{"id":302931,"date":"2017-03-19T09:55:04","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T09:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=302931"},"modified":"2017-03-19T09:55:04","modified_gmt":"2017-03-19T09:55:04","slug":"rock-and-roll-legend-chuck-berry-dies-aged-90","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/03\/rock-and-roll-legend-chuck-berry-dies-aged-90\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry dies aged 90"},"content":{"rendered":"
Chuck Berry, the guitarist and songwriter recognised as one of the fathers of rock ‘n’ roll, has died aged 90.<\/p>\n
Berry’s seven-decade career boasted a string of hits, including classics Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode.<\/p>\n
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.<\/p>\n
His death was confirmed by police in the US state of Missouri.<\/p>\n
The singer was found unresponsive at 12:40 local time (17:40 GMT) on Saturday, St Charles County police said in a statement. He could not be revived and was pronounced dead at 13:26.<\/p>\n
“The St. Charles County Police Department sadly confirms the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry,” it said.<\/p>\n
High-profile musicians were quick to pay tribute to Berry’s talent and influence.<\/p>\n
Motown legends The Jacksons tweeted: “Chuck Berry merged blues & swing into the phenomenon of early rock’n’roll. In music, he cast one of the longest shadows. Thank You Chuck.”<\/p>\n
Singer-songwriter Huey Lewis described him as “maybe the most important figure in all of rock and roll”.<\/p>\n
“His music and influence will last forever,” he added.<\/p>\n
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr quoted one of Berry’s own lyrics on Twitter, saying: “Just let me hear some of that rock ‘n’ roll music any old way you use it.”<\/p>\n
“I am playing I’m talking about you,” he wrote.<\/p>\n
Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones covered Berry’s songs, as did The Beach Boys and scores of other acts – including Elvis.<\/p>\n
“If you tried to give rock ‘n’ roll another name,” John Lennon once said, “you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”<\/p>\n
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones said that Berry “lit up our teenage years and blew life into our dreams”.<\/p>\n
Singer Bruce Springsteen called him “a giant for the ages”.<\/p>\n