Chuck Berry : MAYBELLENE

In 1955, Berry brought a recording of IDA MAY to Chess Records. Basically, Chuck had adapted the song from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys' Western Swing song IDA RED. Wills' IDA RED, a song with African American roots, was first recorded by Georgia fiddler Bill Shores and guitarist Riley Puckett in Atlanta in 1926.

Chess suggested changing the protagonist from Ida Ray to Maybellene, after the popular cosmetics brand. Because Maybellene had the same rhythm as Ida Red, Chuck agreed. 

MAYBELLINE became one of the first rock and roll songs recorded, as well as one of the first songs on record about a car chase. It reached number one on the R&B charts and number ten on the pop chart.

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