recalled how it was Chuck Berry who set him on the road to stardom as a teenager in Cardiff.

“I was 15 when I first heard Johnnie B. Goode on Radio Luxembourg… I was determined to learn the opening guitar riff and the solo. I also learned the ‘knack’ of playing Chuck’s “raka-rack’ rhythm style on the lower strings while singing.

“His songs, his lyrics, his guitar solos, the style and the keys – I’ve pondered, puzzled, practised and learnt over the years, eventually incorporating them into many of my records.”

Recalling the impromptu set with the great man many years later after a gig in St Louis, Missouri, Dave said: “We were towelling off and congratulating ourselves when Steve, my tour manager, burst breathlessly into the room spluttering something about Chuck Berry.

“ “He’s seen the whole show and he wants to get up and do a few songs with you!”

“He swore on everything dear to him that Chuck Berry was ready to climb onstage if we would just go back out.

“He grabbed my spare (black) Gibson 335 and pushed us back out onstage and, sure enough, Chuck clambered up, strapped on my spare, and went into Roll Over Beethoven, moving on through Memphis, Tennessee, and more.”

Read the whole of Dave’s post Me and Chuck at www.facebook.com/DaveEdmundsOfficial