Obituaries

Chuck Berry, Rock 'N' Roll Pioneer, Dies

The famed guitarist and so-called father of rock 'n' roll died in Missouri at the age of 90.

Chuck Berry, Rock 'N' Roll Pioneer, Dies
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Chuck Berry, guitarist and the so-called father of rock 'n' roll, died Saturday at the age of 90.

The St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri posted about the musician's death in a Facebook post, saying they responded to a medical emergency at 12:40 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The police department says Berry was unresponsive and could not be revived. 

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Berry was in the first class of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 1986, nearly 30 years after the release of his first album. According to the Rock Hall, "After Elvis Presley, only Chuck Berry had more influence on the formation and development of rock & roll." He was best known for songs like "Johnny B. Goode," "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Sweet Little Sixteen."

But Berry's life wasn't without controversy. He served jail time in the early 1960s for taking a 14-year-old girl across state lines. In 1990, he settled a lawsuit with dozens of women who accused him of secretly videotaping them in a bathroom.

Berry is survived by his wife, Themetta "Toddy" Berry.