Chuck Berry was an influential American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the youngest of six children and grew up in The Ville, a middle-class African-American neighborhood in north St. Louis. His father, Henry William Berry, was a contractor and deacon, while his mother, Martha Berry, worked as a public school principal. Berry showed an early interest in music and gave his first public performance in 1941 while still in high school.
He attended Sumner High School, the first high school for African-American students west of the Mississippi River. During his teenage years, Berry encountered legal trouble; in 1944, he was arrested in Kansas City, Missouri, for armed robbery after stealing a car and robbing several stores. He was sentenced to the Intermediate Reformatory for Young Men at Algoa, in Jefferson City.
While incarcerated, Berry formed a singing quartet with fellow inmates and also engaged in boxing. The musical group gained local acclaim and was eventually permitted to perform outside the institution. On his 21st birthday in 1947, Berry was released from the reformatory, marking a pivotal turn in his life.
In the early 1950s, Berry began performing with local bands in St. Louis and took guitar lessons from a friend and jazz musician, Ira Harris. Harris significantly influenced Berry’s guitar technique, helping to shape the rhythmic style that would later become a hallmark of rock and roll.
Soon after, Berry joined the Sir John Trio, led by pianist Johnnie Johnson. The group played a blend of blues, ballads, and country music in local clubs, an eclectic mix that would define Berry’s unique musical style. His fusion of R&B and country became foundational to the emerging genre of rock and roll.
Chuck Berry revolutionized popular music with hits like “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Johnny B. Goode.” These songs, noted for their innovative guitar riffs and storytelling lyrics, captured the spirit of post-war youth and helped establish rock and roll as a dominant genre.
Berry’s influence extended across generations, shaping the work of numerous legendary artists, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix. He continued to perform and tour into his later years and remained an active contributor to music's evolution.
Chuck Berry passed away from cardiac arrest on March 18, 2017, at the age of 90. He is remembered as one of the founding figures of rock and roll and a pioneer whose artistry changed the course of modern music.
| Birth Date: | 18 Oct, 1926 |
| Age: | 93 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | St. Louis |
| residence: | The Ville Chuck Berry House |
| Education: | Sumner High School |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American recording artist; rock-and-roll guitarist, singer, songwriter |
