Chuck Berry: the 100 most inspirational musicians of all time
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chuck Berry (born Charles Edward Anderson Berry, b. Oct. 18, 1926, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.) was one of the most popular and influential performers in rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll music in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.
Raised in a working-class African American neighborhood on the north side of the highly segregated city of St. Louis, Berry grew up in a family proud of its African- American and Native American ancestry. He gained early exposure to music through his family’s participation in the choir of the Antioch Baptist Church, through the blues and country western music he heard on the radio, and through music classes, especially at Sumner High School. Berry was still attending high school when he was sent to serve three years for armed robbery at a Missouri prison for young offenders. After his release and return to St. Louis, he worked at an auto plant, studied hairdressing, and played music in small nightclubs.
Chuck Berry traveled to Chicago in search of a recording contract; he signed with the Chess label, and in 1955 his first recording session produced “Maybellene”, which stayed on the pop charts for 11 weeks, cresting at number five. Berry followed this success with extensive tours and hit after hit, including “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957), and “Johnny B. Goode” (1958). His vivid descriptions of consumer culture and teenage life, the distinctive sounds he coaxed from his guitar, and the rhythmic and melodic virtuosity of his piano player (Johnny Johnson) made Berry’s songs staples in the repertoire of almost every rock-and-roll band.
At the peak of his popularity, federal authorities prosecuted Berry for violating the Mann Act, alleging that he transported an underage female across state lines “for immoral purposes.” After two trials tainted by racist
overtones, Berry was convicted and remanded to prison. Upon his release he placed new hits on the pop charts, including “No Particular Place to Go” in 1964, at the height of the British Invasion, whose prime movers,
the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, were hugely influenced by Berry (as were the Beach Boys).
In 1972 Berry achieved his first number one hit, “My Ding-A-Ling.” Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and ’80s, he continued to appear in concert, most often performing with backing bands comprising local musicians. Berry’s public visibility increased in 1987 with the publication of his book Chuck Berry: The Autobiography and the release of the documentary film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring footage from his 60th birthday concert and guest appearances by Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen.
Chuck Berry is undeniably one of the most influential figures in the history of rock music. In helping to create rock and roll from the crucible of rhythm and blues, he combined clever lyrics, distinctive guitar sounds, boogie-woogie rhythms, precise diction, an astounding stage show, and
musical devices characteristic of country western music and the blues in his many best-selling single records and albums.
A distinctive if not technically dazzling guitarist, Berry used electronic effects to replicate the ringing sounds of bottleneck blues guitarists in his recordings. He drew upon a broad range of musical genres in his compositions, displaying an especially strong interest in Caribbean music on “Havana Moon” (1957) and “Man and the Donkey” (1963), among others. Influenced by a wide variety of artists—including guitar players Carl Hogan, Charlie Christian, and T-Bone Walker and vocalists Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, and Charles Brown—Berry played a major role in broadening the appeal of rhythm-and-blues music during the 1950s. He fashioned his lyrics to appeal to the growing teenage market by presenting vivid and humorous descriptions of high-school life, teen dances, and consumer culture. Many popular-music performers have recorded Berry’s songs.
An appropriate tribute to Berry’s centrality to rock and roll came when his song “Johnny B. Goode” was among the pieces of music placed on a copper phonograph record attached to the side of the Voyager 1 satellite, hurtling through outer space, in order to give distant or future civilizations a chance to acquaint themselves with the culture of the planet Earth in the 20th century. In 1984, he was presented with a Grammy Award for lifetime
achievement. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sheet Music Download.
