You’re right. 
I think all those years of playing with his Ding-A-Ling may explain his longevity.
Aw, shit. A true rock ‘n’ roll pioneer has passed on. Roll over, Beethoven, and tell Tchaikovsky the news.
Chuck Berry invented rock ‘n’ roll. Period.
RIP, Chuck.
An interesting character for sure.
Just yesterday my husband was talking about how, at about 90, Chuck left his hospital bed to perform. RIP. Chuck.
Gone like a cool breeze.
Wow, I knew this one was coming, but that don’t make it any easier.
This editing sucks. So anyway, yeah, Chuck Berry has died.
Sent from my adequate mobile device using Tapatalk.
Wow, this is big. This man, more than any other, created the sound that has dominated popular culture for about 65 years. I look forward to Keith Richards’ statement (Keith, a terrific writer – see his book “Life” – worshipped Chuck, and the were friends even if Chuck drove Keith crazy).
Thanks Pat.
Sent from my adequate mobile device using Tapatalk.
Pool wrote: "I think all those years of playing with his Ding-A-Ling may explain his longevity. "
Hey, it worked for Ernest Borgnine.
Seriously, I once heard that he always toured alone because if he needed to pick up sidemen it was just a matter of calling the local musicians union and saying: "Send me some body who can play Chuck Berry material." Which was pretty much everybody.Wow. Could he have been more rock n’ roll? Such elemental songs and playing. Such a weird complex life. I couldn’t play if it weren’t for Chuck. No one could.
Well, Sun records, Elvis, rockabilly, Bill Haley, Rocket 88, Hank Williams, mumble, mumble, but damn, you’re so right!
ETA: accidentally, I was listening to my favorite album of all times, “Sticky Fingers”, when I heard the news. Eerily fitting somehow, his best pupils…
Damn! The true king of rock’n’roll just died. He really was an original. He composed the wittiest and most literate rock’n’roll lyrics since the genre was born. Nobody wrote like Chuck before and nobody has written like him since.
In the UK in the early 60s the record company (Parlophone I believe) always marketed him with another idol of mine Bo Diddley, issuing EPs with a couple of tracks each from the pair, Chuck’n’Bo. It was a match made in heaven, the earthy, hypnotic and insistent beat of Bo with the driving, rhythmic and intelligent rock from Chuck.
Bo went a few years ago, now Chuck has joined him. They were true rock royalty. We shall not look upon their like again.
But Muddy Waters invented electricity.
I’ve told this story before on here but it fits.
In college me and my roommates heard that Chuck Berry was playing in DC. None of us were big fans but how can you dislike his songs? They are rock and roll. We thought that he couldn’t possibly play for too much longer so we should go see him while we could. We didn’t know he would be playing another 30 years.
His concert was just like you have probably heard. Some local bar blues band opened for him. Then we waited. The announcement came over that his plane was late. We waited. And waited. Finally the opening band came back on stage. Then Chuck Berry walked on with his guitar case. He strapped on the guitar and said to the audience “What do you want to hear?” When he heard a song title he launched into the song without looking at the band just assuming they were going to know what to do.
What can I say? He was Chuck Berry. He sounded great. He played like Chuck Berry. He was in his 60s but he still did all his moves. There was no thought to a set list. He played as songs were called out. Johnny B Goode was 3rd. He pulled people out of the audience to dance on stage.
He played a bunch of his songs but they are short. After about 45 minutes he waved to the audience and walked off. The house lights came on and over the PA came the announcement “Chuck Berry has left the building.” I had no expectations other than getting the opportunity to see him live and that’s exactly what happened.
Johnny B. Goode was included on the gold record “Sounds of Earth” that was sent with the Voyager space probes. His music may literally outlive us all.
My family ate in his restaurant once in the late 80s. I wonder if he captured video of my mom and sister in law in the bathroom.
I do love Chuck, and I love that he always lived in the St. Louis area and still showed up to play the Duck Room. He’s a rock genius and cultural icon. And a creep. Still. He could play the guitar like ringing a bell.
Thanks for all those great songs, Chuck.