Born 100 Years Ago Today in St. Louis, the “Father of Rock and Roll” Who Inspired The Beatles and the Rolling Stones

Born on this very day 100 years ago was the legendary rock and roll icon Chuck Berry. Berry is easily one of the most recognizable pioneers of rock and roll as we know it, and his works evolved the rhythm and blues of his time in the 1950s into the foundation of what would become rock and roll, followed by rock’s many evolutions through the 20th century.

To celebrate the impact Chuck Berry had on popular music, let’s take a look at his incredible career as one of rock and roll’s greatest guitarists and artists.

The Life and Legacy of Chuck Berry

Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri. He pursued music from a very early age and began performing in public as early as 1941 while in high school. While he was talented from a young age, Berry did have his issues. He was arrested for armed robbery when he was a teenager and was sent to a reformatory for young men. There, naturally, he formed a singing quartet.

As an adult, Chuck Berry worked with a number of local bands in St. Louis, which quickly boosted his local popularity. And by the mid-1950s, Berry was an awe-inspiring sensation. Some of Berry’s biggest hits include the 1955 classic “Maybellene”, “Roll Over Beethoven” from 1956, and “Rock And Roll Music” from 1957. And, of course, we can’t forget his most enduring song, one that inspired countless greats in the rock genre in the 1960s and beyond: “Johnny B. Goode” from 1958. Berry also had a late-career hit with the 1972 song “My Ding A Ling”.

Berry’s lyricism, which focused on being young and consumerism, resonated with listeners and contemporaries alike. But it was his showmanship, which involved absolutely shredding on the guitar, often jumping in the air, that really inspired rock musicians who would take over the airwaves after Berry’s era came to an end. Chart-topping bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones cited Berry as a major inspiration.

Chuck Berry passed away on March 18, 2017, in St. Charles County, Missouri. He was 90 years old. He lived a full and legendary life, and his impact on rock music won’t soon be forgotten.

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