Chuck Berry Greatest Hits – Chuck Berry Best Blue Songs – Chuck Berry All Songs Full Album 2021
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Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
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Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata | ||
Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata 1st Mov. Guitar arr. with TABs | ||
Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata 1st Mov. Guitar arr. with TABs.mscz | ||
Beethoven – Ode to joy – Piano arr. | Beethoven – Ode to joy – Piano arr. | |
Beethoven – Ode To Joy (Piano solo arr.) | ||
Beethoven – Piano concerto 4 (Theme Easy piano solo) | ||
Beethoven – Piano Concerto 4 (Theme Easy Piano Solo) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No 4 in G Op 58 (arr. for 2 pianos) | Beethoven – Piano Concerto No 4 | |
Beethoven – Sonata No 23 Op 57 (Appassionata) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven – Sonata No. 8 Op. 13 Pathétique (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven – Sonata Pathétique arr. for Guitar (Piano Sonata no. 8 in C minor op. 13 ) | Beethoven – Sonata Pathétique arr. for Guitar (Piano Sonata no. 8 in C minor op. 13 ) | |
Beethoven – Sonata Pathétique arr. for Guitar (Piano Sonata no. 8 in C minor op. 13 ).mscz | ||
Beethoven – Sonate Op 111 – Arietta (Liszt) | ||
Beethoven – Symphony n. 9 D 2H Pauer | ||
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 (1st movement) Piano solo arr. | ||
Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 2nd Movement Piano Solo Arr. | Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 2nd Movement Piano Solo Arr. | |
Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 3rd movement arr. for piano solo by Ernst Pauer | Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 3rd movement arr. for piano solo by Ernst Pauer | |
Beethoven 2 cadenzas from Piano Concerto n 4 op 58 (arr. piano solo by Beethoven) | Beethoven 2 cadenzas from Piano Concerto n 4 | |
BEETHOVEN ADAGIO from Piano Concerto Eb arr. piano solo | ||
Beethoven Analyse Pathetique | Beethoven Analyse Pathetique | |
Beethoven by George Alexander Fischer (1905) Book | ||
Beethoven Duo For 2 Flutes Woo 26 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Egmont Ouverture Piano solo Arr. Henselt | ||
Beethoven Egmont Overture Opus 84 Piano Solo arr. sheet music | Egmont Overture Opus 84 Beethoven 1st page | |
Beethoven Fantasia G Minor Op.77 | ||
Beethoven Fingerpicking For Guitar Solo with TABs | Beethoven Fingerpicking For Guitar Solo with TABs | |
Beethoven His Spiritual Development by J.W.N. Sullivan (Book) 1936 | ||
Beethoven L.V. Op 68 SYMPHONY VI arr. for 2 pianos | ||
Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 Piano Solo | ||
Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 Piano Solo Musescore File.mscz | ||
Beethoven Liszt 5th Symphony Piano Solo arr (Complete) | ||
Beethoven Liszt 5th Symphony Piano Solo arr.mscz | ||
Beethoven Liszt – Symphony no. 9, 4th Movement Piano Solo arr. | ||
Beethoven Liszt – Symphony No.9 4th Movement (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Liszt Marche Funebre | ||
Beethoven Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 1st Movement (S. 464) Piano Solo arr. | Beethoven_Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 1st Movement (S. 464) – Franz Liszt | |
Beethoven Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 2nd Movement (S. 464) Piano Solo arr. | Beethoven_Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 2nd Movement (S. 464) – Franz Liszt | |
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement Guitar Tabs arr. | Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement Guitar Tabs arr. cover | |
Beethoven Pastoral Symphony (piano reduction) | Beethoven Pastoral Symphony (piano reduction) | |
Beethoven Piano Book 10 Musical selections (easy piano) | Beethoven Piano Book 10 Musical selections | |
Beethoven Piano Concerto 5 Piano Solo Reduction | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 1st Movement (Arr For 2 Pianos) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 3rd Mvmt (Arr For 2 Pianos) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Op 58 Piano Solo Reduction | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 (1st Movement) Arr For 2 Pianos (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 2nd Movement Fragment (Piano Solo) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 1st Movement Arr. For 2 Pianos.mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 3rd Movement Arr. For 2 Pianos.mscz | ||
