Chuck Berry  

One of the most influential pioneers in rock and roll history, Chuck Berry is cited as an influence to almost every notable rock icon since his debut. He was a prolific songwriter and a talented guitarist and vocalist.

Charles Edward Anderson Berry, known popularly as Chuck Berry, was born October 18, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a deacon and contractor, while his mother was a principal. Fortunate enough to be raised in a middle-class household, Berry’s musical talent could be nurtured and fostered.

Before he had even graduated from Sumner High School, Berry was already performing his particular brand of music. However, personal troubles caught up to Berry in 1944 when he was arrested for armed robbery. He wasn’t released from Intermediate Reformatory for Young Men until 1947.

Pursuing his music once released, Berry had to navigate tricky racial waters. His music had to appeal to both black and white audiences, which was not an easy feat. Looking to Nat King Cole and Muddy Waters for inspiration, he seamlessly blended country and blues. By 1955, Berry released the single “Maybellene,” and it sold over one million copies.

And the hits kept coming. He is responsible for “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Rock and Roll Music,” both of which were covered by The Beatles. He also wrote and performed the popular single “Johnny B Goode.”

After an incident with a 14-year-old Apache waitress got him arrested under the Mann Act in late 1959, Berry spent another five years in prison. Upon his release, however, it was as if he had never left. Covers of his songs by bands such as The Rolling Stones kept his music alive, and he continued releasing singles such as “No Particular Place to Go.”

At the 1969 Schaefer Music Festival, Berry was the headliner along with other superstar acts BB King, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Miles Davis, The Byrds, and others.

He mainly toured during the 70s, but the concerts were lackluster and many considered them a blemish on his earlier success. His last studio album came in 1979 with Rockit.

His legal troubles continued in this year when he was sentenced to four months for tax evasion. He had yet another run-in with the law in 1990 when 59 women filed a complaint that he’d installed cameras in the women’s lavatory of his restaurant. It was estimated the suit cost him over $1.2 million. In 2000, Johnnie Johnson, who was Berry’s former pianist, sued him on the grounds that he co-wrote over fifty songs that were credited solely to Berry. The case was ultimately dismissed with the judge ruling too much time had passed.

Confirming his importance to the rock and roll genre, Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Fourteen years later, he also received Kennedy Center Honors along with Angela Lansbury, Clint Eastwood, Placido Domingo, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

In 1984, he was also recognized by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In his personal life, Berry married Themetta “Toddy” Suggs on October 28, 1948. They have four children together, and they are currently still married.