Chuck Berry Dead At 90; Iconic Guitarist Was Game Changer In Rock And Roll, Music History

When it comes to music legends, they don’t come any bigger than Chuck Berry. When a burgeoning form of music needed a bridge from its blues-and-rockabilly-based sound to its modern incarnation as a guitar-fueled performance, it was Chuck Berry who came along and shredded a new, raw sound that forever altered the rock and roll landscape. Every sound since Chuck appeared on the scene can be traced back to him. Sadly, the towering figure who was the George Washington of R&R history died today at 90, leaving a legacy that is, quite simply, immeasurable.

His influence is incalculable. His most famous disciples are the Rolling Stones, two of whom famously bumped into each other as teenagers on a train platform while carrying their favorite Berry records. Keith Richards has famously said he just stole from Berry. Mick Jagger was clearly influenced by Berry’s famous duck walk and animated stage presence.

There was never anybody like Chuck Berry before him and there hasn’t been anybody remotely close since. And nor will there be. For there is only one Chuck Berry, the man that changed the course of popular American music more than anyone ever has or ever will.