Berry, Chuck (1926– )

US singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the most influential performers in rock-and-roll music, his characteristic guitar riffs and humorous storytelling lyrics have been widely imitated. He had a string of hits in the 1950s and 1960s beginning with ‘Maybellene’ (1955), which became an early rock-and-roll classic. He enjoyed a revival of popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1986 he was the first member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Born in St Louis, Missouri, Berry began as a blues guitarist in local clubs. Early songs like ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ (1956), ‘Rock 'n' Roll Music’ (1957), ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ (1958), and ‘Johnny B Goode’ (1958) are classics of the style, and ‘Johnny B Goode’was chosen (together with works such as Beethoven's ninth symphony) as part of a sample of Earth music carried on the Voyager space probes in 1977. Berry had his biggest hit in 1972 with the song ‘My Ding-A-Ling’, which saw him reach a new generation of teenagers. Berry's later career was marred by trouble with the law, resulting in a two-year prison sentence. He was the subject of a film tribute, Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (1987).

In September 2000, he was honoured for his lifetime contribution to American culture by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.