Rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry, the pioneer who is best remembered for songs such as “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Johnny B. Goode” in the late 1950s, has died in Missouri. He was 90 years old.
The St. Charles County Police Department said Berry was pronounced dead on Saturday afternoon after first responders were called to a medical emergency at a home in Wentzville at 12:40 p.m. CT. There was no immediate word on the possible cause of his death.
“Inside the home, first responders observed an unresponsive man and immediately administered lifesaving techniques,” police said in a brief statement. “Unfortunately, the 90-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m.”
“The family requests privacy during this time of bereavement,” police added.
Berry, who was born in St. Louis in Missouri in October 1926, helped lay the foundation for modern rock music and was a major influence on scores of bands in the 1960s, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 1984.
Last October, when he turned 90, Berry had announced that he was planning to release a new album in 2017, which would have been his first album of new music in nearly four decades. It is now unclear whether the album – which was also expected to feature his children – will go ahead as planned.
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