Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry was born on October 18, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA as Charles Edward Anderson Berry. He was married to Themetta "Toddy" Suggs.

Served three jail terms: for armed robbery in 1944, for violation of the Mann Act in 1959, and for income-tax evasion in 1979. He served two years in the state penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, and was released in February 1964.

He was arguably the most important figure in rock-n-roll in the 1950s, besides Elvis Presley. Although Presley had much more explosive record sales and greater commercial longevity, Berry was equally influential and had the satisfaction of knowing that he, unlike Presley, had written all of his own classics.

He made his national television debut on November 8, 1957 on American Bandstand (1952) performing "Rock and Roll Music" twice in a row, by demand of the teenage dancers in the studio.

On June 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter asked him to perform at the White House.

Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1982), the Blues Hall of Fame (1985), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (charter member) (1986), and the American Songwriters Hall of Fame (1986).

Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1984).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1777 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California on October 7, 1987.

He was awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame at 6504 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri on June 25, 1989.

Whenever he performed live, he always selected a venue which was near an Indian restaurant, so he could have a meal straight after the show. When he was at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall in the 1990s, the stage door was directly opposite the front door of the Mogul-E-Azam, so he was able to sneak out the stage door, across the alley and have his meal without traveling too far (one of the roadies on duty that night let slip about the restaurant information).

On March 18, 2017, police in St. Charles County, Missouri were called to Berry's house, where he was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene at age 90.