Chuck Berry died at the age of 90

Elvis Presley will forever be known as the King of Rock & Roll, but few would dispute Chuck Berry's status as the true godfather of rock 'n' roll. "If you want to give Rock & Roll a different name, just call it Chuck Berry," John Lennon once said about the Beatles' great role model. Elvis may have worn the crown, Chuck Berry was rock 'n' roll. The US rock 'n' roll pioneer died at his home on Saturday at the age of 90, according to police in St. Charles County, Missouri.

Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Berry on October 18, 1926 in St. Louis and was a style-defining guitarist for rock & roll and all rock music. "With his guitar he created a unique rock 'n' roll vocabulary," wrote the rock publicist Ernst Hofacker, "with his playing he defined the basics for everyone who picked up the guitar after him, to rock with it." Chuck Berry is the father of rock guitar. The Rhythm and Blues of the 40s was still heavily influenced by wind instruments. Berry translated the brass riffs and transferred them to his instrument, thereby establishing the guitar as the leading instrument in pop and rock music. He used the guitar as a rhythm and solo instrument, as in the Chicago Blues. Played rhythmic figures on the low strings, melodic figures in response to the voice (call & response) and created the first great guitar solo in rock history on the song "Maybellene" in 1954.

Chuck Berry Maybellene

"Maybellene" was an adaptation of the country song "Ida Red" from 1938, which Berry transformed into a rock 'n' roll number with new lyrics and thus achieved the national breakthrough. The song not only stormed number 1 on the rhythm and blues charts, but also number 5 on the national US pop hit parade. Nota bene, this was at a time when a white boy named Elvis Presley was just taking his first steps and recording “That's All Right”. So not only was Chuck Berry there earlier than Elvis, he was also the first African American to reach white Americans with Afro-American music. He became a star, a great entertainer, who created a trademark and show element with the “Duckwalk”, which AC/DC guitarist Angus Young also included in his program. As a result, Chuck Berry created absolute rock & roll created.

Chuck Berry died at the age of 90

Chuck Berry was a middle class black kid. Literature, theater and quotations from the Bible were part of the spiritual staples of the parental home. His song lyrics are peppered with wordplay and tell about life, reflect reality and don't stop at socially critical content. Something that was a rarity in '50s American pop. In this respect, Chuck Berry can even be seen as a forerunner of Bob Dylan, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Elvis was a brilliant interpreter and entertainer who could move the masses. But unlike Chuck Berry, he was neither an innovator nor a songwriter. Musically, Chuck Berry towered above the King and is more rock 'n' roll than anyone else. For Berry, rock'n'roll was not just a musical style, but also an artistic expression and at the same time the first step towards a pop culture that was no longer divided into black and white. His music blended elements of blues, rockabilly and jazz into some of North America's timeless songs. Berry was a major influence on almost everyone with rock star aspirations such as Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen to name a few. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys all covered his songs. The rock legend was once described by Bob Dylan as the "Shakespeare of rock'n'roll".

In 1984 Berry was awarded a Grammy, two years later he became the first member of the "Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame". Privately, Berry had to put up with dampers again and again. After his first big hits, he was sentenced to a year and a half in prison in the early 1960s for having had sexual contact with a minor. After his imprisonment he continued to record music, but the time of great success was over. In 1979 he was imprisoned for a second time for tax evasion. In the 1990s, there were allegations from former employees of his restaurant that he secretly filmed them. "Every 15 years, it seems, I make a big mistake," he wrote in his memoirs. And even in old age, Berry still had a lot to tell: On his 90th birthday last October, he announced the release of his first album in almost four decades. He recorded the album with the simple title "Chuck" in studios around his birthplace St. Louis. Berry dedicated the album to his wife Themetta Berry, to whom he was married for almost 69 years. "My darling, I'm getting old! I've been working on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes, »explained the musician. The album is to be released in the volume of the year.

Chuck Berry "Back in the USA"

His appearances had become rare. But he has repeatedly denied leaving the stage. "As long as I can still see and hear a little, move a little, I'll continue," he said. A rock 'n' roller doesn't give up! Thank you Chuck for all the inspirational music you gave us. You brought light into our teenage years. Your lyrics have outshined others and shed a strange light on the American dream. Chuck you were amazing and your music is with us forever... Thanks for everything! And now show them up there! Go Chuck! Go-go-go!

Chuck Berry died at the age of 90

Chuck Berry - No Particular Place to Go.

Chuck Berry - LITTLE QUEENIE - 1959 HQ!