- Apr 1, 2011
- 170,026
- 47,212
- 2,180
Rest in Peace, Chuck.
Chuck Berry, who died Saturday at 90, was one of the architects of rock'n'roll as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. More than any artist of the '50s, his songs exploded with imagery that saw rock'n'roll not just as a fad but as the future -- a vision of freedom that transcended generation and race.
Berry's opening solo on "Johnny B. Goode" blared reveille for subsequent generations of rockers. Every rock guitarist since is in his debt. In addition, Berry wrote and sang at least two dozen rock'n'roll classics, including Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, and Back in the U.S.A., many of them recorded at Chicago's Chess Studios in the 1950s and '60s and later covered by countless artists, including the Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones.
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'," John Lennon once said.
Berry's opening solo on "Johnny B. Goode" blared reveille for subsequent generations of rockers. Every rock guitarist since is in his debt. In addition, Berry wrote and sang at least two dozen rock'n'roll classics, including Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, and Back in the U.S.A., many of them recorded at Chicago's Chess Studios in the 1950s and '60s and later covered by countless artists, including the Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones.
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'," John Lennon once said.
