The end of an era. Rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry died on Saturday, March 18, at the age of 90, KSDK in St. Louis reported.
The news outlet reported that the Missouri native was pronounced dead on Saturday afternoon, after police responded to a medical emergency at 12:40 p.m. local time. First responders entered the home and reportedly found Berry unresponsive and immediately administered lifesaving techniques, but the musician could not be revived.
“The St. Charles County Police Department sadly confirms the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry,” the St. Charles County Police Department wrote in a post on its Facebook page. “The family requests privacy during this time of bereavement.”
The guitarist, singer and songwriter was considered a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer with hits in the 1950s including “Maybelline,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Rock and Roll Music” and “Johnny B. Goode.”
He was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986, and his songs were recorded by bands including the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
Rock ‘n’ roll’s original bad boy, Berry was still in high school when he was convicted of armed robbery and locked up for three years until his release in 1947 at the age of 21.
He worked at an auto assembly plant and as a janitor before turning his focus to music, releasing “Maybelline” in 1955, which topped Billboard‘s rhythm and blues chart and sold more than a million copies.
In 1959, he was arrested after allegations that he had sex with a 14-year-old waitress, who he transported across state lines to work as a hatcheck girl at his club. He was convicted under the Mann Act and served 18 months in prison.
Berry continued to perform in his later years, touring the U.S. and even overseas. The singer announced on his 90th birthday in October 2016 that he was planning to release a new studio album in 2017, his first in 38 years.
