In the 1985 sci-fi classic, Fox plays Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back to 1955. While trying to make sure his parents fall in love, Marty is pushed onto the stage at a school dance, where he performs a blistering version of Johnny B. Goode. The scene has since become one of the most iconic in movie history.
In his new memoir, Future Boy, Fox calls the performance his favorite moment in the film — but says it took serious effort to get it right. Between large crowds of extras, complex choreography, and endless guitar practice, the shoot was demanding.
“I worked harder on the ‘Johnny B. Goode’ scene than any other portion of the movie,” Fox writes.
The original script, written by director Robert Zemeckis, described Marty copying the moves of performers like Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger. Fox wasn’t sold.
“They’re not guitarists,” he explains. Instead, Fox chose to honor the musicians who shaped his own love of rock music.
Working closely with choreographer Brad Jeffries, Fox redesigned the scene beat by beat. He dropped to his knees like Jimmy Page, slung the guitar behind his head in tribute to Jimi Hendrix, smashed power chords in the style of Pete Townshend, hammered notes like Eddie Van Halen, and even added a sliding flourish inspired by Slash.
The result? A scene that has nothing to do with the movie’s plot — yet is often remembered as its highlight.
Fox is careful to give credit where it’s due. Rather than pushing back, Zemeckis encouraged him to experiment, giving Fox the freedom to shape the performance into something personal and unforgettable.
The scene made headlines again recently when Gibson launched a global search for the cherry-red Gibson ES-345 guitar used in the film, which has mysteriously disappeared. Fox admits the instrument has stayed on his mind for decades — not because it’s missing, but because of a famous mistake.
In the movie, Marty borrows the guitar from Marvin Berry. The problem? The Gibson ES-345 wasn’t introduced until 1958 — three years after the scene is set.
“It’s a temporal inconsistency,” Fox writes, noting that guitar experts and Back to the Future fans have been pointing it out for years.
Even so, the anachronism hasn’t dulled the scene’s impact. Forty years later, Marty McFly’s guitar solo still rocks just as hard — even if the timeline doesn’t quite add up.
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