Chuck Berry (1926 - )

The Rolling Stones have crossed paths with Chuck Berry many times. He has had a profound effect on Keith Richards who claims to have stolen most of his licks from Berry. A brief chronology of the Stones' relationship with the "founder" of rock n' roll might look like this:

1960: Keith Richards bumps into Mick Jagger at Dartford Station. Under Mick's arm is Rockin At The Hops by Chuck Berry.

1962: Ian Stewart meets Keith Richards. Ian's first words: "You're the Chuck Berry artist."

1963: The Rolling Stones release their first single - "Come On" by Berry.

1964: After having snubbed the Stones while he was in England, Berry welcomes the boys to Chess Records.

1972: Berry throws Keith off the stage in Hollywood.

1981: Berry gives Keith a black eye at the Ritz in New York.

1983: Berry drops a lit match down Keith's shirt at the LAX.

1987: During the filming of Hail! Hail! Rock & Roll, Berry decides to teach Keith how to play his songs.

After all the crap that Keith has taken from Berry one would think that he wouldn't want anything to do with Berry. Yet Keith is still a fan:

"Aretha Franklin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry....If you're offered the chance to work with people like that, to me there's no question; you say, 'Yeah.' 'How much do I owe you?' you say later. All those little things - you dream it, it comes true, if you stick at it and if you hang in for the course."

Chuck Berry is the quitar hero's guitar hero.

If anyone can be said to have invented rock and roll, it's Chuck Berry. Berry mixed country & western guitar with rhythm & blues in his very first single, "Maybellene" and started rock rolling in the right direction. His double entendre lyrics about girls and cars had people guessing. Berry created what was to become the typical "bad boy" pose which became mandatory for every rebel without a pause.

Charles Edward Berry was born in St. Louis on October 18, 1926. At the beginning of his career, Berry played with a blues trio by night and worked as a beautician by day. He met Muddy Waters, who introduced him to Leonard Chess, head of Chicago-based Chess Records. "Maybellene" was released on August 20, 1955 and went to Number 5 in Billboard. Berry was one of the first black artists who crossed over to the white pop charts. When asked why he had been so successful Berry replied: "I think it had a lot to do with

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