{"id":232,"date":"2017-03-20T16:14:20","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T16:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=232"},"modified":"2017-03-20T16:14:20","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T16:14:20","slug":"chuck-berry-rock-n-roll-superstar-dead-90","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2017\/03\/chuck-berry-rock-n-roll-superstar-dead-90.html","title":{"rendered":"Chuck Berry, Rock ‘n’ Roll Superstar, Dead at 90"},"content":{"rendered":"

On October 18th<\/sup>, 1926, the world gained a man named Chuck Berry\u2014a man who would go on to be one of the great pioneers of music, a fiery soul whom Bob Dylan once called \u201cthe Shakespeare of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u201d. And on Saturday, March 18th<\/sup> of 2017, the world lost him: Berry passed away in his home near Wentzville, Mo. at the age of 90.<\/p>\n

Berry was a man who, as the New York Times fittingly describes, \u201cUnderstood what the kids wanted before they knew themselves.\u201d Interested in music from an early age, Berry gave his first public performance while still in high school, never letting up until he found himself with a No. 1 on the R&B charts with \u201cMaybellene,\u201d which he took to executives at Chess Records in 1955.<\/p>\n

This song, one that told a story through a blend of sounds that pulled from both blues and country music, is widely considered to be the beginning of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll.<\/p>\n

Berry wasted no time in following up with a barrage of still-famous singles between 1955 and 1958, such as \u201cRoll Over, Beethoven,\u201d \u201cSweet Little Sixteen,\u201d \u201cBrown Eyed Handsome Man,\u201d and \u201cJohnny B. Goode\u201d that found success with every demographic\u2014Berry described his compositions as being made \u201c\u2026for people who would buy them. No color, no ethnic, no political\u2014I don\u2019t want that, never did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry\u2019s biggest hit came in 1972, with the interestingly-titled \u201cMy Ding-a-Ling,\u201d which was simultaneously his first and only No. 1 pop single, and the last hit of his career. With his subsequent albums declining in popularity, Berry\u2019s later works failed to sell well. Despite this, the musician stayed active well into the 1990s.<\/p>\n

It is always unconventional people who create the greatest change, and Berry\u2019s life was no different\u2014his music shrugged off racial and class divides, satirized icons, and combined sounds in a way that had never been done before. His music was fun, young, and irreverent\u2014it was the soul of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll.<\/p>\n

Because of his status as the most influential musician of his genre, Berry received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985, and a year later became the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame\u2019s first member.<\/p>\n

But perhaps the best measure of Berry\u2019s greatness can be seen in his legacy. Bands from all over the world, including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys have both covered and have been heavily influenced by Berry\u2019s sound and style.<\/p>\n

Rolling Stones band member Keith Richards once said that \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry \u2018cause I\u2019ve lifted every lick he ever played. This is the man that started it all!\u201d<\/p>\n

So great was Berry\u2019s importance to the cultural landscape of his time that his music was sent out on a voyage to other worlds\u2014\u201cJohnny B. Goode\u201d was included on golden records aboard the Voyager I and II spacecraft which were launched in 1977 in hopes of introducing human culture to alien species.<\/p>\n

Berry is survived by his wife of 68 years, Themetta, whom he affectionately called Toddy. Mere months before his death, Berry announced plans to release a new album dedicated to Themetta, saying in an 2016 press release that \u201cThis record is dedicated to my beloved Toddy. My darlin\u2019, I\u2019m growing old! I\u2019ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry will be remembered as one of the founders of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll, and a musician who defined the sound of a generation, and influenced many, many more.<\/p>\n

You can finally hang up those shoes, Mr. Berry. You\u2019ve earned a good rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On October 18th, 1926, the world gained a man named Chuck Berry\u2014a man who would go on to be one of the great pioneers of music, a fiery soul whom Bob Dylan once called \u201cthe Shakespeare of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u201d. 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