Beethoven Piano Sonata No.17 “tempest” 1st Movt. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Sonata Op 49 No 2 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Sonate No 8 “pathétique” Op. 13 1st Movement (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony n.6 F 2H Pauer | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 5 (1st Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 6 Pastoral (1st Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 6 Pastoral (3rd Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 6 Pastoral (4th Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 6 Pastoral (5th Movement) Piano Solo(1) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 7 (2nd Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 9 (1st Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No 9 (2nd Movement-Scherzo) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (1st Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastoral (2nd Movement) Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastoral 2nd Movement (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 2nd Movement Piano Solo Arr. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beethoven Symphony No.6 Op.68 piano solo arr. by Liszt | ||
BEETHOVEN The Complete Variations For Piano Solo | BEETHOVEN The Complete Variations For Piano Solo_compressed | |
Beethoven Variations and Fugue in E-flat major (Eroica Variations) Op. 35.mscz | ||
Beethoven Virus Jazz | ||
Beethoven_Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 1st Movement (S. 464) – Franz Liszt Piano Solo arr.mscz | ||
Beethoven_Liszt Symphony No. 9 – 2nd Movement (S. 464) – Franz Liszt Piano Solo arr.mscz | ||
Beethoven_Symphony_No._9_3rd_movement_for_piano_solo.mscz | ||
Beethoven- Liszt Symphony no. 6 Pastorale piano solo arr. | ||
Beethoven-Liszt Symphony 9 Choral (arr. for piano) | ||
Beethoven-Ludwig-van – Sonaten alle complete Band 1 (1-15) | ||
Beethoven-Ludwig-Van – Sonaten Alle Complete Band 2 (16-32) | ||
Beethoven-Moszkowski – Emperor piano solo Transcription | ||
Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas A Handbook For Performers (BOOK) | ||
Beethoven’s Arrangements For Solo Piano Of The 9 Symphonies By E. Pauer | ||
Beethoven’s Last Piano Sonatas, Piano Sonata In A Major, Op. 101 An Edition With Elucidation, Volume 4 | ||
Beethoven’s Last Piano Sonatas, Piano Sonata In E Major, Op. 109 An Edition With Elucidation, Volume 1 | ||
Beetlejuice – Obituaries – Danny Elfman | Beetlejuice – Obituaries – Danny Elfman | |
Beetlejuice Theme – Danny Elfman | ||
Beetoven – Klaviersonate Nr. 14 Mondscheinsonate (Piano Sonata No. 14 Moonlight) 3rd Mov. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Beginning Gospel For Piano Easy Piano | Beginning Gospel For Piano Easy Piano | |
Beginning Jazz Guitar The Complete Jazz Guitar Method by Jody Fisher (with audio MP3 audio tracks and Tablature) | Beginning Jazz Guitar | |
Beginning Solo Guitar Merry Christmas with Tablature | Beginning Solo Guitar Merry Christmas | |
Béla Bartók Romanian Folk Dances Sz. 56 Piano Solo Sheet Music | ||
Bela Bartok – Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta Sz. 106 (Piano Transcription) | Bela Bartok – Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta Sz. 106 (Piano Transcription) | |
Béla Bartók An Analysis Of His Music (Book) By Ernö Lendvai | ||
Bella Ciao – As Performed In La Casa De Papel (Traditional Italian Anti-Fascist Song) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Bella Ciao (As performed in La Casa de Papel – Money Heist) Traditional Italian song (Anti-fascist) | Bella Ciao | |
Bella Ciao Ukulele with Tablature TABs | Bella Ciao Ukulele with Tablature TABs | |
Bella gioventù (Renato Zero) | ||
Bella’s Lullaby (Carter Burwell) | ||
Belle OST – A Million Miles Away by Rachel Portman | ||
Bellini Casta Diva (piano) | Bellini-CastaDiva | |
Bellini – Casta diva (Norma) Easy Piano Solo arr. | ||
Bellini – Casta Diva (Norma) Easy Piano Solo Arr. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Bellini – Norma Casta Diva arr. piano solo | ||
Beltrami, Marco – The Giver – Rosemary’s Piano | ||
Ben (Michael Jackson) | ||
Ben E King – Stand By Me | ||
Ben Folds – Annie Waits | ||
Ben Folds – Brick | ||
Ben Folds – Carrying Cathy | ||
Ben Folds – Effington (Solo) | ||
Ben Folds – Fired | ||
Ben Folds – Gone | ||
Ben Folds – Losing Lisa | ||
Ben Folds – Not The Same | ||
Ben Folds – Rockin The Suburbs | ||
Ben Folds – Still Fighting It | ||
Ben Folds – The Luckiest | ||
Ben Folds – Zak And Sara | ||
Ben Harper – Fight For Your Mind (Songbook) (Ben Harper) Guitar TABs | Ben Harper – Fight For Your Mind (Songbook) (Ben Harper) Guitar TABs | |
Ben Webster – Better Go The Quintet Studio Sessions | ||
Ben Webster – Solo on Solitude By Duke Ellington | Ben Webster – Solitude By Duke Ellington | |
Ben Webster – Someone to Watch Over Me The Life and Music of Ben Webster (Jazz Perspectives) (Frank Buchmann-Moller) Book | ||
Ben Webster Stormy Weather – (solo Tenor Sax)I Cant Get Started | Ben Webster Stormy Weather – (solo Tenor Sax)I Cant Get Started | |
Benjamin Waldmann Circles |