Born:
October 18, 1926
Birthplace:
St. Louis, MO
Also Known As:
His full name is Charles Edward Anderson Berry, he is a guitarist and vocalist in the genres of blues and rock and roll.
Type of Compositions:
He fused blues with hillbilly and stamped it with his unique playing style and stage presence. He joined the
Sir John's Trio, which was later renamed
Chuck Berry Combo, in 1953 and signed up with Chess Records in 1955.
Influence:
Berry was influenced by other performers such as Nat King Cole and the band Muddy Waters. He took up playing the
guitar after performing on stage in high school. His friend Ira Harris taught him guitar playing techniques.
Notable Works:
Some of his famous songs are "My Ding-A-Ling," "Maybellene," "School Day," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Rock & Roll Music," "Carol," "Johnny B. Goode," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Back in the USA," "Too Much Monkey Business," "No Particular Place To Go," "No Money Down," "Thirty Days," "Almost Grown," "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and ""Wee Wee Hours,"
Interesting Facts:
Berry's song, "Maybellene", was originally titled "Ida May", this song propelled him to stardom. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. His other song, "Johnny B. Goode" was played on the spacecraft Voyager 1.
Music Sample:
Music clips of Chuck Berry's songs available
here.
