Charles Edward Anderson “Chuck” Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an immensely influential American guitarist, singer, and composer, and one of the pioneers of rock & roll music. Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri and was part of the first group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986.

Though playing what was considered Rhythm & Blues (R & B), in retrospect Berry is now seen by many as more of a rockabilly (rather than R & B) singer. However, he was the real poet of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll. While he was African American, white teenagers of the 1950s identified greatly to his lyrics, which contributed to the success of his songs during that time period.

Many performers have recorded his work from the 1950s onwards, from Elvis through Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Emmylou Harris and others. Berry’s ‘Come On’ became one of the Rolling Stones first hits, ... read more »