R.I.P.: Chuck Berry Passes Away At 90, Details…

Posted On : March 18, 2017

We have extremely sad new ton report ILOSM fam, the iconic rock n’ roll legend, Chuck Berry, has passed away today at the age of 90 years young.

CIRCA 1968:  Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry does the splits as he plays his Gibson hollowbody electric guitar in circa 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1968: Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry does the splits as he plays his Gibson hollowbody electric guitar in circa 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Berry, who’s best known for his hits, such as “Maybellene,” “My Ding-A-Ling,” and “Johnnie B. Goode,” died inside of his home, officials report. Here’s the latest from NBC News:

Revolutionary blues singer Chuck Berry, often referred to as the “poet laureate” and “father” of rock ‘n’ roll, died Saturday, police in Missouri said. He was 90. Officers responded to Berry’s home outside St. Louis on Saturday afternoon and found him unconscious, the St. Charles County police said on Facebook. First responders were unsuccessful in reviving him and pronounced him dead at 1:26 p.m. local time.

CHICAGO - CIRCA 1960: Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry poses for a portrait session in circa 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CHICAGO – CIRCA 1960: Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry poses for a portrait session in circa 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

At the tender age of 90, Chuck Berry still had the spirit and drive of a music artist less than half his age. He’d just announced on his 90th birthday, October 18, 2016, that he was releasing his first LP in 38 YEARS! Word on the Old School curb is that he was extremely excited about his upcoming project- a project that at this point, we’re not sure if we’ll ever be able to get. It hasn’t been confirmed by his team, just how far along the legendary guitarist had gotten into his new creation.

At any rate, Mr. Berry has left behind a LONG list of rock n’ roll, or as we here at ILOSM like to call them, ‘rock n’ soul’ gems for us to celebrate his beautiful legacy with.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO - MARCH 28: Singer Chuck Berry performs during the 2009 Monte Carlo Rock' N Rose Ball held at The Sporting Monte Carlo on March 28, 2009 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
MONTE CARLO, MONACO – MARCH 28: Singer Chuck Berry performs during the 2009 Monte Carlo Rock’ N Rose Ball held at The Sporting Monte Carlo on March 28, 2009 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Berry was still married to his wife of 68 years, Themetta “Toddy” Suggs, whom he married on October 28, 1948. They have three daughters and one son- Darlin Ingrid Berry-Clay, Aloha Berry, Charles Berry Jr. and Melody Exes Berry-Eskridge.

In the beginning of some of his children’s lives, Berry wasn’t yet a popular music artist, so he did what he had to do to support his family, by working in two different car factories, and as a janitor inside the apartment building where he and his family resided. In his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He later studied to become a licensed hairstylist at the Poro College of Cosmetology, which would explain why the brotha’s hair was always on point.

By the early 1950’s, Berry had earned enough income to move his family out their apartment and into their own brick cottage style home in St. Louis, which is now officially listed as the Chuck Berry House on the National Register of Historic Places.

(EXCLUSIVE, Premium Rates Apply) LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 01, 1978: Michael Jackson and Chuck Berry at an Grammy Awards reception at Chasen's restaurant circa 1978 in Los Angeles, California.**EXCLUSIVE** (Photos by Brad Elterman/FilmMagic)
Michael Jackson and Chuck Berry at an Grammy Awards reception at Chasen’s restaurant circa 1978 in Los Angeles, California.(Photos by Brad Elterman/FilmMagic)

Berry was no stranger to adversity in the music industry

In the beginning of his career, Chuck recalled how audiences sometimes didn’t understand him as an African American ‘country’ artist, at that time:

“Curiosity provoked me to lay a lot of our country stuff on our predominantly black audience and some of our black audience began whispering ‘who is that black hillbilly at the Cosmo?’ After they laughed at me a few times they began requesting the hillbilly stuff and enjoyed dancing to it,” recalled Berry.

Rest easy Chuck Berry.

About I Love Old School Music

We salute the incredible people and beautiful memories of that "old school". We’re not saying that every artist and every facet of the soul era was perfect, but the artists’ contributions to soul music and the old school memories of that particular time are PRICELESS.