15
years ago today Johnny Cash left his home here on earth to join June in
their new home on the other side. I had the honor of meeting him and
his amazing family on several occasions. His concerts felt more like a
family jam session than the over produced flash and bang of today's
music events. His persona was overwhelming and yet you felt like part of
an extended family in his presence. I took this image at the end of his
concert. It was the last frame of film I had left on the roll. Long
live Johnny Cash! https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyCashIsAlive/…
In
this Oct. 17, 1986 file photo, Chuck Berry performs during a concert
celebration for his 60th birthday at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Mo. James A. Finley / AP
byKalhan Rosenblatt
Revolutionary blues singer Chuck Berry, often
referred to as the "poet laureate" and "father" of rock 'n' roll, died
Saturday, police in Missouri said. He was 90.
Officers responded to Berry's home outside St.
Louis on Saturday afternoon and found him unconscious, the St. Charles
County police said on Facebook. First responders were unsuccessful in
reviving him and pronounced him dead at 1:26 p.m. local time.
One of the first inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,
Berry wove together beguiling narratives, fusing rhythm and blues with
country and western — transfixing the nation.
Ted Nugent's amazing tribute to the legendary Chuck Berry.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton called Berry "one of the 20th Century's most influential musicians."
Known for chart-toppers such as "Johnny B
Goode," "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," Berry's
career rocketed in the 1950s after signing a record deal with Chess
Records at the behest of musician Muddy Waters, according to Rolling Stone.
In
this Oct. 17, 1986 file photo, Chuck Berry performs during a concert
celebration for his 60th birthday at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Mo. James A. Finley / AP
His first hit, "Maybellene," spent nine weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard
R&B chart and also rose to No. 5 on the pop charts. Berry reshaped
the 1950s with a unique sound that appealed to both sides of a racially
divided country.
"I made records for people who would buy them.
No color, no ethnic, no political — I don't want that, never did,"
Berry told the New York Times in 2003.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame said in a statement Saturday that Berry "created the rock sound."
"Chuck Berry is rock and roll. The undisputed
original poet laureate, he influenced every rock and roll artist after
him and every guitarist that ever plugged in," hall of fame President
and CEO Greg Harris said in a statement.
"Today, we celebrate his poetry, his artistry
and his massive contributions to 20th century culture," Harris said.
It's fitting that he was the first person inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame. Rock and roll as we know it would not exist without
him. Hail Hail, Rock and Roll. Hail Hail, Chuck Berry."
Many of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll have cited Berry as an inspiration thanks to his earworm tunes.
John Lennon once said: "If you had tried to try and give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck 'Berry.'"
The Twitter account run by Lennon's estate was
among those paying tribute to the legendary musician Saturday. Beatles
drummer Ringo Starr also expressed his condolences: "R I P. And peace
and love Chuck Berry Mr. rock 'n' roll music."
Leonard Cohen believed, "all of us are
footnotes to the words of Chuck Berry," while Bob Dylan dubbed him the
"Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll," Peter Guralnick recalled in Rolling Stone in October 2016.
Berry's signature duck walk was adopted by the likes of admiring bands such as The Who and AC/DC.
Despite mesmerizing the country with his
infectious hooks and rhythm, he was temporarily pulled from the
spotlight in 1959 when he was arrested for violating the Mann Act by
driving an underage girl across state lines from Texas to his native
Missouri, according to Biography.com. He spent two years in federal prison.
Chuck Berry performs at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on Dec. 31, 2011 in New York City. Bobby Bank / WireImage
As a teenager, Berry — born Charles Anderson
Edward Berry to Martha and Henry Berry in St. Louis — was convicted of
an armed robbery and spent 1944 to 1947 in reform school.
After his release, Berry worked an assembly
line and studied cosmetology, before finding his place in American
history with a guitar in his hands and a captain's hat on his head.
Later in life, Berry would serve another
prison stint after running into trouble with the Internal Revenue
Service, Rolling Stone reported.
But he would always return to the stage, even as he aged, playing shows into his mid-80s.
On his 90th birthday, Berry announced he was
releasing his first LP in 38 years, slated to hit stores this year. He
dedicated the album to his wife of 68 years, Themetta "Toddy" Berry,
whom he is survived by.
