Chuck Berry: More Than A Musician

Chuck+Berry%3A+More+Than+A+Musician

Gage Buddemeyer, Staff Writer

 

        When a beloved celebrity passes away, a wave of dismay sweeps over the nation while they’re still trending on Twitter. However, Chuck Berry is not just another face on the silver screen. This musician changed the world and the course of U.S. history forever.

        As it is with any massive cultural movement, nobody quite knows exactly when and where rock started. What we DO know is that Berry played a major part in the early stages of it’s development; making the genre an industry standard by combining the technicality of T-Bone Walker’s work with raw emotional energy and bringing this incredible new sound to everyday people.

Berry’s contribution to the music industry goes far beyond the fact that he wrote some catchy tunes, however. It can be argued that this movement sparked the British Invasion, gave a hand to the counterculture movements of the 60’s and 70’s, and inspired countless other sub-genres of rock (i.e. metal, punk, grunge, etc.) Each and every one of these contributions made has significantly impacted American culture in immeasurable ways.

        Chuck Berry, a man praised by icons such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon (Lennon even remarking, “if you tried to give rock and roll a new name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.’”) was much more than a man or a musician. He was a voice for multiple generations, a harbinger of cultural revolution. Chuck Berry: pioneer, leader, legend.

        You will never be forgotten.